Gond prince of Deogad kingdom, Bhakt Buland, founded
Nagpur in the early 18th century in the Chhindwara district. He tried to
change the life of Nagpur as his new capital after seeing the advantage
of civilized life of Delhi. His successor Chand Sultan too continued the
work of Bhakt Buland. Disputes regarding succession arose with the death
of Chand Sultan in 1739.
Maratha governor of Berar, Raghuji Bhonsle, tried to restore his elder
son to the throne, and the control of Nagpur slowly passed on from the
Gonds to the Marathas. Later Nagpur became the capital of the Bhonsles.
Bhonsles lost to the British and Nagpur came under British influence in
1817. Raghuji III died without leaving any heir in 1853. As a result,
the city came under the full control of British under Lord Dalhousie's
Doctrine of Lapse.
Nagpur became the capital of the Central Provinces of India in 1861.
With the advent of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIP) in 1867, its
development spurred as a trade centre.
After Indian independence, Nagpur became the capital of Madhya Bharat
state (C.P. and Berar). In 1960, the Marathi majority Vidarbha region
was merged with the new state of Maharashtra and Nagpur was designated
the second capital of Maharashtra state, alternating with Bombay as the
seat of the Maharashtra state legislature.
Find information on history of Nagpur city of
Maharashtra.