Bhopal

Madhya Pradesh Government Notification No. 2477/1977 / Seon / dated September 13, 1972, Bhopal district was carved out of Sehore district. The district derives its name from the district headquarters city of Bhopal which is also the capital of Madhya Pradesh. The word Bhopal is derived from its former name Bhojpal as it is clearly derived from the Royal Gazette of Central India, 1908 p.240.

The name (Bhopal) is popularly derived from the Bhojpal or Bhoj dam, the great dam now lakes of the city of Bhopal, and is said to have been built by Raja Bhoj, the Paramara ruler of Dhar. Still more and more work which was formerly conducted to the tal (lake) is attributed to this emperor himself. Although, the name is clearly evident, Bhupal and Dr. Fleet consider it to be a derivative from Bhupala, a king, a popular etymology of the prevailing derivation of a meaning in such cases. "

Initially the lake was quite large but with the passage of time, a small part of it is being seen as "big pond" i.e. the upper lake. For a long time there has been a famous saying about the Bhopal lake, "Taal mein taal mein taal mein baali sab talaiya".

There is a legend that Bhopal was, for a long time, a part of the "Mahakoutar", a barrier of dense forests and hills, which was lined by the Narmada separating it from north to south. It was in the tenth century that the names of Rajput dynasty started appearing in Malwa. The most notable of them was Raja Bhoja who was a great scholar and a great warrior. After Altamash's invasion, Mohammed began to infiltrate into Malwa, which included Bhopal as a part. In 1401 Dilawar Khan Ghori commanded the region. He made Dhar the capital of his kingdom. He was succeeded by his son.

In the early 14th century, a Gond warrior named Yordam established the Gond kingdom with its headquarters at Gada Mandala. The Gond dynasty had many powerful kings such as Madan Shah, Gorakhdas, Arjundas and Sangram Shah. During the Mughal invasion of Malwa, a large area of territory along with the state of Bhopal was occupied by the Gond Empire. These territories were known as Chaklas of which Chakla was one of the 750 villages of Ginnor. Bhopal was a part of it. The Gond king Nizam Shah was the ruler of this region.

Nizam Shah died after being poisoned by Chain Shah. His widow, Kamalavati and son Naval Shah became helpless. Naval Shah was a minor then. After the death of Nizam Shah, Rani Kamalavati made a pact with friend Mohammad Khan to manage the affairs of the state. Dost Mohammad Khan was a clever and cunning Afghan chieftain, who began the acquisition of small princely states. After the death of Rani Kamalavati. Dost Mohammad Khan seized the fort of Ginnor, curb the rebels, grant them control over the rest and earned their gratitude.

With deceit and deceit, Devara destroyed the Rajputs and killed them and swept them into the river; Which has since been known as Hallali, the river of salutators. He shifted his headquarters to Islamnagar and built a fort. Dost Mohammad died in 1726 at the age of 66. By this time he had driven out the state of Bhopal and kept it firmly in place. It was friend Mohammad Khan who decided to make his capital at Bhopal in 1722. His successor Yar Mohammad Khan, however, went back to Islamnagar.

The Marathas had a fight with Yar Mohammad Khan in which many lives were lost. Marathas infiltrated Malwa in 1737, Yar Mohammad Khan tried to befriend the Marathas by giving them a beautiful ransom, although he said that their territories would not be destroyed. Yar Mohammad Khan ruled for fifteen years. He died in 1742 and is buried in Islamnagar where his grave is still.

On the death of Yar Mohammad Khan, his eldest son Faiz Mohammad Khan succeeded him with the help of Diwan Bijai Ram. Meanwhile, Sultan Mohammad Khan, brother of Yar Mohammad Khan, included himself as a ruler and captured Fatehgarh Fort in Bhopal. Again with the help of Bijai Ram, Faiz Mohammad condemned all claims on Bhopal in lieu of some jagirs. Faiz Mohammad Khan attacked the Raisen fort and took it under his control.

The Peshwa entered the Bhopal region in 1745. He got help from Sultan Mohammad Khan. The army of Bhopal was unable to resist the invasion of Marathas and in this way some of the surrounding areas, Ashta, Doraha, Ichhawar, Bhilsa, Shujalpur and Sehore etc. were cited.

Faiz Mohammad Khan died on December 12, 1777. Ever since he was childless, his brother Hayat Mohammad Khan succeeded him with the help of Yar Mohammad Khan's widow, Mamola. But Begum Salah widow of Faiz Mohammad Khan wished to take command of the kingdom herself. The rivals had started drinking alcohol and a chaotic situation had arisen. To calm the worsening conditions, Lady Mamola gave active participation to Hayat Mohammad Khan as Begum Salha's deputy. This system was abandoned by Hayat Mohammad Khan who revolted and assumed the title and power of the Nawab.

The East India Company had its feet in India. Colonel Goddard of the East India Company marched on the road from Bhopal to Bombay. Hayat Mohammad Khan maintained good relations and was loyal to him.

Nawab Faulad Khan was a Diwan, but developed enmity with the lady Mamola and was killed by a member of the royal family. Chhota Khan was appointed Diwan in his place. In a fierce battle at Phanda, the soldiers were lost and Chhota Khan lost his life. This is the small mine, which built a stone bridge to tie the lower lake, which is still known as "Pul Pukta". Aamir Mohammad Khan murdered his father. As his behavior was not good, he was thrown out by the Nawab. Due to internal disturbances, Nawab Hayat Mohammad Khan entered his palace without taking any active part in the affairs of the state. He died on November 10, 1808. After the death of Hayat Mohammad Khan, his son Gaus Mohammad became the Nawab, But he was not so effective. Wazir Mohammad Khan actually eroded power and tried to influence the British. Maratha power was being built at this time.

Nazar Mohammad Khan became his successor and remained in power from 1816 to 1819. On February 28, 1818, he married Gauhar Begum, also known as Qudsia Begum. With constant effort, he was successful in entering into an agreement with the British. Important provisions of the treaty were that the British government. Will guarantee and protect the princely state of Bhopal against all enemies and maintain friendship with it. Nazar Mohammad Khan died on 11 November 1819 accidentally. Nazar was vested with the supreme authority in the state by the political agent in Bhopal on the death of Mohammad Khan Gohar Begum.

In November 1837, Nawab Jahangir Mohammad Khan was vested with the powers of head of state. It was Nawab Jahangir Khan who built a new colony known as Jahangirabad. His relationship with Alexander Begum became tense after some time. Begum went to Islamnagar and gave birth to a daughter, known as Shah Jahan Begum. Later Sikandar Begum came to power. On the death of Sikandar Begum, Shah Jahan Begum became the ruler of Bhopal with full powers. He did a good job for the welfare of the state. Her Highness received the Governor General's approval for good administrative ability.

On the death of Shah Jahan Begum, his daughter, Sultan Jahan Begum became the ruler. She was married to Ahmed Ali Khan who was given the title of "Wazirud Daula". He died of a heart attack on 4 January 1902.

Many important buildings were constructed during the rule of Queen Sultan Jahan Begum. She was a patron of education. During his time, Sultania Balika Vidyalaya and Alexanderia Noble School (now known as Hamidia High School) were established.

On 4 February 1922, on the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales, His Majesty announced a new constitution for the state of Bhopal, which included the establishment of an Executive Council and a Legislative Council. The President of the Council was His Highness himself.

Nawab Hamidullah Khan took over the rule in 1926. He was elected twice as Chancellor of the Chamber of Princess in 1931–32 and once again in 1944–47 and participated in important deliberations affecting the political development of the country. The Nawab of Bhopal resigned as Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes in 1947 with the announcement of the country's independence plan.

In 1947, a new ministry with a non-official majority was appointed by His Highness, but in 1948 His Majesty expressed a desire to retain Bhopal as a separate entity. However, the agreement for merger was signed by the ruler on 30 April 1949 and the state was taken over by the Central Government on 1 June 1949 through the Chief Commissioner.

After the merger, the State of Bhopal was created as a part of the Union of India, the State C 'State. Later on 1 November 1956, as a result of the reorganization of the states on linguistic basis, Bhopal became a C state or Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal district was created in 02-10-1972, which is one of the 45 districts of the state.

The state of Bhopal was an independent state of the 18th century, a princely state of India from 1818 to 1947, and an Indian state from 1949 to 1956. Its capital was Bhopal city.

Early ruler (Nawab of Bhopal)

S.No. Names of Bhopal Nawabs                                   Rule time

1         Nawab friend Muhammad Khan Bahadur            Ruled from 1723–1728

2         Nawab Sultan Muhammad Khan Bahadur            Ruled from 1728-1742 

3         Nawab Faiz Muhammad Khan Bahadur               Ruled from 1742–1777

4         Nawab Hayat Muhammad Khan Bahadur            Ruled from 1777–1807

5         Nawab Gaus Mohammad Khan Bahadur             Ruled from 1807-1826

6         Nawab Muiz Muhammad Khan Bahadur             Ruled from 1826-1837 

7         Nawab Jahangir Muhammad Khan Bahadur        Ruled from 1837-1844

8         Al-Haj Nawab Sir Hafiz Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Bahadur Ruled from 1926-1947 

Rule of begums

Begum of Bhopal who ruled the princely state of Bhopal in central India in the 19th and 20th centuries. they include:

S.No.         Name of Bhopal Begums                         Rule time

1                 Regent of Kudsia Begum, Bhopal         Ruled from 1819-1837

2                 Nawab Sikandar Begum                        Ruled from 1860-1868

3                 Begum Sultan Shah Jahan                     Reigned from 1844–1860 and 1868–1901.

4                 Begum Kakhusro Jahan                         Reigned from 1901-1926

5                 Begum Sajida Sultan                             Ruled from 1961–1995

The state was founded in 1724 by the Afghan Sardar Dost Mohammad Khan, a commander in the Mughal army stationed at Mangalgarh, which lies north of the modern city of Bhopal. Taking advantage of the disintegration of the Mughal Empire, he started Mangalgarh and Berasia (now a tehsil of Bhopal district). After some time, she helped the Gond queen Kamalapati by killing her husband's killers and bringing the small Gond kingdom back to her. The queen gave him a royal money and the village of Mauja (which is located near the modern city of Bhopal).

After the death of the last Gond queen, Dost Mohammad Khan took his chance and seized the small Gond kingdom and established his capital at Jagdishpur, 10 km from Bhopal. He named his capital Islamnagar, which means the city of Islam. He built a small fort and some palaces in Islamnagar, whose ruins can still be seen. After a few years, he built a large fort on the northern shore of the Upper Lake. He named this new fort Fatehgarh ("Victory Fort"). The capital was later shifted to the present city of Bhopal.

Early Ruler:

Although Dost Mohammad Khan was the virtual ruler of Bhopal, he accepted the suicide of the falling Mughal Empire. His successors, however, received the title of "Nawab" and declared Bhopal as an independent state. By the 1730s, the Marathas were expanding into the region, and friend Mohammad Khan and his successors fought wars with their neighbors to protect the small territory and also for control of the state. The Marathas conquered several surrounding states including Indore in the west and Gwalior in the north, but Bhopal remained a Muslim-ruled state under the successors of friend Mohammad Khan. Subsequently, Nawab Wazir Mohammad Khan, after fighting many wars, created a truly strong kingdom.

Nawab Jahangir Mohammad Khan established a cantonment about a mile from the fort. It was called Jahangirabad after him. He built gardens and barracks for Jehangirabad for British guests and soldiers.

In 1778, during the First Anglo-Maratha War, when British General Thomas Goddard campaigned all over India, Bhopal was one of the few states that remained friendly to the British. In 1809, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, General Close led a British campaign in Central India. The Nawab of Bhopal petitioned in vain to get it under British patronage. In 1817, when the Third Anglo-Maratha War began, a treaty of dependency was signed between the Government of India and the Nawab of Bhopal. Bhopal remained a friend of the British government during the British Raj in India.

In February – March 1818, the Anglo-Bhopal treaty between the East India Company and Nawab Nazar Muhammad (Nawab of Bhopal during 1816–1819) resulted in a princely state in British India. The state of Bhopal comprised the present Bhopal, Raisen and Sehore districts, and was part of the Central India Agency. It expanded the Vindhya Range, the northern part of which was located on the Malwa Plateau and the southern part in the Narmada River valley, which formed the southern boundary of the state. The Bhopal Agency was formed as an administrative division of Central India, comprising the state of Bhopal and some princely states of the northeast, including Khilchipur, Narsinghgarh, Raigad and Dewas states after 1931. It was administered by an agent to the British Governor-General of India.

Rule of Begums

Kudsia Begum

An interesting twist occurred in the history of Bhopal when in 1819, 18-year-old Qudsia Begum (also known as Gohar Begum) took over the reins after the murder of her husband. She was the first female ruler of Bhopal. Although she was illiterate, she was brave and refused to follow the Purdah tradition. She announced that her 2-year-old daughter Alexander would follow her as ruler. No family member dared to challenge his decision. She cared very well for her subjects and only took her dinner every night after receiving the news that all her subjects had taken food. He built the Jama Masjid in Bhopal. He also built his beautiful palace - 'Gohar Mahal'. He ruled until 1837. Before his death, he had prepared his daughter well enough to rule the kingdom.

Alexander Jahan Begum:

In 1844, Alexander Begum succeeded his mother as the ruler of Bhopal. Like his mother, he too never saw the priesthood. He was trained in martial arts, and many battles were fought during his reign (1844–1868). Seeing the Indian rebellion of 1857, he, along with the British, crushed all those who revolted against him. He also did a lot of public welfare - he built roads and rebuilt the fort. He also built Moti Masjid (Moti Masjid) and Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace).

Shah Jahan Begum:

Shah Jahan Begum, the successor of Sikandar Begum, was quite passionate about architecture, such as his Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He built a huge mini-city, then called Shahjahanabad. He also built a new palace for himself - Taj Mahal (not to be confused with the famous Taj Mahal in Agra). He built many other beautiful buildings - Ali Manzil, Amir Ganj, Barah Mahal, Ali Manzil, Nazir Complex, Khawasaura, Mughalpura, Nematapua and Nawab Manhill. Even today, one can see the ruins of the Taj Mahal and some of its magnificent parts which have stood the test of time. The Barah Mahal and the Nawab Manzil have also stood the test of time.

Kaikhusru Jahan Begum Sarkar Amma:

Shah Jahan Begum's daughter (9 July 1858–12 May 1930) Sultan Kaiksuur Jahan Begum succeeded her son in 1901, deciding to rule in favor of his son in 1926. He went ahead to set up a modern municipality for the emancipation of women. 1903 [1]. His own palace was Sadar Manzil (the present headquarters of Bhopal Municipal Corporation). But she liked the quiet and serene atmosphere on the outskirts of the city. She developed her late mini city, which was named Ahmedabad after her late husband (not to be confused with Ahmedabad, Gujarat). The city was situated on the Tekri Maulvi Zee-ud-din, Which was located about a mile from the fort. He built a palace named Kasar-e-Sultani (now Saifia College). The region became a posh residency in the form of royalty and the nobility moved from here. Begum installed the first water pump here and developed a garden called 'Zee-up-Absar'. He also built a new palace called 'Noor-us-Sabah', which has been converted into a heritage hotel. She was the first president of the All India Conference on Education and the first Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

The peaceful rule of the Begums led to the emergence of a unique mixed culture in Bhopal. Hindus were given important administrative posts in the state. This promoted communal peace and a cosmopolitan culture took its roots.

In 1926 Nawab Hamidullah Khan, son of Sultan Kaikasuru Jahan Begum, ascended the throne. He was Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes. After Indian independence Nawab Hamidullah Khan, 1930.

Abida Sultan, the eldest daughter and proud heir of Nawab Hamidullah Khan, relinquished his authority on the throne and opted for Pakistan in 1950. He entered the Foreign Service of Pakistan. Therefore, the Indian government forced him out of succession and his younger sister Begum Sajida succeeded him. Abida Sultan was in Pakistan when she was 37 years old and was the mother of a young son. He was to spend the bulk of his life in Pakistan, and died in 2002. His son Shaharyar Khan was to become Pakistan's foreign secretary and then chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan, the last ruler of Pataudi, married Begum Sajida. On the death of Begum Sajida in 1995, her only son Mansoor Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi, is considered by many to be the head of the royal family of Bhopal.

How to Reach:

By Air:

Bhopal is connected by regular Alliance Air flights to Mumbai, Indore, Delhi and Gwalior. Various airlines connect Bhopal to Delhi, Guwahati, Goa, Indore and Lucknow. The airport is 15 km from the city center.

By Rail:

Bhopal Junction (station code: BPL) is located near Hamidia Road, which is the main railway station of Bhopal served by West Central Railway. Bhopal is on one of the two main Delhi railroads and also on the main line, the southern state capitals of Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram. It is on two major Delhi to Mumbai railway lines. Dakshin Express, Punjab Mail, Goa Express, Tirukkural Express, Jhelum Express, Andaman Express, Kushinagar Express and Jaipur Express are the major trains passing through the station. It is also the terminus of the Shatabdi Express, which runs daily between Delhi and Bhopal.

By Road:

There are extensive bus services (private and state) to the region and interstate cities.