Bhomat


Bhomat is a mountainous and forested area in southern Rajasthan, covering all or parts of the tehsils of Kotra, Jhadol and Kherwara in Udaipur district. During British rule, the region was also referred to as 'Hilly Tracts of Mewar'.

Name

The name 'Bhomat' is based on the understanding that land tenures known as bhum were held by jagirdars in the region.

Geography

The Bhomat region is wide in the east-west direction and stretches approximately in the north-south axis. It covers approximately.Geographically, Bhomat is divided in three sub-regions: its western area is called Bhader, the central area is called Wakal and the eastern area is called Khadak. Primary rivers of the Bhomat are Sabarmati, Vakal, and Som.

History

In the 15th century, Rana Kumbha is credited with building fortresses in the Bhomat region with the goal of containing revolts among the Bhils of the area. In the 16th century, the Bhomat region was the shelter for the Ranas of Mewar when times of military crises caused by the Mughals.
The Bhomat is recognized as a geographical or cultural region, but it was a unified political entity for only a short term - a century - under British paramountcy. Prior to accession of the Mewar State to the Republic of India in 1949, the region was ruled by several jagirdars, the important ones being: Jawas, Pahara, Madri, Thana, Chhani, Juda, Panarwa, Oghna, Umariya, Patia, Sarwan, and Nainbara. These jagirdars were known as bhumias and owed only nominal allegiance to the Mewar State.
For approximately a century during British paramountcy over Mewar State, the Bhomat represented a political unit divided in two sub-divisions - Kherwara Bhomat to the east and Kotra Bhomat to the east.

Population

Adivasis comprise the majority of the population in the Bhomat.