Social,
Environmental & Economic Sustainability
Our analysis of the rank of the district
Backwardness : 330
Sex Ratio Rank : 120 (Rank one is least sex ratio - Cenus 2001)
HIV Category District : B (HIV Sentinel Surveillance 2004 -2006)
Disability : 54 (Census 2001)
Literacy Ratio : 343 (Census 2001)
Minority : Does not figure in MCD
Water : Flouride in Groundwater above permissible limits
Challenges of the district : Our research with local communities
Semi arid region, causes problems for farmers
Water scarcity. But if we follow the traditional rain water harvesting
system and forest conservation we can overcome most of our challenges.
Low literacy rate among women.
People lack awareness about social issues.
Health infrastructure needs improvement
Alwar District Information
S.T.D. Code of Alwar : 0144
I.S.D. Code of Alwar : 91-144
Geographical Information
Alwar, among the Rajput principalities was the closest to
imperial Delhi. People of this region were daring adventurers.
They did not submit to alien rule; they rebelled. In 1771 A.D.
, Pratap Singh , a Kachhawaha Rajput belonging to the same clan
as the one which ruled Jaipur won Alwar from Mughals and founded
a principality of his own. A historic and eminent fort guards
its highest hill and is reminiscent of a regal way of life.
Alwar is surrounded by the Aravali Hills and
has a unique recognition because of Sariska Van Abhyaranya , Bala-Quila
and Silished Etc.!
| AREA |
SQ.KM. |
8380 |
| LONGITUDE |
DEGREE |
27.4 NE |
| LATITUDE |
DEGREE |
76.9 EAST |
| ALTITUDE |
METRES |
268 |
History Of District
Alwar
Origin of Name
The district is known after its headquarters town of Alwar. There
are many theories about the derivation of the name Alwar. Cunningham
holds that the city derived its name from the Salva tribe and
was originally Salwapur, then, Salwar, Halawar and eventually
Alwar.According to another school it was known as Aravalpur or
the city of Aravali (A hill system dividing Rajasthan roughly
into third and two-thirds).Some others hold that city is named
after Alaval Khan Mewati. A research conducted during the reign
of Maharaja Jey Singh of Alwar revealed that Maharaja Alaghraj,
second son of Maharaja Kakil of Amer (old seat of Jaipur state)
ruled the area in the eleventh century and his territory extended
upto the present city of Alwar. He founded the city of Alpur in
1106 Vikrami samvat(1049 A.D.) after his own name which eventually
became Alwar. It was formerly spelt as Ulwar but in the reign
of Jey Singh the spelling was changed to Alwar.
Location
The district is situated in the north-east of Rajasthan between
27o4' and 28o4' north Latitudes and 76o7' and 77o13' east Longitude.
Its greatest length from south to north is about 137 K.M. and
greatest breadth from east to west about 110 K.M.
It is bounded on the north and north-east by
Gurgaon (of Haryana) and Bharatpur district and on the north-west
by Mahendragarh district of Haryana, on the south-west by Jaipur
and on the south by Sawai- Madhopur and Jaipur districts.
History
The Alwar state may be said to have been formed as a separate,
independent state when Rao Pratap Singh, its founder, first raised
his standard over the Alwar Fort on November 25th 1775.During
his rule the then districts of Thanagazi, Rajgarh, Malakhera,
Ajabgharh, Baldeogarh, Kankwari, Alwar, Ramgarh and Lachhmangarh,
and areas around Behror and Bansur, were finally integrated to
form the State. As the State was being consolidated, naturally,
no definite administrative machinery could have come into being.
At the time, the states revenue was between six to seven lakhs
of rupees per annum.
The next ruler Maharao Raja Bakhtawar Singh(1791-1815)
also devoted himself to the work of extension and consolidation
of the terriotory of the State. He was successful in integrating
the pargannahs of Ismailpur and Mandawar and the talukas of Darbarpur,
Rutai, Nimrana, Mandhan, Beejawar and Kakoma in the Alwar State.
Maharao Raja Bakhtawar Singh rendered valuable services to Lord
Lake, during the latter's campaign against Marathas, in the battle
of Laswari, in Alwar territory when the State troopes assisted
him in finally breaking the Marathas and Jat powers.
As a result, in 1803, the First Treaty of Offensive
and Defensive Alliance was forged between Alwar State and the
East India Company. Thus, Alwar was the first princely State in
India to enter into Treaty Relations with the East India Company.
But in his time also, the State Administration was very imprefect
and cases of loot and dacoity, even in broad day light, were not
infrequent. The State was borrowing money from outside as its
finances were poor and mismanaged. Most of the land revenue was
use to pay back the loans and, at times, the farmeres were put
to hardship The State was heavily indebted when the next ruler
Maharao Viney Singh acceeded to the throne.
Maharao Raja Viney Singh (1815-1857) suppressed
the social anarchy and was to a great extent, successful in stabilising
the general conditions in the State. It was in his time that the
Alwar State administration began to take shape. According to the
Imperial Gazetter of India, " The Government had previously
been carried on without any system. But with the aid of certain
Musalmans introduced from Delhi and appointed ministers in 1838,
great changes were made. The land revenue began to be collected
in cash instead of kind and civil and criminal courts were established."
Maharao Raja Viney Singh died in 1857 and was
succeeded by his son Sheodan Singh (1857-1874). He was then a
boy of twelve. He at once fell under the influence of the Mohammedan
Dewans of Delhi. Their proceedings excited an insurrection of
the Rajputs in 1858, in which several of the Dewan's followers
were killed and the ministers themselves were expelled from the
State. Captain Nixon, the Political agent of Bharatpur, was at
once despatched to Alwar who formed a Council of Regency. A Panchayat
was formed with three members to administer the State but it could
not succeed. Captain Impey came to Alwar as the next Political
Agent in November, 1858. His tenure of that office continued till
the end of 1863, during which he succeeded in re-organising every
branch of the administartion. The system of fixed cash assessment
was introduced. The annual revenue of the State was fixed at Rs.
14,29,425 and work was started on a three years settlement for
the State. After the completion of this settlement, Major Impey
started work on the ten year settlement in the State and the annual
revenue was fixed at Rs. 17,19,875.
Maharao Raja Sheodan Singh assumed ruling powers
on 14th September,1863 and soon after, the agency was abolished.
But the administration soon fell back into the hands of old Dewans
who still had links with the ruler. In 1870, the disbanding of
the Rajput cavalry and the wholesale confiscation of Jagir, grants
the extravagance of the chief and his Mohammedan sympathisers,
brought about a general uprising of the Rajputs with the result
that the British government had again to interfere. Captain Blair,
the then Political Agent for the Eastern States tried to bring
about a reconciliation but failed. Major Cadell was then appointed
the Political Agent in 1867 and,with the sanction of the Government
of India, a council of Management was formed with the Political
Agent as President, the Maharao Raja having a seat in the Board.
Personnel of administration was changed and the whole administartion
was cleaned. A new Department of Engineering was started. Tehsildars
were entrusted with more civil and criminal powers. They were
empowered to impose fines upto Rs. 20 and a month's imprisonment.
In 1871, the Kotwali was established for the security of the city.
The next year work on the 16 year settlement began. Tax on the
british rupee was abolished and Rao-Shai coins were put out of
circulation. British copper coins were introduced in the State
in 1873 and length and weight measures of yard and seer were also
brought into use. Postal management was improved and the letters
from Tehsils which previously, took three daysto reach the capital,
now came within twelve hours. An independent department called
`Appeals' was brought into being for hearing appeals against decisions
of lower courts. The railway line from Delhi to Bandikuipassing
through Alwar, was laid in 1874.
Mangal Singh the next ruler (1874-1892), was
also a minor when he succeeded to the throne of Alwar State and
the State continued to be administered by the Political Agent
and the Council of Regency till December, 1877 when he was invested
with ruling powers. The hereditary title of Maharaja was bestowed
on him in the year 1889. In 1877, he had entered into the contract
with the British Government under the Native Coinage Act of 1876
according to which silver coins bearing the Alwar device were
to be supplied by the Calcutta Mint. The troops in the State were
re-organised in November,1888 under the guidance of Colonel (then
Major) O.Moore Creagh, whose services had specially been lent
for the purpose by the Government of India. The staff office was
established in November, 1888 and Maharaja Mangal Singh himself
supervised the re-organisation of military forces.
On his death in 1892, his only son,Jey Singh
succeeded him. And it was in the times of Jey Singh that Alwar
State gained name. Himself an able man, Maharaja Jey Singh turned
Alwar into a very well administered State. He was a minor at the
time of succession and hence the State administration was carried
on by a council, called the State Council, acting under the general
supervision of the Political Agent . The State Council was composed
of four members and all the business of the administration was
carried on by the members jointly under the advice and guidance
of the Political Agent for the time being. The State Council exercised
powers of a High Court, subject to the revising authority of the
Political Agent. Revenue and Judicial appeals and cases were disposed
off by the Council. The State administration was taking shape.
