Amravati and Nagpur divisions make up the region of Vidarbha. Vidarbha is one of the poorer regions of Maharashtra, and there is considerable sentiment in Vidarbha to create a separate state.
Amravati division roughly corresponds to the former province of Berar, which was ceded to Hyderabad State by the Maratha Maharajas of Nagpur in 1803. In 1853, it was occupied by the British, who decided to administer the state because the Nizam of Hyderabad had mistreated its residents. In 1903, it was added to the British-administered Central Provinces, which was renamed Central Provinces and Berar. Upon Indian independence, the Central Provinces and Berar were reorganized as the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. In 1956 the Indian states were reorganized on linguistic grounds, and Amravati and Nagpur divisions were transferred to Bombay State, which was split on linguistic lines into the states Maharashtra and Gujarat in 1960.
