Orchha is a historical city in the state of Madhya Pradesh, situated on the banks of Betwa River and the Matwa Plateau, some 18 km from Jhansi.
Orchha was the Capital city for the rulers of Bundela dynasty founded by one of the local Rajput princes in the 11th century. The Bundelas ruled the central part of India from 1531 to 1783 from Orchha. However, the Mughals created many problems for BundelasBir Singh Deo the ruler of Orchha from 1605-27, and got into serious trouble with the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1602 when Bir Singh Deo got associated with Prince Jahangir son of Mughal Emperor Akbar. When Akbar died in 1606, Jahangir became the Emperor and he visited Orchha. For the next 22 years till 1627 Bir Singh Deo had good relations with the Mughals. In 1627 when Shah Jahan became the Mughal Emperor, Bir Singh revolted against the Mughals. Though the Mughals defeated the Bundelas, they revived their lost empire in 1783 and the Bundela rulers shifted their capital to Tikamgarh.
In the year1874, Maharaja Pratap Singh succeeded to the throne of Orchha. It was under his rule that Orchha experienced the maximum development. Most of the irrigation works and other related assignments were thoroughly designed and supervised by Maharaja Pratap Singh who died in the year 1930.
In the beginning of the 20th century, Orchha was the most ancient and prosperous state in the Bundelkhand region. Finally after independence, Orchha became a part of the State of Madhya Pradesh from the year 1956.
