126 BHOPfiL STATE
eastern confines of Malwa, its most eastern districts bordering on
Bundelkhand, and its southern districts being in the Gondwana tract.
Unlike the other large States of the Agency, its territory is comprised
in one compact block, bounded on the north by the States of Gwalior,
Bāsoda, Korwai, Maksudangarh, and Narsinghgarh, the Sironj pargana
of Tonk State, and the Saugor District of the Central Provinces; on
the south by the Narbada river, which separates it from the Hoshang-
abad District of the Central Provinces ; on the east by the Saugor and
Narsinghpur Districts of the Central Provinces; and on the west by
the Gwalior and Narsinghgarh States. The name is popularly derived
from Bhopal, or ' Bhoj's dam,' the great dam which now holds up the
Bhopal city lakes, and is said to have been built by a minister of Raja
Bhoj, the Paramara ruler of Dhar, the still greater work which formerly
held up the Tal lake being attributed to this monarch himself (see
BHOJPUR). The name is, however, invariably pronounced Bhfipal, and
Dr. Fleet considers it to be derived simply from Bhfipala, a king, the
popular derivation being an instance of the striving after a meaning
so common in such cases.
The country varies markedly in different parts. Most of the State
lies on the MALWA plateau, and presents the familiar aspect of that
region, rolling downs of yellow grass, interspersed
Physical with rich fields of black cotton soil. To the south-
aspects. east, however, it is traversed by a succession of
sandstone hills, forming an arm of the great Vindhya range, while
another branch of the same range strikes northwards, to the west of
Bhopal city. South of the State lies the main line of the Vindhyas,
with the fertile valley of the Narbada beyond.
Numerous streams flow from the Vindhyan barrier northwards, of
which the Betwa and Parbati are the largest, their tributaries, the
Kaliasot, Ajnar, Papras, and Paru, and many smaller affluents con-
tributing to the water supply. The Narbada and its tributaries water
the valley south of the great range. Two large lakes afford an ample
supply of water to the city and surrounding country (see BHOPAL
CITY). In former days the enormous Bhojpur lake occupied what
is now the fertile tahsil of Tal.
The geology of the State possesses unusual interest, but unfortunately
has not as yet been fully worked out, only the southern portion having
been oxamined in detail. The most important rocks belong to the
Vindhyan series, of which the Rewah, Bandair (Bhander), and Kaimur
sandstones, the Kaimur conglomerate, and the Sirbfi, Jhirī, and Ginnur-
garh shales are represented. Up to the Ginnurgarh fort (220 49' N.
and 77° 36' E.), the Vindhyas maintain the characteristics they possess
from the bend of the Son river westwards; but at this point they
change suddenly, being replaced by basalts of the Deccan trap, though
|
![[Digital South Asia Library]](/graphics/thirdlevel.gif)
