Explore the disturbances in Bundelkhand (1808-12) following British conquest during the Second Anglo-Maratha Wars. Learn about the key resisting figures such as Lakshaman Dawa, Darya Singh, and Gopal Singh, and how the British responded with Ikarnamahs to control the region.

Disturbances in Bundelkhand (1808-12): Causes and Major Resistance

• The British conquered Bundelkhand during the Second Anglo-Maratha Wars (1803-05) and incorporated it into the Presidency of Bengal.
• The Bundela chiefs, numbering nearly one hundred and fifty forts, resisted the new administration.
• The first major resistance came from Lakshaman Dawa, the killadar of Ajaygarh fort, who initially held the fort under a temporary arrangement but resisted surrendering after the term ended.

Major Resisting Figures and Outcomes of Bundelkhand Uprisings

• Lakshaman Dawa surrendered in February 1809 and was taken to Calcutta.
• The killadar of Kalanjar, Darya Singh, led a resistance that was suppressed in January 1812.
• The most serious threat came from Gopal Singh, a military adventurer with a dispute against his uncle supported by the British, who evaded capture for four years.
• To address these disturbances, the British implemented a policy of binding the hereditary chieftains of Bundelkhand through contractual obligations known as Ikarnamahs.