princely state · Indian princely states
Orchha State
Origins
In 1531 the Bundela chief Rudra Pratap Singh founded Orchha on an island in the Betwa river and made it his capital. The Bundela Rajputs had risen in the region after the decline of the Chandela dynasty.
Rule and society
Orchha's rulers resisted and then served the Mughals. Bir Singh Deo had Akbar's minister Abul Fazl killed in 1602 on behalf of Prince Salim, the future Jahangir, and was rewarded with power and wealth; he built the Jahangir Mahal and many temples. The Ram Raja temple made Orchha a pilgrimage centre. In 1783 the capital moved to Tikamgarh.
Decline and legacy
Orchha signed a treaty with the British in 1812. In 1950 it joined Vindhya Pradesh, which merged into Madhya Pradesh in 1956. The old capital's palaces and cenotaphs are major monuments.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (4)
- Orchha State was a vassal of Mughal Empire1605 CE – 1707 CE
- Datia State split from Orchha State1626 CE
- Orchha State was a protectorate of Company rule in India1812 CE – 1858 CE
- Orchha State was a protectorate of British Raj1858 CE – 1947 CE
More states of Indian princely states →
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Orchha State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orchha-state
- MLA
- “Orchha State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orchha-state. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Orchha State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orchha-state.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Orchha State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/orchha-state (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻