Kathumar
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Kathumar
Head-quarters of a tahsil of the same name in the State of Alwar, Rajputana, situated in 27 degree 19 N. and 77 degree 5' E., about 35 miles south-east of Alwar city, and 9 miles north-east of Kherh station on the Rajputana-Malwa Railway. The town is said to be 800 years old ; it possesses a fort, a post office, and a vernacular school. The population in 1901 was 3,388. The tahsilis situated in the south- east of the State, and in 1901 contained 78 villages, with a population of 41,152, of whom 90 per cent, were Hindus. Under Mughal rule it was attached to the province of Agra, but, from its proximity to Jaipur, was generally held as a fief by the Jaipur chief. From 1778 to 1784 the Mughals held direct possession, but in the latter year the Marathas overran and occupied it. Their oppressions aroused the local popu- lation, who invoked the aid of Maharao Raja Bakhtawar Singh about 1802. The latter sent a strong force, which expelled the Marathas and occupied the fort of Kathumar; but in 1803 the Maratha troops, in their retreat before Lord Lake, bombarded the town and fort and expelled the Alwar garrison. It was this army which was annihilated three days later at Laswari. Just before the battle the tahsil of Kathumar had been granted to the Maharaja of Bharatpur ; but as he broke his engagements with the British, it was resumed in 1805 and ceded to Alwar.
