a strong and very celebrated fortress of Hindustan, in the dominions of Scindia, in an elevated situation on a hill, one mile and a half in length, but in few places exceeding 300 yards in breadth. At the north end the sides are so steep as to be nearly perpendicular, and its height is 342 feet. It has several reservoirs of good water, and a small river runs close past it. A stone parapet extends all round the slope of the hill, behind which are collected piles of round stones, which form an excellent defence, and it was judged unassailable until it was stormed in 1780 by Major Popham. The town, which stands at the bottom of the hill, is large and populous, and contains many good houses of stone, which is furnished in abundance by the neighbouring hills, that form an amphitheatre round the town and fort at the distance of from one to four miles. The town carries on an extensive trade with the Mahratta and British territories, and derives also considerable benefit from the Mohammedan pilgrims, who visit the tomb of Ghose Al Alam, a celebrated religious person, who is interred within the fort. Gwalior is of such antiquity that its origin is lost in remote tradition. It must have been at all times a military post of great consequence, both from its central situation, and its peculiar position, which in the estimation of the natives rendered it impregnable. It is first mentioned in authentic history in the year 1023, when it was summoned by Sultan Mahmoud of Ghizni. It was taken by the Mohammedans in the year 1194, and was used as a state prison, in which several princes met their death from opium or the dagger. On the decline of the Mogul empire, it was taken by the Mahrattas, and afterwards by the British, as mentioned above, in 1780. It was subsequently taken possession of by Scindia; and during the war of 1804 it again surrendered to the British troops after a breach was made in the walls. It was not, however, taken possession of by them, and by the treaty with Scindia in 1805 it was ceded to that chief. Finally, in January 1844, after the battle of Maharajpur, it was occupied by the Gwalior contingent, a military force commanded by British officers, and thus may be regarded as having been virtually placed within the power of the British government. The Gwalior territories, or the possessions of the family of Scindia, of which this town forms the capital, have a singularly irregular outline, and consist of several detached districts, the principal of which is bounded on the N.E. by the Chumbul, dividing it from the British districts of Agra and Etawah. The area of the whole territory extends over 33,119 square miles, and supports a population of upwards of three millions. The founder of the ruling family was Ranoojee Scindia, who, from a humble station in the service of the Peishwa, rose to distinction and power, and became a chief of considerable importance. He was succeeded in 1750 by his natural son Madhajee Scindia, whose earlier feats in arms gave little promise of his future military successes. At the great battle of Paniput in 1761 his followers with difficulty escaped the general carnage, and their leader received a desperate wound which rendered him lame for life. From this period, however, his fortunes appear in the ascendant, and the growth of his power is thus described by Sir John Malcolm—“Madhajee Scindia took full advantage of the dissensions that occurred at Poona, after the death of Ballajee (1761), to usurp as far as he could the rights and lands of the head of the empire to the north of the Nerbudda. The detail of the progress of this system of spoliation of both friend and foe is not necessary; suffice it to say, this able chief was the principal opposer of the English in the war they carried on in favour of Ragobah. He was the nominal slave, but the rigid master of the unfortunate Shah Allum, emperor of Delhi—the pretended friend, but the designing rival of the house of Holkar—the professed inferior in all matters of form, but the real superior and oppressor of the Rajpoot princes of Central India; and the proclaimed soldier, but the actual plunderer of the family of the Peishwa.” In 1782 the British government recognized Madhajee as an independent sovereign; and at the period of his death in 1794, his dominions extended from the River Taptce on the S. to the northern limit of the district of Delhi, and from the Gulf of Cambay on the W. to the Ganges in the E., including Candeshi, a portion of the Deccan, the greatest part of Malwa, the districts of Agra and Delhi, and the central and finest part of the Doab. He was succeeded in his possessions by his grand-nephew Dowlut Rao Scindia, then in the fifteenth year of his age. Dowlut Rao, joining his forces with those of the Rajah of Berar, the allied chiefs in 1803 invaded the territory of the Nizam, which was under the protection of the East India Company, and on the 23d September in that year the Mahratta army was surprised at Assye by a British force commanded by General Sir Arthur Wellesley, subsequently the illustrious Duke of Wellington, and after a prolonged and fiercely contested battle, was totally defeated. The overthrow of Scindia’s military resources was completed by the subsequent defeat which the confederated Mahrattas received from Sir Arthur Wellesley at Argum, in Berar, and from Lord Lake at Allyghur, Delhi, and Laswaree, in Northern Hindustan. At the close of the year 1803, Dowlat Rao acceded to a treaty dictated by the British government, ceding, on the left bank of the Jamuna, all his forts, territories, and rights in the Doab; and on the right bank of the river, all his forts, territories, rights, and interests in the countries which are to the northward of those of the rajahs of Jeypore and Joudpore. Mugut Rao, the successor of Dowlat Rao Scindia, dying childless in 1843, was succeeded by Ali Jah Jyajce Scindia, who being a minor, the widow of the deceased prince became regent. A period of anarchy ensued, and disturbances took place, which, extending rapidly towards the adjacent territories, compelled the British government to resort to arms for the purpose of obtaining security for the future tranquility of the common frontier. On the 21st December 1843 the British army, led by Sir Hugh Gough, commander-in-chief, accompanied by Lord Ellenborough, governor-general, commenced crossing the Chumbul, near the town of Dholpore, and on the 29th came in front of the Mahratta army about 15 miles north-east of Gwalior, and in a position supported by the neighbouring villages of Maharajpore and Chonda. After an obstinate engagement, in which the British suffered very severe loss from the well-served artillery directed against them, the Mahrattas were dislodged from all points of their position, and the survivors of the carnage retreated to Gwalior, having lost 56 pieces of artillery, and all their ammunition wagons. The total loss on the side of the British was 106 killed, 684 wounded, and 7 missing. The numbers engaged were nearly equal—about 14,000 on each side.

Simultaneous with the march of the commander-in-chief from Dholpore was that of Major-General Grey with an army of about 8000 or 9000 men from Bundelcund. Crossing the River Sinde at Chandpore, this force marched to Puniur, 12 miles S.W. of Gwalior, and there, on the same day, encountered a Mahratta army estimated at 12,000 strong, with 24 guns. The Mahrattas, after a severe struggle, were defeated with the loss of all their artillery, and a great number of men. The loss on the part of the British was 25 killed and 189 wounded. Shortly after a treaty was concluded, the main provisions of which related to the sequestration of a portion of Scindia's dominions for the maintenance of a contingent force, to be commanded by British officers, for the protection of the Gwalior territories. The young Rajah having attained his majority, assumed the reins of government in 1853. The town of Gwalior is in N. Lat. 26° 13', E. Long. 78° 15'.