DATIA

datia, a native state of central india, in the bundelkhand agency. it lies in the extreme north-west of bundelkhand, near gwalior, and is surrounded on all sides by other states of central india, except on the east where it meets the united provinces. the state came under the british government after the treaty of bassein in 1802. area, 911 sq. m. pop. (1901) 173,759. estimated revenue, l70,000; tribute to sindhia paid through the british government, l1000. the chief, whose title is maharaja, is a rajput of the bundela clan, being descended from a younger son of a former chief of orchha. the state suffered from famine in 1896-1897, and again to a less extent in 1899-1900. it is traversed by the branch of the indian midland railway from jhansi to gwalior. the town of datia has a railway station, 16 m. from jhansi. pop. (1901) 24,071. it is surrounded by a stone wall, enclosing handsome palaces, with gardens; the palace of bir singh deo, of the 17th century, is "one of the finest examples of hindu domestic architecture in india" (_imperial gazetteer of india_, 1908). dative (lat. _dativus_, giving or given, from _dare_, to give), the name, in grammar, of the case of the "indirect object," the person or thing to or for whom or which anything is given or done. in law, the word signifies something, such as an office, which may be disposed of at will or pleasure, and is opposed to perpetual. in scots law the term is applied to persons, duties or powers, appointed or granted by a court of law; thus an "executor-dative" is an executor appointed by the court and not by a testator. it answers, therefore, to the english administrator (q.v.). in roman law, a _tutor_ was either _dativus_, if expressly nominated in a testament, or _optivus_, if a power of selection was given.