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History of Gadchiroli: From Ancient Settlements to a Tribal District Facing Conflict and Change

History of Gadchiroli: From Ancient Settlements to a Tribal District Facing Conflict and Change
History of Gadchiroli: From Ancient Settlements to a Tribal District Facing Conflict and Change

Long before it became a district in Maharashtra, the region known today as Gadchiroli had already witnessed phases of life that few parts of India can trace so far back.


In Sironcha, at the southern tip, fossil discoveries have revealed remnants from the Triassic period, over 220 million years ago, and tools from the early Stone Age.


These finds place Gadchiroli among the rare areas where both dinosaur fossils and Palaeolithic human tools have been recorded.

The stone implements, unearthed within the Sironcha fossil park, are believed to be nearly 2.5 million years old, suggesting that early hominids once lived here, exploiting the forested riverine terrain.


Elsewhere in the district, signs of early Iron Age habitation remain embedded in the soil. Chamorshi and Arsoda host megalithic stone circle burial sites, some estimated to be around 3,000 years old. These were not simple tombs; in some cases, horse skeletons were buried alongside humans, indicating ceremonial practices.


The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has documented more than 20 such cromlech structures in the region, though some have since been obscured by forest growth or encroachments. These discoveries reinforce the idea that ancient communities in Gadchiroli had not only established settlement patterns but also a sophisticated belief system around death and memory.



The terrain that later became Gadchiroli was shaped geologically by the ancient Gondwana landmass, and it remained geographically insulated for centuries.


It first came into contact with mainstream Indian dynasties during the early medieval period. Between the 8th and 12th centuries, the Rashtrakutas and later the Yadavas of Devagiri influenced parts of the district, leaving behind architectural and religious markers.

The Markanda Mahadev temple complex near Chamorshi, often referred to as the "Khajuraho of Vidarbha," is one of the best-preserved structures from this era. Though originally believed to have been started under the Rashtrakutas, the temple's most detailed work is attributed to the Yadava period.


The sculptures and structure indicate that the region was not only under administrative reach but also part of the cultural and religious spread of these dynasties.

Despite these interventions, much of the region continued to function outside centralised governance.


With the weakening of the Yadavas after the late 13th century, the forested expanses of central India allowed for the rise of indigenous rule. The Gonds, an Adivasi community with deep roots in the forests of central India, established their political and administrative presence here, marking a turning point in Gadchiroli’s history.



Gond Rule, Tribal Power, and the Coming of the Marathas


Among the tribal kingdoms that emerged, the Gond kingdom of Chanda (Chandrapur) was the most dominant. Khandkya Ballal Shah, a Gond prince, is widely credited with founding the city of Chanda as the kingdom’s capital. His reign saw the construction of forts, canals, and temples, and the establishment of a durable administrative order.


Though Chandrapur was the capital, Gadchiroli formed the northern forested frontier of the Gond kingdom.

The Vairagad Fort, near today’s Armori, functioned as a royal outpost and administrative seat. These sites, still partially intact, were once crucial nodes in the Gond governance network.

Gond rulers introduced structured tax systems, supported irrigation projects, and integrated elements of Hindu kingship with tribal governance. Their rule spanned several centuries, reportedly from the early 13th century until the mid-18th century.


The Gonds retained strong connections with the forest and its communities, including granting autonomy to many tribal villages. Their governance model was decentralised and adapted to local geography, which helped preserve tribal customs and languages like Gondi and Madiya.


This period of relative autonomy ended in 1751, when the Maratha Bhonsles of Nagpur defeated the Gond rulers and absorbed the region into the Maratha Empire.

Though some Gond chieftains retained symbolic authority, effective control shifted. Maratha revenue policies, including the introduction of new land assessment systems, began altering the socio-economic dynamics of the forest economy. Nonetheless, large areas of Gadchiroli remained lightly governed and culturally distinct.


Colonial Control, Rebellion, and Administrative Foundations

Historical Events of Gadchiroli District
Historical Events of Gadchiroli District

Following the death of Raghuji III in 1853 and the application of the Doctrine of Lapse, the British East India Company annexed the Nagpur kingdom. In 1854, Gadchiroli became part of the Central Provinces under British India.


The colonial administration, recognising the value of forest produce, initiated logging operations and declared large tracts of forest as state-controlled.

Teak and bamboo from Gadchiroli’s forests were harvested and transported via the Godavari River and later by road. Tribal communities were displaced from lands they had lived on for generations and were restricted from practising shifting cultivation.


The imposition of forest laws and the disruption of tribal livelihoods contributed to local unrest.


During the 1857 revolt, Baburao Pullesur Shedmake, a Gond leader from Kishtapur in Aheri, led an armed rebellion against the British. Shedmake’s forces, drawn from the forests and trained in guerrilla tactics, won several skirmishes.


He was eventually captured and executed in 1858. Though not widely documented in national accounts, his role remains central in the oral histories of Gadchiroli’s tribal population.


Colonial rule formalised administrative structures in the early 20th century. In 1905, the British created Gadchiroli tehsil by combining parts of Chandrapur and Brahmapuri.


This administrative move was designed to streamline revenue collection and forest management. Despite the tehsil status, most villages were scarcely connected to the colonial government. Infrastructure remained limited to logging routes and basic transport corridors.


Education and healthcare were minimal, with missionary outreach reaching only a few communities.


British gazetteers described the region as remote and underdeveloped, populated largely by "uncivilised" tribes.

These descriptions, though dismissive, reflect the limited engagement colonial governance had with the deeper forest areas. When the British left India in 1947, Gadchiroli remained a marginalised and under-administered region, with little industrial development and poor public services.



Post-Independence Changes, Forest Rights, and Contemporary Challenges


After independence, Gadchiroli continued as part of Chandrapur district within the Central Provinces. The linguistic reorganisation of states in 1956 moved it into Bombay State, and then into Maharashtra in 1960.


In 1982, recognising the need for focused governance and tribal welfare, the Maharashtra government carved out Gadchiroli as a separate district.

Initially comprising the tehsils of Gadchiroli and Sironcha, the district eventually expanded to include twelve talukas, including Etapalli, Aheri, Bhamragad, and Dhanora.


Post-1982, development efforts were concentrated on healthcare, tribal education, and rural infrastructure. Ashramshalas (residential tribal schools) were established, and primary health centres were set up.


Initiatives like the Lok Biradari Prakalp in Hemalkasa, led by Dr. Prakash Amte, began to offer education and medical aid in the interior villages. Despite these efforts, Gadchiroli continued to face high levels of poverty, low literacy, and poor connectivity.


The tribal population, particularly the Madia Gonds in eastern Gadchiroli, continued to live with limited access to state benefits. Their traditional practices, including forest-based subsistence and oral heritage, remained intact but under pressure.



The Forest Rights Act (2006) altered this trajectory. Gadchiroli became a national example for the implementation of community forest rights.

By 2024, over a thousand gram sabhas had received legal control of forests. These powers allowed tribal villages to manage forest produce, resist illegal extraction, and assert control over natural resources.


Parallel to this governance shift was the emergence of the Naxalite insurgency. Maoist groups entered Gadchiroli in the 1980s, leveraging discontent over displacement and lack of development. Forest cover and difficult terrain enabled the establishment of guerrilla camps.


Over time, entire talukas like Bhamragad and Etapalli saw parallel governance structures where Maoist operatives held sway. The district became a core part of the “Red Corridor,” with regular incidents of violence.


Security forces responded with increased presence and operations. In 2018, over forty Maoist operatives were killed in a major encounter. A year later, an improvised explosive device detonated by Maoist insurgents killed fifteen C-60 commandos in one of the deadliest attacks in the district’s history.


The conflict has resulted in the deaths of both combatants and civilians and has hindered development in affected areas.


To counteract this, Gadchiroli was included in the Aspirational Districts Programme by NITI Aayog in 2018. Under this programme, roads were built under armed protection, mobile towers installed, and welfare schemes accelerated.


Some previously cut-off villages were connected to administrative services for the first time. The district administration has tried to balance infrastructure development with forest conservation and tribal autonomy.


However, tensions remain. Proposed mining projects in Surjagarh and other areas have triggered protests from tribal communities who cite violations of consent and cultural sanctity.

The district continues to wrestle with how to integrate development, security, and self-governance without compromising any of them.


Gadchiroli today stands as a unique case where forest, identity, conflict, and governance intersect continuously.



References




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