Gond kingdom ofChandrapur | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 807 AD–1751 | |||||||||
| Status | Tribal monarchy | ||||||||
| Capital | Sirpur (Telangana),Chandrapur | ||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||
| Historical era | Early modern | ||||||||
• Established | 807 AD | ||||||||
• Conquest byRaghoji I Bhonsle ofNagpur | 1751 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | India | ||||||||
TheKingdom of Chanda (present dayChandrapur) was one of the mainGond kingdoms, ruling parts ofcentral India. In 1751, it was conquered by theMaratha ruler of Nagpur,Raghoji I Bhonsle.
According to the local Gond traditions, a hero known as Kol Bhill or Kol Bheel rose among them. He gathered the scattered Gond tribes and formed them into a sort of nation, teaching them the extraction of iron from iron ore and other elements of civilization. He led the Gonds against theMana tribe of present-day Maharashtra, who had dominated the region for about 200 years. After years of warfare the Manas fell to the Gonds, who replaced them.[1][2][3][4]
Kol Bhill was followed by Bhim Ballal Singh, who actually founded the Gond house of Chanda. Bhim Ballal Singh was from the Atram clan who subdued the other petty chiefs and established a kingdom by 870 AD. His capital was Sirpur, on the right bank of theWardha River (near present-dayChandrapur) and his chief stronghold was the Mana fortress of Manikgarh, situated in the hills behind Sirpur. The next eight generations of Gond kings ruled from Sirpur until 1242.[2][3][1][4][5] During the reign of Babji Ballal Shah, theAin-i-Akbari records the kingdom as being fully independent, and it even conquered some territory from nearby sultanates. However, duringAkbar's rule, Babji Shah began paying tribute after the Mughals incorporated territory to their south into theBerar Subah.[3][2]
After Surja Ballal Singh alias Sher Shah, the Gond kings started suffixing the title "Shah" instead of "Singh".[1][2] Khandkya Ballal Shah succeeded his father Surja Ballal Singh in 1242. He built thefort of Ballarpur and founded the city ofChandrapur, surrounded by several legends. The next 9 generations of Gond kings reigned atChandrapur. TheKingdom of Deogarh became enemies of the Chandrapur kings due to an unhappy marriage between their royal families anda treaty in which the Chanda kings were forced to recognize Deogarh's independence. At the time of this marriage, both the kingdoms were extremely prosperous and powerful, being feudatory states of theMughal Empire and having strong military forces.[2]
InAurangzeb's times both the Gond kingdoms ofDeogarh and Chanda were included in theBerar Subah.[2][6] The kingdom produced great rulers who developed excellent irrigation systems and the first well defined revenue system among the Gond kingdoms.[7]
Kanhoji Bhonsle, a Maratha general and theSena-Sahib Subah of Berar invadedChandrapur andDeogarh but was unsuccessful in his invasion of the latter. Hence he plundered someparganas mainly west of theWardha River. Kanhoji was recalled but disregarded the summons. Hence,Raghuji Bhonsle was sent to force his return, a task which he completed successfully . In 1730,Raghoji I Bhonsle marched onChandrapur but did not invade since he found its ruler Ram Shah to be a saintly and pious person.[3]
Ram Sah was succeeded by his son Nilkanth Sah (1735-1751), who became notorious as a tyrant given to vices. He put his father's trusteddewan Mahadajee Vedya to death and interfered in the politics ofDeogarh.[1][3] In about 1748,Raghunath Singh, thediwan of the King of Deogarh, with the help of Nilkanth Shah, rebelled in 1748 whenRaghoji I Bhonsle was busy withexpeditions in Bengal.[8][9] Raghuji in 1748, seeking respite from the Bengal campaign invaded Deogarh and killed Raghunath Singh.[10] He then completely took over the administration of Deogarh, making Burhan Shah a state pensionary.[11] He next proceeded against Nilkanth Shah ofChanda and defeated him. Nilkanth Shah had to sign a treaty with him, dated 1159 Phasali year, i.e., 1749 A.D. This treaty gave twothirds of the kingdom's revenue to the Marathas.
In 1751, when Nilkanth Shah rebelled againstRaghoji, he was defeated with ease imprisoned him permanently in theBallarpur Fort.[4] This brought the Gond house of Chandrapur to an end.[4]
