Etapalli in Gadchiroli: From Prehistoric Roots to Tribal Heartland

thenewsdirt
6 days ago
4 min read

Etapalli in Gadhchiroli district forms part of Vidarbha in Maharashtra. The area holds evidence of human activity from prehistoric times. Its history spans ancient settlements, tribal rule, colonial changes, and modern administration.

Dense forests and rivers define the terrain where these events occurred. Communities adapted to the environment over centuries.

Ancient Settlements and Early Inhabitants

Archaeological finds in the Gadchiroli region point to human presence dating back millions of years. Stone tools from the Palaeolithic era, about 2.5 million years old, appear at sites like Sironcha near Etapalli.

These implements, made from quartz and local stone, show that early groups used the forests and rivers for hunting and gathering.

Fossil remains from the Triassic period, over 220 million years ago, also exist in the district, marking rare evidence of ancient life forms alongside human artefacts.

By the Iron Age, around 3,000 years ago, people built megalithic structures. Sites at Chamorshi and Arsoda contain stone circles, cromlechs, and kistvaens used for burials. Horse skeletons found inside some indicate rituals linked to animals.

The Archaeological Survey of India notes over 20 such structures, now partly hidden by forest growth. These monuments reveal organised societies with beliefs in afterlife and memory.

Settlements grew along river valleys like the Godavari and Wainganga. Early inhabitants relied on shifting cultivation and forest resources.

Tools and burial practices suggest social hierarchies emerged. The terrain, with hills and dense woods, supported small groups rather than large cities. This pattern set the base for later tribal life in Etapalli.

Medieval Rule and Gond Dominance

From the 8th to 12th centuries, dynasties like the Rashtrakutas and the Yadavas of Devagiri extended influence to the Etapalli areas.

They brought stone temples and blended Hindu practices with local ways. The Markanda Mahadev temple near Chamorshi stands as a key example.

Built in the Hemadpanthi style, it once had 24 structures with over 400 sculptures. Carvings show gods, dancers, and daily scenes, built with precise stonework along the Wainganga for trade access.

In the 13th century, the Gond tribes rose to power. Khandkya Ballal Shah founded Chanda as the capital around 1400, making Gadchiroli the northern frontier. Vairagad Fort near Armori served as an outpost. Gonds set up taxes, irrigation, and mixed tribal governance with Hindu elements. They spoke Gondi and Madiya, kept village autonomy, and tied rule to forest life. Decentralised control preserved customs amid medieval politics.

Marathas ended Gond control in 1751. Forces from Nagpur took over, shifting power to new administrators. Some Gond leaders kept minor roles, but revenue systems changed. Land assessments increased, viewing forests for timber over community use.

Etapalli stayed remote, with light oversight. Local economies persisted on paddy, millets, and gathering, distinct from the plains.

Gonds held sway for centuries, adapting to the woods. Their forts and paths linked villages. Iron from hills like Surjagarh aided tools and weapons. This era marked the peak of tribal authority before outsiders altered structures.

Colonial Era and Local Resistance

British rule started mid-19th century after taking Berar in 1853. Chandrapur became a district in 1854. Forests drew attention for teak and bamboo.

Logging scaled up, using Godavari for transport. Communities lost access to lands for shifting cultivation. Reserves turned extractive, displacing groups.

In 1857 rebellion, tribal forces mobilised. A Gond zamindar from Molampalli in Etapalli taluka gathered 500 men as Jangom Dal in September 1857.

By March 1858, they took the Rajgarh pargana. Allies from nearby joined with bows, swords, and forest tactics. On 13 March 1858, near Nandgaon Ghosari, they beat back troops. The British sent 1,700 soldiers under Chanda's deputy. Rewards led to capture on 18 September 1858, followed by execution.

The event stayed in local stories, honoured in Gond memory. The British tightened control post-1858. In 1905, Gadchiroli tehsil was formed from the zamindari estates of Brahmapuri and Chandrapur. Etapalli fell under this, part of the Central Provinces till 1956. Forests remained key, with paths for timber.

Resistance used terrain knowledge. Dense woods hid movements. Traditional arms suited ambushes. Defeat came from betrayal and numbers. Area kept cultural ties amid changes.

Administrative Shifts and Tribal Continuity

Post-1947, Chandrapur split in 1982 to form Gadchiroli district on 26 August. Initial talukas were Gadchiroli and Sironcha, expanded to 12, including Etapalli.

Etapalli became a tehsil with 1688 revenue villages across the district. The Godavari basin covers the south, Indravati, the east. Hills like Tipagad, Palasgad rise in the east.

Etapalli taluka holds 81,713 people in 15,692 households per the 2011 census. Scheduled Tribes make up 81.5 percent, mainly Gond and Madia. The village centre has 6,742 residents in 1,617 homes. Literacy reaches 74.4 percent district-wide, lower in tribes. Forests cover 76 percent, with bamboo and tendu leaves key. Paddy leads crops, with jowar, tur, and wheat.

Surjagarh hills, 15 km away, host a yatra in early January. About 15,000 people from 70 villages climb 3 km trails for Bada Deo worship. Four peaks hold an old iron fort from Gond times, used later by fighters. Pilgrimage links faith to land.

Languages include Gondi, Madiya, Marathi, Hindi, and Telugu. No big industries, rice mills process paddy. Tussar silk in Armori. Rail covers 18.5 km only. Ashramshalas board tribal students. Health centres serve remote spots.

In Vidarbha's Gadchiroli, Etapalli keeps forest ties. Traditions like yatra draw crowds yearly. Census shows steady population. Paths from the Gond era link spots. Megaliths and temples endure. Post-1982 setup aids access, forests dominate.

The district has six sub-divisions, Etapalli one. 457 gram panchayats manage local needs. Wainganga aids movement. Tribes use plants for medicine and bamboo crafts. 1857 events echo in tales. Prehistoric tools mark deep roots.

Etapalli's path traces human steps from stones to the tehsil. Forests shaped stays. Gonds built on early bases. Marathas, the British reworked the rules. 1982 carved new lines. Tribes hold languages and faiths. Yatra climbs persist. Census counts lives. Rivers flow on.