Akot Through the Ages: From Ancient Settlement to Strategic Stronghold

thenewsdirt
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Akot stands as a testament to the layered history of Vidarbha, a region whose story stretches back to the earliest periods of recorded Indian civilisation. The settlement was part of the legendary Vidarbha kingdom, a realm immortalised in the Mahabharata.

This ancient association places Akot within a broader cultural and political landscape that shaped much of central India.

The region later became part of the Mauryan Empire during the reign of Ashoka, who ruled from 272 to 231 BCE. Evidence of Mauryan administration in Vidarbha has been documented through inscriptions discovered in nearby areas, confirming that Akot, along with the rest of the Berar province, fell under imperial control during this transformative period.

Following the decline of Mauryan power, the Satavahana dynasty extended its authority over Vidarbha from the second century BCE to the second century CE. The Satavahanas, who are referred to as Andhras in the Puranas, maintained control over the region for approximately four and a half centuries. Their rule brought a degree of stability and administrative structure that allowed settlements like Akot to develop.

The subsequent Vakataka dynasty, which held sway from the third to sixth centuries, marked a particularly significant period for Vidarbha. The Vakatakas were patrons of art and literature, and their capital at Nandivardhana near modern Ramtek stood not far from Akot. This proximity meant that the cultural and administrative developments of the Vakataka period would have directly influenced the settlements in the Akot region.

The centuries that followed saw Akot pass through the hands of successive dynasties, each leaving its imprint on the administrative and cultural fabric of Vidarbha. The Chalukya dynasty controlled the region from the sixth to eighth centuries, followed by the Rashtrakuta dynasty from the eighth to tenth centuries. The Chalukyas returned to power in the tenth century and maintained control until the twelfth century.

Finally, the Yadava dynasty of Devagiri governed the region from the late twelfth to early fourteenth centuries. These successive waves of rule created a complex political landscape in which Akot functioned as part of a larger regional network.

Each dynasty brought its own administrative practices, cultural influences, and economic arrangements, contributing to the gradual development of settlements across Vidarbha.

Medieval Transformations and the Advent of Muslim Rule

The early fourteenth century marked a decisive shift in the political trajectory of Akot and the wider Berar region.

Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, launched military campaigns that brought large parts of the Deccan under Delhi Sultanate control.

The conquest of the region during this period represented the beginning of sustained Muslim rule in an area that had been governed by Hindu dynasties for centuries. Following the weakening of the Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani Sultanate emerged as an independent power in the mid-fourteenth century, breaking away from Delhi and establishing its authority over much of the Deccan plateau. The Bahmani rulers governed from capitals including Gulbarga and later Bidar, extending their administrative reach across Berar and incorporating Akot into their provincial structure.

The Bahmani Sultanate, however, proved unable to maintain centralised control as internal conflicts and provincial ambitions weakened its authority. By the end of the fifteenth century, the sultanate had fragmented into smaller independent kingdoms. In 1490, Berar gained independence under the Imad Shahi dynasty, also known as the Berar Sultanate. Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk founded this new polity with its capital at Ellichpur, known today as Achalpur.

The establishment of the Berar Sultanate meant that Akot now fell under the administration of a regional power rather than a distant centralised authority. The proximity of Ellichpur to Akot gave the settlement a degree of importance within the new sultanate's territorial framework.

The Imad Shahi dynasty faced continuous pressure from neighbouring sultanates, particularly Ahmednagar and Bijapur. These rivalries eventually led to the downfall of Berar's independence. In 1572, the region was annexed by the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmednagar, ending more than eight decades of independent rule.

The annexation brought Akot under the control of Ahmednagar, which itself faced mounting pressure from the expanding Mughal Empire. In 1595, the Nizam Shahis ceded Berar to the Mughals, and the region became part of the vast Mughal administrative system.

The Mughals ruled Berar throughout the seventeenth century, although their control was periodically challenged by local powers and regional disturbances.

The Mughal presence in Berar manifested through various administrative and military actions. In 1584, Mughal cavalry invaded the region, plundering Ellichpur and Balapur.

These incursions affected settlements throughout Berar, including Akot, which lay within the sphere of Mughal military operations.

The region remained under Mughal authority until the early eighteenth century, when the weakening of central imperial control allowed regional powers to assert greater autonomy.

The Maratha Period and Political Upheaval

As the Mughal Empire began its gradual decline in the early eighteenth century, new powers emerged to fill the political vacuum.

In 1724, Asaf Jah I, who later became the Nizam of Hyderabad, seized control of the southern provinces of the empire, including Berar.

This marked the beginning of a complex period during which Akot found itself under dual governance. The Nizam claimed formal sovereignty over the region, but the Marathas exercised considerable administrative and military influence.

This arrangement created a system in which local authority was divided between the representatives of the Nizam and Maratha powers, particularly the Bhosles of Nagpur.

Akot held a position of some administrative significance during this period. The settlement served as a place of residence for the commandants of the Narnala fortress, one of the major fortifications in the region. The Phadnavis of Narnala also maintained a presence in Akot, and the substantial house of Divakar Bhau, a former commandant, remained standing as evidence of this administrative role.

The dual governance system, however, led to recurring conflicts over revenue collection and political authority. Suja-at Khan, an officer at Akot appointed by the Nawab of Ellichpur, refused to pay the Chauth to the Marathas. This refusal resulted in military action. Raghuji Bhosle defeated and killed Suja-at Khan, asserting Maratha rights to revenue extraction in the region.

Military conflicts continued to shape the history of Akot throughout the eighteenth century. In 1759, Nizam Ali launched an attack on Akot, approaching via Bashim and plundering the settlement. When news of the attack reached Janoji Bhosle, he mobilised forces to confront the Nizam. Janoji defeated the Nizam's forces and pursued them as far as Burhanpur, reasserting Maratha influence in the region. The death of Janoji Bhosle in 1772 precipitated a succession crisis that had direct consequences for Akot.

At the time of his death, his wife Daryabai was residing in Akot. The succession struggle between Janoji's brothers, Sabaji and Mudhoji Bhosle, culminated in a battle fought at Kumbhari near Akot. The confrontation resulted in the death of Sabaji, and Mudhoji emerged victorious to claim control of the Nagpur territories.

The late eighteenth century saw continued military activity around Akot. In 1790, a Pendhari leader named Gaji Khan was besieged by Bhosle forces in the fort at Akot and ultimately defeated. These repeated military engagements reflected the unsettled political conditions of the period, as various powers competed for control and resources.

The most significant military event involving Akot occurred in 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. In August of that year, Vyankoji Bholse requested that Daulatrav Shinde and Raghuji Bhosle gather forces at Akot. At the same time, General Arthur Wellesley of the British East India Company approached the area with his army.

These troop movements were a prelude to the Battle of Argaon, also known as the Battle of Adgaon, which took place on 29 November 1803.

The battle was fought near Sirsoli, close to Akot, and lasted for seven days beginning on 23 November. The engagement pitted British forces under Wellesley against Maratha armies led by Nagpurkar Bhosle and Daulat Rao Scindia.

The British emerged victorious, a result that had far-reaching consequences for the political future of the region.

British Administration and Colonial Transformations

The defeat of the Marathas in 1803 marked the beginning of British involvement in the administration of Berar.

Following the conclusion of the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the region came under the control of the British East India Company, although formal sovereignty remained with the Nizam of Hyderabad.

This arrangement created a complex administrative situation in which British officials managed the territory on behalf of the Nizam.

The early decades of British involvement were characterised by efforts to establish effective revenue collection systems. In 1820, the collection of revenues was contracted to Palmer and Company, a firm that advanced substantial loans to the Nizam's government. The financial arrangements proved unsustainable, and the British government eventually intervened to manage the accumulated debts.

Revenue administration in Berar passed through various contractual arrangements. Between 1831 and 1839, the contract for revenue collection was held by an individual named Puranmal. Later, the contract was transferred to an individual known as Pestonji. When the contract was to be terminated in 1845, Pestonji refused to hand over administrative control because the Nizam still owed him a substantial sum of Rs. 40 lakhs.

The Nizam's government responded by forcibly seizing control, attacking the personnel employed by Pestonji at both Akot and Balapur. This forcible takeover reflected the contentious nature of revenue administration during the period.

Social tensions also surfaced during these years. A major Hindu-Muslim riot occurred in Akot in 1842 or 1843, an event that highlighted underlying communal divisions within the settlement. In 1851, a three-day armed conflict took place at Bordi, a village near Akot, between Daryaji Deshmukh of Dharud and Sirajuddin Munsif of Akot.

The fight arose from an attempt by the Nizam to resume possession of the village, which had been held as a jagir by the Nawab of Ellichpur. The deshmukh defended the village with a small force, while the munsif attacked with superior numbers and the support of the Narnala garrison. The Hyderabad troops ultimately prevailed in the engagement.

The formal transfer of administrative control over Berar to the British occurred in 1853, when the region was assigned to the East India Company in liquidation of large debts related to the Hyderabad Contingent.

This military force, originally maintained by the Nizam, had been placed under British command, and the costs associated with its upkeep had accumulated to the point where the Nizam could no longer meet his financial obligations. The cession of Berar provided a mechanism for the British to recover these debts while gaining control over a strategically important and economically productive region.

Administrative reorganisation followed the formal transfer. In 1858, the British created the districts of Amravati and Akola, with West Berar having its headquarters at Akola. Akot was incorporated into the West Berar district as part of this restructuring. Further changes occurred in subsequent years as the British adjusted administrative boundaries and established new districts.

The arrangements governing Berar's status underwent significant revision in 1902, when the Nizam permanently leased the region to the British government in exchange for an annual payment of Rs. 25 lakhs. This agreement clarified the legal status of British control and facilitated the integration of Berar into British India's administrative framework.

In 1903, Berar was formally merged with the Central Provinces to create a unified administrative entity known as the Central Provinces and Berar.

This integration represented the culmination of several decades of British efforts to rationalise territorial administration in central India. The establishment of municipal governance institutions accompanied these broader administrative changes. A municipal committee was established at Akola on 25 June 1866, with all members initially nominated by the government.

By 1884, Akot had received its own administrative structures, reflecting the growing importance of local governance institutions in the British colonial system.

The first elected municipal committee at Akola took office in 1886, following a campaign by local residents to secure the right to choose their own representatives. This development represented a small but significant step towards greater local participation in governance.

Religious and Cultural Landmarks

Throughout these political transformations, Akot maintained a distinctive religious and cultural landscape that reflected the diverse communities inhabiting the settlement.

The most prominent religious site in Akot was the temple dedicated to Narsingbuva, a figure who became the focus of considerable popular devotion.

Narsingbuva was born into a Kunbi family and displayed a marked religious inclination from childhood. He married and had three children but maintained a daily practice of visiting a Muslim saint named Kuvatali Shah of Umra. The relationship between Narsingbuva and the Muslim saint exemplified a form of religious syncretism that characterised aspects of popular devotion in the region.

Kuvatali Shah taught Narsingbuva that the essential difference between religions lay merely in the names used for the divine, a teaching that shaped Narsingbuva's spiritual outlook.

Following the death of his spiritual teacher, Narsingbuva became a revered figure in his own right. He died in 1887, and a substantial temple was constructed in his honour. The building was erected by Maroti Ganesh Asalkar at a cost of Rs. 25,000, a considerable sum that indicated the resources devoted to commemorating the saint.

Land measuring 120 acres was dedicated to the support of the temple, and additional income was derived from a haveli that Maroti donated for use as a theatre. The temple became the site of an annual festival held during the month of Kartik, typically falling in October or November.

Contemporary accounts described the festival as attracting between 20,000 and 25,000 people, making it a major event in the religious calendar of the region. The fact that a green ensign associated with Muslim traditions was used during the festival's palanquin procession reflected the syncretic character of devotion to Narsingbuva.

Other religious structures in Akot testified to the presence of both Hindu and Muslim communities. Near the road to Akola stood the domed tomb of Gada Narayan, a figure venerated by both Muslims and Hindus. The tomb bore a resemblance to the ghumat at Dharud and contained Persian inscriptions.

Despite this shared veneration, the specific identity and history of Gada Narayan had been largely forgotten by the late nineteenth century, and the tomb fell into relative neglect. Nearby stood the smaller tomb of Mir Najar Karoda, which was maintained by a resident fakir.

A descendant of Mir Najar Karoda held an inam grant for the tomb and organised a small urus, or sacred gathering, although details about the saint himself had been lost to memory.

The tomb of Gaibi Pir occupied another site within Akot and held a reputation for curing colds and fevers. People made vows of bread and vegetables to the pir in hope of relief from illness. The Jama Masjid, though not architecturally distinguished, featured Persian inscriptions and served the Muslim community.

A small hill within the settlement bore the name of Pir Shah Darya Sahib and supported a mosque. The site had been the scene of violent conflict when local Rajputs attacked Muslims residing on the hill. The incident occurred after a Muslim on the hill made an inappropriate jest directed at a Rajput woman on the roof of a nearby house.

A group of Rajputs later gained entry to the walled area by falsely claiming to be Muslims, then launched an attack that resulted in several deaths.

Hindu temples were numerous within Akot, though few possessed exceptional architectural qualities. The temple at Nandi Bag featured a bull carved from black stone, typically adorned with a fresh garland.

A large but plain step-well stood nearby. Other temples included one dedicated to Nana Sahib of Patur, which was covered with pictures, and temples dedicated to Balaji and Keshaoraja. These various religious sites reflected the religious diversity of Akot's population and the coexistence of multiple devotional traditions within a relatively compact settlement.