Brahmapuri: The Forgotten Heart of Chandrapur’s History

thenewsdirt
Nov 13
7 min read

Brahmapuri, a modest town in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, holds an extraordinary timeline that stretches back over three millennia.

At first glance, it might seem like just another tehsil headquarters amid forests and farmlands. Yet beneath its quiet exterior lie traces of prehistoric settlements and memories of bygone kingdoms. Archaeological discoveries in and around Brahmapuri have revealed megalithic burial sites, clusters of tall stone menhirs estimated to be about 3,000 years old.

Experts note that these anthropomorphic (human-shaped) monoliths are unprecedented this far south in Vidarbha, underscoring the area’s significance even in the Iron Age.

Such findings hint that the story of Brahmapuri began long before recorded history, setting the stage for the rich tapestry of events to come.

Ancient Roots and Early Settlements

The ancient past of Brahmapuri is pieced together through legend and scattered evidence. The very name “Brahmapuri” means “Abode of Brahma”, the creator in Hindu tradition, suggesting a sacred origin.

According to local lore, the town’s name actually harkens back to a community of learned Brahmins who settled here in antiquity.

While concrete records from ancient times are scarce, there are indications that this pocket of Chandrapur had early cultural importance.

Local traditions speak of Hindu and Buddhist kings ruling the region long ago, though specific dynasties remain difficult to pinpoint. Nearby historical sites bolster these claims: for instance, Wairagad (also spelt Wairangad) was once a small fortress settlement, and Markanda, a village not far from Brahmapuri, is renowned for its cluster of medieval Shiva temples, suggesting a long heritage of worship in the area.

Taken together, these clues paint a picture of an area that was not an isolated wilderness but part of early civilizational networks.

By the early centuries CE, it is likely that Brahmapuri’s vicinity fell under larger Indian kingdoms (such as regional Hindu empires), although the town itself first emerges into clear view during the medieval period under tribal Gond rulers.

Rise of Gond Power

Brahmapuri rose to prominence in the medieval era as part of the Gond kingdom of Chanda (Chandrapur).

The Gonds, an indigenous tribal community, established a powerful monarchy in Vidarbha around the 9th century CE, after overthrowing earlier local chieftains.

According to Gond tradition, a chieftain named Kol Bhill unified the tribes and defeated the ruling Mana dynasty, paving the way for Gond rule. By about 870 CE, a Gond king from the Ballal lineage had founded a stronghold near present-day Chandrapur.

Over the ensuing centuries, the Gond kings expanded their domain and solidified their authority. Brahmapuri, located in the fertile plains and dense forests of the region, naturally became one of the important centres under Gond administration.

In fact, some historical accounts suggest that Brahmapuri even served briefly as a capital of the Gond kingdom at one time. While the primary royal seat eventually settled at Chandrapur (then called Chanda), this town remained integral to the kingdom’s governance.

A fort was built in Brahmapuri, presumably by the Gond rulers, and its remains still stand today as a testament to that strategic past.

Under the Gonds, the Chandrapur-Brahmapuri region enjoyed remarkable stability. Successive Gond kings, bearing the title “Ballal Shah,” managed to maintain control for nearly 800 years, an unusually long reign in an era marked by frequent upheavals elsewhere in India. This longevity allowed the steady development of agriculture and irrigation in the area, and Brahmapuri benefited from being a node in a stable kingdom.

Of course, the Gond rule was not entirely without turmoil. By the 18th century, as Mughal influence waned and Maratha ambitions rose, the Gond kingdom faced new pressures. Local discontent also simmered toward the end of Gond rule.

Notably, in 1734, a rebellion erupted in the Brahmapuri region. The mokasdar (revenue officer) of a pargana called Gadabori in Brahmapuri tahsil defied the king’s authority.

The Gond ruler Ram Sah dispatched a force under his general Semaji Dhume, which swiftly crushed the revolt. This episode, though quickly quelled, hinted at the weakening grip of the old order. Within a couple of decades, the Gond dynasty itself would fall to a new power from the west.

Maratha Conquest and British Rule

In 1751, the Marathas swept in and brought an end to Gond sovereignty in Chandrapur. Raghoji I Bhonsle, the Maratha ruler of Nagpur, capitalised on the Gond kingdom’s instability and conquered the territory.

Brahmapuri and its district now became part of the Nagpur Maratha kingdom, aligning this forested enclave with the broader currents of central Indian politics under Maratha hegemony.

The Bhonsle administration retained Chandrapur (Chanda) as an important local centre, and the old Gond fort continued to be a power hub, only now flying the Maratha saffron flag. Maratha control over Brahmapuri lasted roughly a century.

In practice, it was a period of indirect rule; local chiefs and officials often stayed in place while paying tribute to Nagpur. This era ended with a historical whimper rather than a bang: the last Bhonsle ruler, Raja Raghuji III, died in 1853 without an heir, triggering a succession crisis. The British, who by then dominated India, lost no time in seizing the opportunity.

Citing the Doctrine of Lapse, they annexed the Nagpur kingdom (which included Chandrapur) in late 1853. With this, Brahmapuri’s chapter under indigenous rulers closed, and the town entered the colonial era under the British Raj.

The British administration restructured the region extensively. In 1854, they designated a new Chanda District (Chandrapur) as part of the Central Provinces. Initially, the district was divided into just three tehsils: Mul, Warora, and Brahmapuri. Brahmapuri’s status as one of the original tehsils highlights its importance as an administrative centre even in mid-19th century colonial governance. Over the following decades, the British made several adjustments to district boundaries.

Parts of Chandrapur were trimmed and transferred to adjoining provinces, for instance, some southern areas were merged into the Madras Presidency and Hyderabad State in the late 19th century, while the Sironcha region was added from Madras to Chandrapur.

Despite these changes, Brahmapuri remained within Chandrapur district, continuing as the local hub for surrounding villages.

Under British rule, the economy of the Brahmapuri-Chandrapur area became oriented toward resource extraction.

The region’s dense forests were exploited for timber, and by the early 1900s, coal mining had begun near Chandrapur (earning it the moniker “Black Gold City” in later years). Infrastructure like railways and roads was introduced, but largely to haul out coal, forest produce, and cotton rather than to holistically develop the region.

Education and healthcare in rural pockets like Brahmapuri received scant attention from colonial authorities. Nevertheless, British tenure did leave behind the rudiments of modern administration and connectivity that would benefit the town in the long run.

Post-Independence Changes and Heritage

India’s independence in 1947 brought another reorganisation. For a brief period, Chandrapur (then officially still named Chanda) was part of the newly formed Madhya Pradesh state, since the Central Provinces had been merged into MP.

This situation changed with the national States Reorganisation of 1956, when Chandrapur district was transferred from Madhya Pradesh to Bombay State as part of uniting Marathi-speaking regions.

In 1960, Bombay State split, and Chandrapur became part of the new state of Maharashtra. Local residents saw a nod to history in 1964 when the district’s colonial-era name “Chanda” was officially reverted back to “Chandrapur,” restoring the usage of its traditional name in government records. Administrative adjustments continued in subsequent decades. In 1959, a portion of Hyderabad’s Adilabad area (Rajura tehsil) was added to Chandrapur.

Much later, after the 1981 census, the eastern side of Chandrapur district was carved out to form a new Gadchiroli district for better governance of tribal areas. Brahmapuri, situated in the north-west, remained in the Chandrapur district despite that partition. Today, it serves as the headquarters of Brahmapuri taluka, overseeing dozens of villages in the vicinity.

Modern Brahmapuri is a far cry from the royal capital or frontier outpost it once might have been, yet it wears its history with subtle pride. The remnants of the Brahmapuri fort quietly overlook the town, their weathered walls a reminder of medieval battles and power shifts. In the older parts of Brahmapuri and nearby hamlets, one can find centuries-old temples and shrines that hint at layers of cultural continuity.

The Wainganga River, which flows near the town, has witnessed all these epochs, from primitive agro-pastoral communities erecting megaliths, to the clang of Gond swords, the boom of Maratha cannons, and eventually the whistle of British steam locomotives. Each era left its imprint. Even the name Brahmapuri, tied to both sacred Sanskrit lore and local legend, connects the present-day town to an ancient identity.

Brahmapuri’s journey through history shows how even seemingly quiet towns are built upon deep and diverse foundations. This place has been a microcosm of Vidarbha’s history, witnessing the ebb and flow of civilisations.

What began with prehistoric stone burials evolved into a stronghold of tribal kings, which then became a cog in a Maratha empire and later a unit of British India. Yet Brahmapuri has retained its own character through these transformations. Today, as the town thrives with schools, markets and an “eco-friendly atmosphere” nurtured by surrounding forests, the legacy of its past remains visible and relevant.

The old fort and ancient sites are not just relics; they are touchstones connecting the community to its roots. In Brahmapuri, history is not a distant echo but a living presence, from the ground beneath, which has yielded ancient secrets, to the very name on the signboard.

This once obscure settlement in Chandrapur district stands as a testament to the enduring continuum of Vidarbha’s heritage, reminding us that every small town has a grand story to tell if we only look deep enough