The formation of Madhya Pradesh

Every year on 1 November, Madhya Pradesh celebrates its Sthapana Diwas (Foundation Day). On that day in 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, four separate units were joined to create a new state in the heart of India, at the time the largest state in India by area. Getting there meant hard choices about language, boundaries and, above all, the capital.

MPPSC asks this topic every way it can: dates and "firsts" in Prelims, and in Mains the process of formation, the choice of Bhopal, or the effects of Chhattisgarh's separation in 2000. The good news is that the story has a clean structure. Learn it as before 1947 → four units → the SRC → 1956 → 2000.

Before 1947: two kinds of territory

The land that became MP was split between direct British rule and princely rule:

• the Central Provinces (formed in 1861, capital Nagpur), later joined by Berar and known as the Central Provinces and Berar. It included the Hindi-speaking Mahakoshal region (Jabalpur, Sagar and others), Chhattisgarh and the Marathi-speaking Vidarbha;
• dozens of princely states, including Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal, Rewa, Datia and Orchha, most of them under the Central India Agency.

After 1947: four units

As the princely states were integrated, they were grouped into new unions. The Constitution (1950) then classified states as Part A (former provinces), Part B (former princely unions, headed by a Rajpramukh) and Part C (smaller units run by the Centre).

The States Reorganisation Commission (1953–1955)

After Andhra State was created in 1953, pressure for linguistic states grew. The Centre appointed the States Reorganisation Commission in December 1953, chaired by Fazl Ali, with K. M. Panikkar and H. N. Kunzru as members. It reported in 1955.

For central India it recommended one large, Hindi-speaking state combining Mahakoshal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal, while the Marathi-speaking Vidarbha went to Bombay State. Parliament gave effect to this through the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The Seventh Constitutional Amendment (1956) abolished the Part A/B/C classification.

1 November 1956: MP is born

The new Madhya Pradesh brought together:

1. the old Madhya Pradesh, minus Vidarbha;
2. Madhya Bharat, minus the Sunel enclave (to Rajasthan);
3. Vindhya Pradesh;
4. Bhopal;
5. plus the Sironj area from Rajasthan.

Why Bhopal?

Jabalpur, Gwalior and Indore were all larger and all wanted the capital. The reasons usually given for choosing Bhopal:

• a central location in the new state;
• ready government buildings from the former Bhopal state administration;
• land for expansion and a pleasant setting around the lakes;
• it was a compromise that avoided favouring any of the big regional centres.

The other cities were compensated with major institutions: the High Court at Jabalpur (benches at Indore and Gwalior), the MPPSC at Indore and the Board of Revenue at Gwalior. See our guides to the MP High Court and the structure of MP's government.

The creation of Chhattisgarh (2000)

On 1 November 2000, under the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000, the Chhattisgarh region (16 districts in the south-east) became a separate state. The effects on MP were large:

• Area: MP became the second-largest state, after Rajasthan.
• Resources: much of the undivided state's coal, iron ore and bauxite lay in Chhattisgarh, along with major power and steel centres such as Korba and Bhilai.
• People: MP lost a large tribal population and a big share of its forest cover.
• Legislature: the Vidhan Sabha now has 230 seats.

Timeline

Today's MP

Mains answer framing

Practice question (about 150 words): Why was Bhopal chosen as the capital of Madhya Pradesh, and how were regional interests balanced?

Outline:

1. Intro: MP formed on 1 November 1956 from four units; rival claims to the capital.
2. Reasons for Bhopal: location, buildings, land, compromise.
3. Balancing: High Court at Jabalpur, MPPSC at Indore, Board of Revenue at Gwalior.
4. Conclusion: a pattern of spreading institutions to hold a large, diverse state together.

Model answer (short): When Madhya Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956 by joining old Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal, the larger cities of Jabalpur, Gwalior and Indore each claimed the capital. Bhopal was chosen instead. It lay near the centre of the new state, it had buildings left by the former Bhopal state administration, it had land to expand, and it offered a neutral compromise that did not favour any one of the big regional centres. To balance regional interests, major institutions were spread out: the High Court went to Jabalpur with benches at Indore and Gwalior, the Public Service Commission to Indore, and the Board of Revenue to Gwalior. This distribution of state institutions helped a large and diverse new state accept a single capital.

Prelims practice

1. Madhya Pradesh was formed on: (a) 26 January 1950 (b) 1 November 1956 (c) 1 May 1960 (d) 1 November 2000
2. The Rajpramukh of Madhya Bharat was: (a) Yashwantrao Holkar (b) Jiwajirao Scindia (c) Hamidullah Khan (d) Martand Singh
3. Which area was transferred from Rajasthan to MP in 1956? (a) Sunel (b) Sironj (c) Datia (d) Neemuch
4. Consider the statements: (1) The SRC was chaired by Fazl Ali. (2) Vidarbha became part of the new MP in 1956. Which is correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both (d) Neither
5. The first Governor of Madhya Pradesh was: (a) Ravishankar Shukla (b) Kunjilal Dubey (c) Pattabhi Sitaramayya (d) Dwarka Prasad Mishra

Answers: 1 (b): 1 May 1960 is Maharashtra and Gujarat; 1 November 2000 is Chhattisgarh. 2 (b). 3 (b): Sunel went the other way. 4 (a): Vidarbha went to Bombay State. 5 (c): Shukla was the first Chief Minister and Dubey the first Speaker.

What to do next

• Draw the four-unit table from memory, with capitals and Part status.
• Learn the "firsts" and the Sunel–Sironj swap.
• Revise the Bhopal merger in the Begums of Bhopal guide.