The Mediaeval Period
Part II

According to a local Gondi tradition recorded by Craddock in the old edition of Nagpur Gazetteer, Devagad was originally a Gavali Kingdom conquered later by Sarabasa a Gond king of Gadha. Jatba was the eighth descendant from Sarabasa. Historicaly it is Jatba who merits our attention and not his predecessors whose account is shrounded in legends.

By about 1600 A.D. Koka saah, the son of Jatba, succeeded to the gadi. For the non-payment of tribute to the imperial treasury Sah Jahan ordered Khan Dauran to raid Devagad territory. In 1637 A.D. Khan Dauran laid siege to the fort of Bagpur and blew off its bastions. Koka Sah hastened to Bagpur from Devagad and purchased peacde by paying one and a half lakh of rupees and hundred and seventy elephants. Bagpur fort was restored to Koka Sah.

Later, during the reign of Sah jahan Devagad was raided twiced, onced by Sah Navaz and next by Aurangzeb as the Governor of the Deccan, with a view to extract its wealth. But poor Devagad was like a cow which had gone dry due to constsnt milking without proper feeding.

Koka Sah was succeeded by Bakht Sah or Bakht Buland the most distinguished ruler of the Devagad house. Bakht Buland was driven out of Devagad in the war of succession by his brothers. He appealed to Aurangzeb for help. Aurangzeb. A staunch Sunni, agreed to help on the condition that Bakht should embrace Islam. Helpless Bakht became a Musalman with the understanding that he would dine with Muslims but would continue to take brides from among the Gonds. Aaaaurangzeb accepted this compromise and with the military assistance offered by him Bakht Buland regained his lost gadi. The descendants of Bakht continue to have marital relations with the Raja Gonds. They, however, perfgormed their marriage ceremony according to the Hindu rites followed by thoser of th Islaic. Elastic Hindu religion has never taken serious note of such lapses but has given them a place within its fold.

Bakht Buland was a capable ruler. He extended his kingdom reaching up to the borders of Berar from north and east. He founded the city of Nagpur by joining the twelve small hamlets formerly known as Rajapur Barsa or Barasta. He constructed roads, divided the city into wards and created a strong wall around as a protective measure. Part of old Bagpur is even today known as Burhan Sah's Killa named after the last deposed king of this house. Bakht Buland died in about 1706 A.D.

His kingdom included the present district of Chindvada and Baitul and some portions of Bagpur, Sivani, Bhandara and Balaghat. During the decliming days of the Moghal empire Bakht Bul;and raided the territory on both ther banks of Wardha and drew upon himself the disfavour of Aaaaurangzeb. Aurangzeb thereupon ordered that the title Bakht Buland meaning of high fortune should be changed to Nigun Bakht of mean fortune. Nothing is known of the army sent to punish Bakht.

Nagpur attained importance under Chand Sultan, the son and successor of Bakht. Taking advantage of the fast collapsing Moghal empire after Auranbzeb's death, Chand sultan caaaptured Paunar in Berar, an important military station. It remained under him for more than twenty yesrs. After Chand Sultan's death in 1738, his illegitimate son Wali Sah put to deth Bahadur Sah, the legitimate heir and occupied the gadi. The younger brother of Bahadur Sah, Akbar and Burhan being teen-agers, their mother Rani Ratankuvar, the dowager, appealed to Raguji Bhoslefor help. This was a welcome opportunity for young Raghuji who was aspiring for power. At the request of the queen he promptly moved from Bham, his headquarters, defeated Wali and took himn a captive. He then moved to Devagad and installed Burhan Sah on his ancestral throne. In recognition of his timely help Rani Ratankuvar gave Raghuji one-third of her kingdom. Later, when the two brother Akbar and Burhan quarrelled with each othe, the latter asked for Raghuji help. Raghuji exploited the family dispute to his full advantage and became the de facto ruler of the Gond kingdom of Devagad. At present Jatba's tomb and some foundations of buildings are the only remains among the ruins of Devagad fort.

The Gondi house of Chandrapur or Chanda like that of Devagad was destined to fall a prey to its powerful neighbour Raghuji Bhosle. This house originally hailed from sirpur on the west bank of Wardha. About 895 AD Bhima Ballal is said to have founded the kingdom. Relevant details of Chandrapur are given under Raghuji's exploits in the following pages.

According to Sir Richard Jenkins much of the credit for the development of agriculture, industry and commerce in Gondavana and Nagpur goes to Bakht Buland. He brought industrious settlers into his domain by offering them liberal land grants. The superstructure of the Maratha administration erected by the Bhosles stood on the ground work prepared by Bakht Buland. With due regard for the work done by the Gonds, for their bravery and simple virtue, it must be admitted that they remained in the backwaters of civilization.