The Bundelas, also known as Bondilis are a Rajput clan who ruled a number of states in the central part of India. The Bundelas of Bundelkhand have their origin in Maharaja Hemkaran (Pancham Singh Bundela), who was driven out from his kingdom by his younger brother. While in banishment, he appeased the Goddess Vindyhavasini, and with her help set up a Kingdom at Mahauni in the Vindhya Range of central India.His descendants were known as the `Vindhyalas`, after the name of the mountain range. In the beginning of the 14th century, the Bundelas moved south from the Vindhya Range into the Bundelkhand region. Sahanpal Bundela captured Garhkundar, near Damoh from a Khangar king. The Bundela chief Rudra Pratap (ruled 1501-1531) founded the state of Orchha. The Bundelas seized the city of Chanderi in 1586. Rulers like Madhukar, Virsingh Dev, Ram Sab and Jujhar Singh then subsequently ruled the region. When the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan killed Jujhar Singh in 1636, Orchha was for a short time annexed to the Mughal Empire, although it was later restored to the Bundelas.

Bhagwan Rao, another son of Virsingh Dev, became ruler of Datia. Champat Ray, a successor of Rudra Pratap, revolted against the Mughals. His fourth son Maharaja Chhatrasal in 1671 started a revolt against the Mughals, and soon captured Naugaon in present-day Chhatarpur District. In 1680 he occupied Mahoba, and went on to control much of Bundelkhand, ruling from Panna. He entered into an alliance with the Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao I, who was challenging the Mughals for control of central India. In 1729 Baji Rao sent a Maratha army to help Chhatar Sal against the Mughals. Chhatar Sal`s ruled the states of Panna, Ajaigarh, Charkhari, Chhatarpur, and Jaso. Chhatarpur went to the Ponwar Rajputs in 1785. In 1680 Devi Singh Bundela became governor of the Chanderi, and the city remained in the hands of his family until Jean Baptiste Filose captured it in 1811 on behalf of the Maratha ruler Daulat Rao Sindhia of Gwalior. After 1802, the Bundela rulers entered into treaties of subsidiary alliance with the British, and princely states were formed. The Bundelas ruled Orchha, Datia, Panna, Ajaigarh, Charkhari, and Jaso until 1950. Precisely, the Bundela rulers of Orchha are Raja Rudra Pratap, Raja Bharatichand, Raja Madhukarshah, Raja Virsingh Dev, Raja Jujhar Singh, Raja Devi Singh, Raja Pahar Singh, Raja Sujan Singh I, Raja Indramani Singh, Raja Jashwant Singh, Raja Bhagwat Singh, Raja Udwat Singh, Raja Prithvi Singh, Raja Sanwant Singh, Raja Hati Singh, Raja Man Singh, Raja Bharti Singh, Raja Vikramajit, Raja Dharam Pal, Raja Vikramajit, Raja Tej Singh, Raja Sajjan Singh, Maharaja Hamir Singh, Maharaja Pratap Singh and Maharaja Vir Singh.