Deogarh Kingdom

Origins

The Gond kingdom of Deogarh emerged in the Chhindwara region of the Satpura hills in the late 16th century. Its first well-attested ruler, Jatba, is mentioned in Mughal sources and acknowledged Akbar's suzerainty, as recorded in the Ain-i-Akbari.

Rule and society

Deogarh ruled Gond farming and forest communities and grew under Bakht Buland Shah, who served Aurangzeb, converted to Islam and encouraged Hindu and Muslim settlers to clear land. He founded the city of Nagpur around 1702, which became the capital under his son Chand Sultan.

Decline and legacy

After Chand Sultan's death in 1739 a succession dispute invited Raghoji Bhonsle of the Marathas to intervene, and by 1743 he had taken effective control, making Nagpur the seat of the Bhonsle Maratha state. The Gond family survived as pensioners.