In 1841, Maharaja Hari Rao adopted as his heir and successor, Khundi Rao, a boy of 13 years of age, son of an obscure zamindar, and very distantly related to the reigning family ; and Hari Rao died on the 24th October 1843, aged 48. Warned by the evils which resulted from the vacillating policy pursued on the accession of Martand Rao, the British Government took immediate measures to proclaim Khundi Rao as the acknowledged successor, and to make it known that no other claims would be recognised. But Khundi Rao died on 17th February in the following year. He was never married. On this, Sir Robert Hamilton selected and installed the younger son of Bhao Holkar, who took the title of Tukaji Rao Holkar. In a letter to the young chief, the Governor-General laid down the condi tions on which the state was conferred on him. This letter (No. lxxvii.) was declared to have the force of a sunnud, and the Maharaja was required to present a nuzzer of 101 gold mohurs on its delivery.
The young chief, Tukaji Rao Holkar, attained his majority in 1852, and was entrusted with the entire management of the affairs of the state, and was granted a sunnud guaranteeing to him the right of adoption.
An annual payment of 30,000 rupees is made to Holkar by the British Government as compen sation for his share of the district of Patan, which made over to Bundi in 1818. The Maharaja also receives through the British Government a tribute of 72,700 Salim Sabi rupees, on account of but he has no feudal supremacy over that state. lie receives credit for this tribute as part of his contribution towards the Malwa contingent, and it is realized from Partabgurh one year in arrears.
In the war with Jeswunt Rao Holkar, Lord Lake gave many lessons how to deal with the less coherent forces of Asiatic rulers. Jeswunt Rao Holkar, when he opposed the British in 1803, had 100,000 regular troops, amongst whom were 60,000 light horse, and 130 guns, with the for tresses of Chandore and Galingurh. From the tactics he adopted, this moveable force baffled the British commanders and all the military power of India, from April 1804 till the 15th February 1805. But on the 2d April 1805; Lord Lake
marched all night, and at daybreak enteral Ho'. knee camp, which he completely broke up ; in this, in going and coming, Lord Lake marched 50 miles. Lord Lake subsequently, in December 1805, marched in his pursuit 405 miles in 43 days, from Secundra to the Bess river at the Rajghat. In Jeswunt Rao Holkar's final overthrow, Lord Lake marched 350 miles in a fortnight. Sir D. Ouchterlony was defending Dehli against the Mahrattas ; but, on :their abandonment of Dehli on the 14th or 15th October 1803, Lord Lake followed them, and at length, with a small body of 3000 British horse and artillery, amongst which were the 8th and 27th Dragoons, made a forced march of about 48 miles, defeated the forces of the Mahrattas, about 60,000, near Farrakhabad, followed 10 miles in pursuit, and returned to camp, making a journey of about 70 miles in 24 hours, with a loss of 22 dragoons killed, and 20 Europeans and natives wounded.
At that time, Amir Khan, the Rohilla chieftain of Rohilkhand, forsook the Bhurtpur raja, but was followed by General Smith, whom Lord Lake sent in pursuit. After a march of 700 miles in 43 days, Amir Khan's army was overtaken, and defeated at Afzalghur, at the foot of the Hima layas, on the 2d March 1804, and Amir Khan was conveyed across the Ganges and Jumna in March, but he rejoined Holkar's camp under Bhurtpur. At Laswari, in Central India, in 1803, Lord Lake and General Fraser fought and won a battle against the battalions of Sindia and Perron.
The Indore State maintains 3300 cavalry, 5250 infantry, and 340 artillery, with 24 field guns.
In 1832, the Maharaja (1883) Tukaji Rao Holkar was born, and in 1843 he was placed on the throne by the intervention of the British. He has displayed much capacity as a ruler. His estates are somewhat scattered, and he has wished to connect them. Area, 8075 square miles, and population in 1878 was 635,000. He has earnestly encouraged all commercial and trading transactions. The ab original race is the Bhil.—Treaties and Sunned&