History

Historical Background of Khandesh

The District of Dhulia was previously known as WEST KHANDESH district. The ancient name of this region was Rasika. It is bounded on the east by Berar ( ancient Vidarbha ) , on the north by the Nemad district ( ancient Anupa) and on the south by the Aurangabad ( ancient Mulaka ) and Bhir ( ancient Asmaka ) districts. Later the country came to be called as Seunadesa after king , Seunchandra of the Early Yadava dynasty , who rule over it. Subsequently its name was changed to Khandesh to suit the title Khan given to the Faruqi kings by Ahmad I of Gujarat.

During Aryans penetration to the Deccan ‘Agastya’ was the first Aryan who crossed Vindhya and resides on the bank of Godavari. This territory was included in the empire of Ashoka. Pusyamitra, the founder of Sanga dynasty overthrow Maurya dynasty. Later on Satavahan rule over the region.

About A.D. 250, the Satavahans were supplanted by the Abhiras in Western Maharashtra ( Regan Isvarsena ). The names of Feudatories of Abhiras ruled in Khandesh have known from copperplates discovered at Kalachala (Gujarath) and Cave X5II at Ajanta. After downfall of Satavahans the Vakatakas rose to power in Vidarbha. The Vakatakas were over thrown by Rastrakuta family .This region was rulled by Chalukyas of Badami and subsequently Yadavas.

In A.D. 1296, Ala-ud-din Khilji invaded Ramachandra Yadava who had paid heavy ransom. His son Sankaragana discontinued sending the stipulated tribute to Delhi and then defected and slain by Malik Kafur in A.D.1318.

In 1345, Devagiri was passed into the hands of Hasan Gangu, the founder of Bahamani dynasty. However, Khandesh form Southern boundaries of the Tashlug empire.

In 1370, Firoz Taghluq assigned the district of Thalner and Karavanda to Malik Raja Faruqui, the founder of ‘Faruqui’ dynasty. His family claimed descent from the Khaliph Umer Faruq. He established himself at Thalner. The Governor of Gujarath honored Malik Raja with the little ‘Sipahsalar of Khandesh’. From the little Khan the region came to be known as ‘Khandesh’ the country of Khan. During the period, a rich ahir “Asa” of Asirgad had many storehouse in Gondvana and Khandesh which were opened in order to sell the corn. However his wife was of a charitable disposition persuaded Asa to allow the grains to be distributed to the poor and suffering without payment to which Asa agreed. It was also with a view to employ many of the sufferers as labours that Asa leveled the old wall of Asir and constructed a fort built of masonry. Asa also distributed food to aged and decrepit who were unable to performed manual labour. The Ahir chief in spite of his wealth and strength of this fort, without any struggled acknowledged the supremacy of Malik Raja who bequeathed Laling to his elder son Malik Nasir and Thalner to younger son Malik Iftikar.

Malik Nasir had decided upon seizing Asirgad and making of it his own capital. He , therefore wrote to Asa complaining that he was in great straits as the chief of Baglana, Antur and Kherla were rising against him. Of those two had collected large forces. Laling, to close to enemy territories was not a safe retreat. He requested Asa to afford his family a safe retreat. Asa ordered suitable apartments to be filled up for the Malik Nasir’s ladies. Shortly after, several covered litters with women were brought to into Asirgad and were visited by Asa’s wife and daughters. Next day another of 200 litters arrived reportedly occupied by Malik Nasir’s family. Asa along with his son went to receive them but to his astonishment instead of women, he found the litters full of armed soldiers who leapt up and murdered Asa and his innocent sons in cold blood. Not a single male child in the family was left alive. The treacherous and cunning Malik Nasir repaired from his camp at laling to the fort of Asir. Shortly after this a disciple of Shaikh Zain Uddin, the tutelary saint of the family came to congratulate Malik Nasir on his success.On his advice, Malik Nasir built two cities on the bank of Tapi, on the east Bank called Zainabad after the Saikh and the other on the west Bank called Burhanpur after Saikh Burhanuddin of Daulatabad. The Burhanpur became the capital of farugui dynasty. IN 1917 Malik Nasir defected his younger brother Malik Iftikar.
In 6the January 1601 Khandesh came under Akbar regime. Khandesh was fancifully named by Akbar a Dandes after his son Daniyal. In 1634 Khandesh was made into a “ Suba”. On 3rd June 1818 the Peshva surrendered himself before British and Khanesh came under British rules.

Dhulia (Dhule City):-

The recent survey at Prakashe and Dhulia along the Tapi and Panjhara respectively, have brought to light several Paleolithic tools which shed considerable light on the activities of early men in this region. The excavation at Prakashe have yielded in the upper levels a kind of glass ware popularly known as the Northern Black Polished ware, attributed to 4th-3rd centuries B.C. roughly representing the period of Ashok, the Mauryan ruler. These belong to an epoch absent which nothing is otherwise known of Khandesh. Inscription in the caves at Pitalkhova incised during this period, go to show that the region had contract with Paithan, the capital of the Satavahana dynasty.

Shirpur plants of Maharaja Rudradasa and the other records indicate that certain ruler called, Syamidasa Bhulunda and Rudradasa were ruling in Khandesh in about A.D. 316-367, but the data is very meagre and hardly convincing. Towards the close of the 5th centre A.D. the Chalukya’s under Pulakeshi I extended their kingdom as far south as Vatapi (Badami) and Khandesh was probably held by their vessels, the Sendrakas. Immediately after the Sendrakas, of whome the last Sendrakas of whom the last ruler Veradeva is known from the copper plate charter dated ‘shaka’ 624 (A.D 702) found at Mehunbare in Jalgaon, this region seen to have came in the possession of the Rashtrakutas. After downfall of Rashtrakutas several minor feudatory families were found to be ruling in Dhulia and who owed their allegiance to a new power viz the Yadavas. The Yadavas of Devagiri came into prominence during the last quarter of the 13th century A.D. They had previously been ruling over Seunadesh ( Khandesh ) as feudatories of the

Chalukya of Kalyani. The Yadavas yielded to the onslaught of Al-Ud-din Khilji, who invide the kingdom in 1294. In A.D1318 the Hindu kingdom of Devagiri come to an end. The Khiljis retained their hold over that territory upto 1370. In that year “Subhas” of Thalner and Karavandi were granted to Malik Raja Faruqui by Sultan Firoz Tughluq. During his days tow fort or ‘gadhi’ were built in Devpur and old Dhulia areas respectively of which a one in Devpur was washed along in 1872 flood of the Panjhava which caused considerable damage. It was controlled by Faruqui’s till 1600 from its nearness to the important fort of laling, Dhulia is probably a very old settlement. During the region of Akbar, Khandesh, of which Dhulia formed a part, came to be dominated by the Moghals, and early in 1629. when Delhi emperors were bringing khandesh into order the village of “Dholia” is mentioned as the place where Khvaja Abul Hasan, Shah Jahan’s general passed the rainy season..

In 1723, Nizams-ul- Mulk Asaf Jah 1 who was the Moghal governer of Malva revolted against that power and became independent. He died in 1798. His son Salabat Jung was Nizam in 1752 when he was defected by the Marathas at Bhalki. As per the term of the treaty of Balki, practically the entire Khandesh came under the control of the Marathas and remained so until 1818. In the famine that befell the country in 1803 Dhulia was completed deserted. In the following years Balaji Balvamt, a dependent of Vittal Narsing Vinchurkar repeople the village and in return received from the Vinchurkar a deed granting his certain land and privilege. At the same time he repaired the ‘gadhi’ in Devpur and built the division known as Ganesh Peth in old Dhulia. Being after words entrusted with the entire management of the district of Songir and Laling, Balaji Balvant fixed his head quarter at Dhulia and continued to exercise has authority till 1818, in which year the country passed to the British. In 1819 captain Briggs, the first political agent, probably for its central position and because it was on the high road between Poona and Hindustan, made Dhulia the district headquarter. The town was then very small, short in by the water channels and the river, and without a workman to make even simple screw. When Captain Briggs took over, the town had only three division, viz old Dhulia , Devpur and Moglai. New Dhulia and Peth previously known as Brigg’s peth being his creations. The framework of the city is made up of a number of parallel lanes, the Mumbai Agra road itself forming the third lane from the west, and cross stress at right angles to them. Merchants and others were invited from Burhanpur, Master carpenters and smiths were brought from Mumbai, Surat and residence and three offices were built. The Dhulia was once again put on the way of prosperity.

In the year 1906 for administrative purposes ,the Khandesh was divided in to two districts known as West Khandesh and East Khandesh . West Khandesh retaining Dhulia , Nandurbar , Navapur , Pimpalner , Shahada , Shirpur , Sindkheda and Taloda talukas of the old khandesh district .

In the year 1887 the Headquarter of Pimpalner taluka was transferred to Sakri and in 1908 the name was also changed to Sakri Taluka . In 1950 the Akkalkuwa was created as a new taluka .

In the year 15th Aug 1900 Dhule-Chalisgaon Railway was started.

In 1960 Dhule becomes a part of Maharashtra state from old Bombay state. From 1st – July – 1998 Dhule District in divided in two districts Viz.Dhule and Nandurbar . The Nandurbar is created as a new district. The District Dhule is now having Four Talukas Viz. Dhule,Sakri,Shirpur and Shindkheda with Headquarter at Dhule Also Additional Tahsil offices were created at Dhule City , Pimpalner and Dondaicha from 1st May 2016