History

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This cantonment town was founded in 1818 by ​John Malcolm​ as a result of the Treaty of Mandsaur between the English and the '​Holkars who were the ​Maratha​ Maharajas​ of ​Indore​. John Malcolm's forces had defeated the ​Holkars​ of the ​Maratha Confederacy​ at the ​Battle of Mahidpur​ in 1818. It was after this battle that the capital of the Holkars shifted from the town of ​Maheshwar​ on the banks of the Narmada to Indore.

Mhow used to be the headquarters of the ​5th (Mhow) Division​ of the Southern Command​ during the ​British Raj​. Today this small town is associated with the ​Indian Army​ and with ​B. R. Ambedkar​, a political leader who was born here.

Mhow was a meter gauge railway district headquarter during the British Raj and even after 1947.​[2] The irony is that Mhow still has no broad gauge railway line.

According to ​Hindu​ religious texts, Janapav Kuti near Mhow is said to be the birthplace of ​Parashurama​, an avatar of ​Vishnu​.

ETYMOLOGY

There is total lack of unanimity on how Mhow got its name. One possible source of the name might be the ​Mahua​ (Madhuca longifolia) tree, which grows in profusion in the forests around Mhow.

Some articles in popular literature state that MHOW stands for ​M​ilitary H​eadquarters ​O​f ​W​ar. However, this is a ​backronym​, and there is no