BANSWARA (literally " the

See also:

• FOREST

forest

See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country ")  , a rajput feudatory state in Rajputana, India . It borders on Gujarat and is bounded on the N. by the native states of Dungarpur and Udaipur or Mewar; on the N.E. and E. by Partabgarh; on the S. by the dominions of Holkar and the state of Jabua and on the W. by the state of Rewa Kantha . Banswara state is about 45 M. in length from N. to S., and 33 M. in breadth from E. to W., and has an area of 1946 sq. m . The population in 19or was 165,350 . The Mahi is the only river in the state and great scarcity of water occurs in the dry season . The Banswara chief belongs to the family of Udaipur . During the vigour of the Delhi empire Banswara formed one of its dependencies; on its decline the state passed under the Mahrattas . Wearied out by their oppressions, its chief in 1812 petitioned for English protection, on the condition of his state becoming tributary on the expulsion of the Mahrattas . The treaty of 1818 gave effect to this arrangement, Britain guaranteeing the prince against external enemies and refractory chiefs; he, on his part, pledging himself to be guided by her representative in the administration of his state . The chief is assisted in the administration,by a hamdar or minister . The estimated gross revenue is £17,000 and the tribute £2500 . The custom of suttee, or widow-burning, has long been abolished in the state, but the people retain all their superstitions regarding witches and sorcery; and as late as 1870, a Bhil woman, about eighty years old, was swung to death at Kushalgarh on an accusation of witchcraft .

The perpetrators of the

crime were sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment, but they had the sympathy of the people on their side . The chief town is Banswara, situated about 8 m . W. of the Mahi river, surrounded by an old disused rampart and adorned by various Hindu temples, with the battlements of the chief's palace overlooking it . Its population in 1901 was 7038 . The petty state of Kushalgarh is feudatory to Banswara .