Gonds of Deogarh

The Gonds of Deogarh were a royal Gond royal house that founded and ruled the Nagpur Kingdom before being practically being made state pensionaries by the Bhonsle Maratha leader Raghoji I Bhonsle.[1][2][3][4][5][6] They made Nagpur a prosperous and plentiful kingdom, founding the city of Nagpur and building further infrastructure. However, internal bickering led to their downfall.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

House of Devgad
CountryNagpur Kingdom
Founded17th century
FounderJatba
Current headNone, extinct
Final rulerSuleiman Shah
TitlesRaja
MembersJatba
Bakht Buland Shah
Chand Sultan
Portrait of Bakht Buland Shah, the greatest Gond ruler of Deogarh

Establishment

The Gauli princes were the predecessors to the Gond house of Deogarh, ruling for 70 years from 1472 to 1542.[13]

The Gond dynasty of Deogarh was founded by a Gond named Jatba.[14] The Indian Antiquities says that Jatba was a servant under two Gaoli princes, Ransur and Ghansur, and that he treacherously deposed them.[15] Originally, the Gond house of Devagad hailed from Haraya or Harayagad, but later on it was shifted to Devagad about 24 miles from Haraya under Jatba.[1] [16]

Relations with the Mughals

The Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl records that Jatba, the Gond king of Deogarh, was a vassal of Akbar and was paying annual tribute to him.[14] It is said that Akbar visited Deogarh during Jatba's reign.[17] The Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl says that Jatba possessed 2,000 cavalry, 50,000 foot soldiers and 100 elephants- "To the east of the Kherla Sarkar lay the territories of a zamindar named Chatwa who possessed 2000 cavalry, 50,000 footmen and more than 100 elephants". This 'Chatwa' was probably Jatba.[2]

Decline

After Chand Sultan's death in 1739,[9] there were quarrels over the succession, leading to the thone being usurped by Wali Shah,[7][10][18] an illegitimate son of Bakht Buland Shah.[7][11] Chand Sultan's widow invoked the aid of the Maratha leader Raghuji Bhonsle of Berar in the interest of her sons Akbar Shah and Burhan Shah. Wali Shah was put to death and the rightful heirs placed on the throne. Raghoji I Bhonsle was sent back to Berar with a plentiful bounty for his aid. The Maratha general judged that Nagpur must be a plentiful and rich country by the magnificence of his reward.[18][10][7]

However, dissensions continued between the brothers and once again, the elder brother Burhan Shah requested the aid of Raghuji Bhonsla. Akbar Shah was driven into exile and finally poisoned at Hyderabad. However this time, Ragoji Bhonsle did not have the heart to leave such a plentiful and rich country, with it being within his grasp.[10][7] He declared himself 'protector' of the Gond king. Thus in 1743, Burhan Shah was practically made a state pensionary, with real power being in the hands of the Maratha ruler. After this event the history of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh is not recorded.[9] A series of Maratha rulers came to power following the fall of the Gonds from the throne of Nagpur, starting with Raghoji Bhonsle.[19][20]

Titular rulers under the Marathas and British

Raja Burhan Shah was succeeded by Rahman Shah. He was succeeded by Suleiman Shah, a minor, his nephew and adopted son, succeeded him, just two years before the death of the last Bhonsle king. Suleiman Shah was staunchly loyal to the British government, he was a most humane and generous landlord and a just yet a merciful magistrate. He died on 15 April 1885.[7]

List of rulers

Titular rulers
  • Burhan Shah
  • Rahman Shah
  • Suleiman Shah (1851- 15 April 1885)

References
  1. Host Bibliographic Record for Boundwith Item Barcode 30112050248951 and Others. 2013.
  2. Sil, Jogendra Nath (1917). History of the Central Provinces and Berar. J.N. Sil.
  3. Pradesh (India), Madhya; Krishnan, V. S. (1995). Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Chhindwara. Government Central Press.
  4. Bulletin of the Anthropological Survey of India. Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Indian Museum. 1976.
  5. Bahadur), Sarat Chandra Roy (Rai (1979). Man in India. A. K. Bose.
  6. Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Bhandara. Director of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State. 1979.
  7. Society (MANCHESTER), Northern Central British India (1840). Proceedings of a Public Meeting for the formation of The Northern Central British India Society held in the Corn Exchange, Manchester, on Wednesday evening, August 26th, 1840. Northern Central British India Society.
  8. Naik, C. D. (2010). Buddhism and Dalits: Social Philosophy and Traditions. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7835-792-8.
  9. Kurup, Ayyappan Madhava (1986). Continuity and Change in a Little Community. Concept Publishing Company.
  10. Hunter, William Wilson (1881). Naaf to Rangmagiri. Trübner.
  11. Deogaonkar, Shashishekhar Gopal (2007). The Gonds of Vidarbha. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-8069-474-5.
  12. Indian Railways. Railway Board. 1997.
  13. Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis: Stockholm studies in comparative religion. Almquist & Wiksell. 1961.
  14. Congress, Indian History (1950). Proceedings. Indian History Congress.
  15. Mehta, Behram H. (1984). Gonds of the Central Indian Highlands. Concept Publishing Company.
  16. Medieval PERIOD (Complete History of Nagpur). 16 July 2021.
  17. Pradesh (India), Madhya (1992). Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat. Government Central Press.
  18. Thusu, Kidar Nath (1980). Gond Kingdom of Chanda: With Particular Reference to Its Political Structure. Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India.
  19. "Nagpur – History – People – Art and Culture – Festivals". Nagpur-hotels.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  20. "Gond King". Archived from the original on 2014-05-31.
  21. Pradesh (India), Madhya (1995). Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Narsimhapur. Government Central Press.
  22. Miśra, Sureśa (2007). Tribal Ascendancy in Central India: The Gond Kingdom of Garha. Manak Publications. ISBN 978-81-7827-185-9.
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