View source for Gonds of Deogarh

{{Short description|Gond royal house in 17th-century India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Noble house
| surname = House of Devgad
| estate = 
| image = File:Approximate extent of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh.png
| caption = Approximate extent of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh<ref name="berar"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Host Bibliographic Record for Boundwith Item Barcode 30112050248951 and Others |date=2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4b4uPjJJFOkC&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref><ref name="society"/><ref name="vidarbha"/>
| country = [[Nagpur Kingdom]]
| parent house = Gauli [[Yadav]] Princes
| titles = ''[[Raja]]''
| members = [[Ajanbahu Jatbasha|Jatba]]<br>[[Bakht Buland Shah]]<br>[[Chand Sultan]]
| founder = [[Ajanbahu Jatbasha|Jatba]]
| final ruler = Azam Shah
| current head = Virendra Shah
| founding year = 17th century
| cadet branches = 
}}

[[File:Portait of Bakht Buland Shah.png|thumb|Portrait of Bakht Buland Shah, the greatest Gond ruler of Deogarh]]

The '''Gonds of Deogarh''' were a [[Gondi people|Gond]] royal house that ruled large parts of the [[Vidarbha]] region and parts of present-day India's southern [[Madhya Pradesh]]. Their Kingdom consisted of the area which later became the [[Nagpur Kingdom]].<ref name="berar">{{cite book |last1=Sil |first1=Jogendra Nath |title=History of the Central Provinces and Berar |date=1917 |publisher=J.N. Sil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=emxBAQAAMAAJ&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref><ref name="gazetteer mp">{{cite book |last1=Pradesh (India) |first1=Madhya |last2=Krishnan |first2=V. S. |title=Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Chhindwara |date=1995 |publisher=Government Central Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xSELAQAAIAAJ&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref><ref name="bulletin">{{cite book |title=Bulletin of the Anthropological Survey of India |date=1976 |publisher=Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Indian Museum |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hvK-QHwRM9YC&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref><ref name="man">{{cite book |last1=Bahadur) |first1=Sarat Chandra Roy (Rai |title=Man in India |date=1979 |publisher=A. K. Bose |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1O9EAQAAIAAJ&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref><ref name="gazetter mah">{{cite book |title=Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Bhandara |date=1979 |publisher=Director of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WK9hAAAAIAAJ&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref> They made [[Nagpur Kingdom|Nagpur]] region a prosperous and plentiful kingdom, founding the city of [[Nagpur]] and building further infrastructure. However, internal bickering led to their decline and they were practically made state pensioneries by the [[Maratha]] general [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]] in the 1743.<ref name="host">{{cite book |title=Host Bibliographic Record for Boundwith Item Barcode 30112050248951 and Others |date=2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4b4uPjJJFOkC&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref><ref name="society">{{cite book |last1=Society (MANCHESTER) |first1=Northern Central British India |title=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 |date=1840 |publisher=Northern Central British India Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gSFYAAAAcAAJ&dq=bakht+buland+shah&pg=RA2-PA8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="buddhism">{{cite book |last1=Naik |first1=C. D. |title=Buddhism and Dalits: Social Philosophy and Traditions |date=2010 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-7835-792-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VrlLNltm5dMC&dq=bakht+buland+shah&pg=PA199 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="community">{{cite book |last1=Kurup |first1=Ayyappan Madhava |title=Continuity and Change in a Little Community |date=1986 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TCNfWRGXd04C&q=king+of+deogarh+chand+sultan&pg=PA8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="hunter">{{cite book |last1=Hunter |first1=William Wilson |title=Naaf to Rangmagiri |date=1881 |publisher=Trübner |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYoIAAAAQAAJ&dq=bakht+buland+shah&pg=PA30 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="vidarbha">{{cite book |last1=Deogaonkar |first1=Shashishekhar Gopal |title=The Gonds of Vidarbha |date=2007 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-8069-474-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X39c2VODLT0C&pg=PA16 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="railways">{{cite book |title=Indian Railways |date=1997 |publisher=Railway Board |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wzNUAAAAMAAJ&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref>

==Establishment==
The ''Gauli'' princes were the predecessors to the Gond house of Deogarh, ruling for 70 years from 1472 to 1542.<ref name="acta">{{cite book |title=Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis: Stockholm studies in comparative religion |date=1961 |publisher=Almquist & Wiksell |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JaMAB9UNBTwC&q=jatba |language=en}}</ref>

The Gond dynasty of Deogarh was founded by a Gond named [[Ajanbahu Jatbasha|Jatba]].<ref name="proceed"/> ''The Indian Antiquities'' says that Jatba was a servant under two Gaoli princes, Ransur and Ghansur, and that he treacherously deposed them.<ref name="central india">{{cite book |last1=Mehta |first1=Behram H. |title=Gonds of the Central Indian Highlands |date=1984 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X2gpF5bsAjUC&dq=jatba&pg=PA274 |language=en}}</ref> Originally, the Gond house of Devagad hailed from Haraya or Harayagad, but later on it was shifted to [[Deogarh, Madhya Pradesh|Devagad]] about 24 miles from Haraya under Jatba.<ref name= "host"/><ref name="medieval nagpur">{{cite book |title=Medieval PERIOD (Complete History of Nagpur) |date=16 July 2021 |url=https://www.nagpurpulse.com/medieval-period/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728103442/https://www.nagpurpulse.com/medieval-period/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=28 July 2021}}</ref>
[[File:Virendra Shah.jpg|thumb|Photos of nagpur gond kings]]

==Peak==
{{Main|Bakht Buland Shah}}
The Gond kingdom of Deogarh reached its peak under the capable leadership of [[Bakht Buland Shah]] and his successor [[Chand Sultan]].{{cn|date=July 2023}}

==Decline==
After [[Chand Sultan]]'s death in 1739,<ref name="community"/> there were quarrels over the succession, leading to the throne being usurped by Wali Shah,<ref name="society"/><ref name="hunter"/><ref name="chanda">{{cite book |last1=Thusu |first1=Kidar Nath |title=Gond Kingdom of Chanda: With Particular Reference to Its Political Structure |date=1980 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India, Government of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CoAtAAAAMAAJ&q=bakht+buland+shah |language=en}}</ref> an illegitimate son of [[Bakht Buland Shah]].<ref name="society"/><ref name="vidarbha"/> Chand Sultan's widow invoked the aid of the Maratha leader [[Raghoji I Bhonsle|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.<ref name="chanda"/><ref name="hunter"/><ref name="society"/>

However, dissensions continued between the brothers and once again, the elder brother Burhan Shah requested the aid of [[Raghoji I Bhonsle|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.<ref name="hunter"/><ref name="society"/> 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.<ref name="community"/> A series of [[Bhonsles of Nagpur|Maratha rulers]] came to power following the fall of the Gonds from the throne of [[Nagpur Kingdom|Nagpur]], starting with [[Raghoji I Bhonsle|Raghoji Bhonsle]].<ref name= "hotels">{{cite web|url=http://www.nagpur-hotels.com/nagpur-tourism/history-of-nagpur-people.aspx|title=Nagpur – History – People – Art and Culture – Festivals|publisher=Nagpur-hotels.com|access-date=25 November 2016|archive-date=9 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170509161614/http://nagpur-hotels.com/nagpur-tourism/history-of-nagpur-people.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gond King |url=http://nagpur.nic.in/zpnagpur/English/history.htm |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531051603/http://nagpur.nic.in/zpnagpur/English/history.htm |archivedate=2014-05-31 }}</ref>

===Rebellion of Raghunath Singh===
[[Raghunath Singh (diwan)|Raghunath Singh]], the [[Dewan|diwan]] of the Deogarh ruler, conspired along with Nilkanth Shah, the Gond ruler of Chandrapur to overthrow [[Raghoji I Bhonsle|Raghuji Bhonsla]]'s rule.<ref>{{cite book |title=Host Bibliographic Record for Boundwith Item Barcode 30112050248951 and Others |date=2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4b4uPjJJFOkC&q=Raghunath+Singh,+the+Diwan+of+the+Gond |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Bhandara district |date=1979 |publisher=Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J1MbAAAAIAAJ&q=Raghunath%20Singh,%20the%20Diwan%20of%20the%20Gond |language=en}}</ref> Raghuji in 1748, seeking respite from the Bengal campaign invaded Deogarh and killed Raghunath Singh.<ref>{{cite book |title=Maharashtra State Gazetteers |date=1979 |publisher=Directorate of Government Print., Stationery and Publications, Maharashtra State |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CAtuAAAAMAAJ&q=Raghunath+Singh,+the+Diwan+of+the+Gond |language=en}}</ref> He then completely took over the administration of Deogarh, making Burhan Shah a state pensionary.<ref>{{cite book |title=The History and culture of the Indian people |date=1977 |publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AaZFAQAAMAAJ&q=Raghunath%20Singh,%20the%20Diwan%20of%20the%20Gond |language=en}}</ref> He next proceeded against Nilkanth Shah of [[Chandrapur|Chanda]] and defeated him. Nilkanth Shah had to sign a treaty with him, dated 1749 A.D. This treaty rendered the king almost powerless, and when he rebelled against Raghoji, he was defeated with ease imprisoned him permanently in the Ballalpur fort.<ref name="cultural">{{cite web |title=The Gazetteers Department- Chandrapur |url=https://cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/CHANDRAPUR/his_gonds.html |website=Cultural Maharashtra Government}}</ref> Hence the last attempts to overthrow the Marathas of Nagpur ended.

===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 [[Raghuji Bhonsle III|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.<ref name="society"/>

==Relations with the Mughals==
In 1564, [[Akbar]]'s general [[Asaf Khan I|Khwaja Abdul Majid Asaf Khan]] had attacked Panna and made it a feudatory state. Then he attacked & defeated [[Garha Kingdom|Garha-Katanga]] ruled by [[Rani Durgavati]] and made it also a feudatory state with reduced boundaries. However, he did not invade Deogarh and treated it as a border semi-independent state. He was satisfied with Deogarh accepting his suzerainty. The Mughal governors of the province allowed the Deogarh rulers to rule of their territory on payment of yearly tribute.<ref name="academia"/>  

The ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'' by [[Abul Fazl]] records that Jatba, the Gond king of Deogarh, was an ennobled vassal of [[Akbar]] and was paying annual tribute to him.<ref name="proceed">{{cite book |last1=Congress |first1=Indian History |title=Proceedings |date=1950 |publisher=Indian History Congress |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QXAYwwyxgAsC&q=jatba |language=en}}</ref> It is said that Akbar visited Deogarh during Jatba's reign.<ref name="balaghat">{{cite book |last1=Pradesh (India) |first1=Madhya |title=Madhya Pradesh: Balaghat |date=1992 |publisher=Government Central Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NCduAAAAMAAJ&q=jatba |language=en}}</ref> 

The ''[[Ain-i-Akbari]]'' by [[Abul Fazl]] says that Jatba possessed 2,000 horses, 50,000 foot soldiers and 100 elephants<ref name="academia"/>- "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.<ref name="census">{{cite book |title=Census of India, 1991: District census handbook, A & B. Village and town directory : village & townwise primary census abstract 24 v. : Bhind |date=1997 |publisher=Directorate of Census Operations, Madhya Pradesh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jhbf8rKK_JIC&q=jatba |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sil |first1=Jogendra Nath |title=History of the Central Provinces and Berar |date=1917 |publisher=J.N. Sil |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=emxBAQAAMAAJ&q=jatba |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Maharaja]]'' Jatba visited the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Jahangir]] in 1616.<ref name="acta"/>

If [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] sources are to be believed, the rulers of Deogarh often delayed in paying tribute or sometimes did not pay it at all. Hence in August 1669, the kingdom was brought under direct rule of the empire. In 1686, Bhagtu, one of the sons of Kok Shah went to [[Aurangzeb]] at Solapur or Bijapur for help, accepted Islam, and was rechristened as [[Bakht Buland Shah|Bakht Buland]].<ref name="academia"/>

=== Invasion of Nagpur by the Mughals ===
{{Main|Siege of Nagpur}}
In January of 1637, Deogarh was invaded by Khan-i-Dauran. One of the reasons could be [[Jhujhar Singh]], the rebellious [[Orchha state|raja of Orchha]] was allowed to pass through Deogarh territory unharmed. The other reason was arrears of tribute which was supposed to be paid annually. They were joined by [[Kingdom of Chanda|Krishna Shah of Chanda]], who had an enmity with the Deogarh kings since the reign of [[Ajanbahu Jatbasha|Jatba]].<ref name="vidarbha"/> Kok Shah was defeated in the siege of the Nagpur fort and submitted to Khan-i-Dauran on 16 January 1637. He made peace by presenting one and a half lakhs of rupees in cash and 170 elephants. The annual tribute was fixed (increased?) one and one third lakhs of rupees. He accepted the suzerainty of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]]. Nagpur was restored to him. This is the first invasion of Nagpur recorded in detail.<ref name="academia">{{cite book |last1=Sane |first1=Hemant |title=DEOGARH-NAGPUR GOND DYNASTY.docx |url=https://www.academia.edu/38055455 |archive-date=11 July 2023 |access-date=16 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711021539/https://www.academia.edu/38055455 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==List of rulers==
*[[Ajanbahu Jatbasha|Jatba]] (1580–1620)<ref name="mp district gazetteer">{{cite book |last1=Pradesh (India) |first1=Madhya |title=Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Narsimhapur |date=1995 |publisher=Government Central Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zbs3AQAAIAAJ&q=jatba |language=en}}</ref>
*Kok Shah (c. 1620 – 1640)<ref name="vidarbha"/> 
*Kesari Shah (1640 - 1657)
*Gorakh Shah (1657 - 1669)
*[[Mughal Empire|Direct Mughal rule]] (1669 - 1686)
*[[Bakht Buland Shah]] (1686–1706)
*[[Chand Sultan]] (1706–1739)
*Wali Shah
*Burhan Shah and Akbar Shah

===Titular rulers===
*Burhan Shah ({{circa|1740|1796}})
*Rahman Shah 
*Suleiman Shah (1851 - 15 April 1885)
*Azam Shah (1956)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:History of Nagpur]]
[[Category:Dynasties of India]]