Gwalior
Gwalior names 2 different subjects across the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf. Each is set out below.
Gwalior a town and capital of the state of Gwalior
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a town and capital of the state of Gwalior, 65 miles S. of Agra. Its nucleus is an isolated rock of about 340 feet in height, perpendicular on all sides; it measures 1½ miles by 300 yards, and its citadel, said to date from the 8th century, whose guns sweep the only approach, is virtually impregnable against any native force. Along the E. base of this eminence lies the old town of Gwalior, containing little worthy of notice but a beautiful mausoleum of white sandstone; and to the S. W. there extends for several miles the new town called Lashkar, where the Maharajah resides. Nearly 4 miles to the N. E. is Morar, the British cantonment from 1858 to 1886, when its fine sandstone barracks were handed over, along with the fortress, to Sindhia, and the European headquarters removed to Jhansi. Gwalior possesses two remarkable Hindu temples, and one of the most interesting examples of Hindu palace architecture in India; while Jain caves and rock sculptures abound on all sides. Pop. about 120,000.
Gwalior native a state of central India
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
native a state of central India, the dominions of the Mahratta Maharajah Sindhia; area, 25,041 square miles; pop. about 3,100,- 000. Lying partly in the basin of the Jumna and partly in that of the Nerbudda, it divides its drainage between the bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The principal export is opium. Since 1803 the country has been under British protection. In 1843 the British were compelled, on the death of the sovereign, to send an armed force, which, after severe fighting, succeeded in restoring his adopted successor to the throne; and during the troubles of 1857 the young Maharajah remained faithful to the British Government, though deserted by his troops.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
When Collier's wrote this in 1921, Gwalior was a princely state of 25,041 square miles under the Mahratta Maharajah Sindhia, "under British protection" since 1803 and exporting opium. The state ended with Indian independence: the Scindias acceded to the new India, their territory formed part of Madhya Bharat, and in 1956 it was absorbed into the state of Madhya Pradesh; royal titles and privy purses were abolished in 1971. The family stayed prominent by other means, as elected politicians in the Congress and later the BJP. The town of "about 120,000" is now a city of over a million, with Lashkar merely one of its quarters, while the great rock fortress, the Man Singh palace and the Jain rock sculptures survive as protected monuments and tourist sites.
Written for this edition, 2026.