Bhima Nayak sometimes spelled as Bhima Naik, was a resident of Dhaba Bawdi in the Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh. He was a prominent leader of the Bhils of Nimar. He took part in the Uprising of 1857 against the British Raj raising an anti-British force by bringing in men from Bhil, Bhilala, Mandoi, and Naik tribes, and collaborated with Tantia Tope. At the time (1857 revolution) when Tatya Tope came to Nimar, he met Bhima Nayak. During that time Bhima helped him cross the Narmada river. He was called Robinhood of Nimar. He deployed his troops on the Bhil-populated Bombay (Mumbai) and Agra Highway between Singhawa and Khull, where they constantly disturbed the British troop movements. Bhima had an important role in the 1857 Ambagani War. The British authorities tried hard to capture Bhima in 1859. In June 1860 they about 175 in number (addressed as Bheels of badwani band by the British), looted a distantly located British encampment in the village of Kheir in Sultanpur Taluka of Khandesh. Bhima and his associates were dodging successfully the Britishers. Finally one day he was defeated by the British troop under Captain Keatings, but he successfully escaped into the forest. On the basis of espionage by one of their own men, the British succeeded in arresting him only in 1861 from his jungle hideout. He was found guilty, sentenced to transportation for life, and sent to Cellular Jail of the Andaman Islands. He died in the Andaman Islands on 29 December 1876.
A government scheme, "Shaheed Bhima Nayak Pariyojna '' in Madhya Pradesh is named after him. The then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan dedicated a "Bhima Nayak Memorial'' at his native village Dhaba Bawdi of Badwani District of Madhya Pradesh on January 21, 2017