Burhanpur
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Burhanpur is a town in Madhya Pradesh state, India. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District. It is situated on the north bank of the Tapti River 310 miles (500 km) northeast of Mumbai.
[edit] History
It was founded in 1400 by a Muslim prince of the Farukhi dynasty of Kandesh, whose successors held it for 200 years, when the Faruqi kingdom was annexed to the Mughal empire by Akbar in 1601. It formed the chief seat of the government of the Deccan provinces of the Mughal empire till Shah Jahan removed the capital to Aurangabad in 1635. Burhanpur was plundered in 1685 by the Marathas, and repeated battles were fought in its neighborhood in the struggle between the Marathas and the Mughals for the supremacy of India. In 1739 the Mughals finally yielded to the demand of the Marathas for a fourth of the revenue, and in 1760 the Nizam of the Deccan ceded Burhanpur to the Peshwa, who in 1778 transferred it to Sindhia. In the Second Anglo-Maratha War the army under General Arthur Wellesley, afterwards the Duke of Wellington, took Burhanpur (1803), but the treaty of the same year restored it to Sindhia. It remained a portion of Sindhia's dominions till 1860?, when, in consequence of certain territorial arrangements, the town and surrounding estates were ceded to the British government. Under the Mughals the city covered an area of about 5 mile² (13 km²), and was about 11 mile (18 km) in circumference. In the Ain-t-Akbari it is described as a large city, with many gardens, inhabited by all nations, and abounding with craftsmen. Sir Thomas Roe, who visited it in 1614, found that the houses in the town were only mud cottages, except the prince's house, the chans and some few others. In 1865-1866 the city contained 8000 houses, with a population of 34,137, which had decreased to 33,343 in 1901.
Burhanpur was celebrated for its muslins, flowered silks, and brocades, which, according to Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who visited it in 1668, were exported in great quantities to Persia, Egypt, Turkey, Russia and Poland. The gold and silver wires used in the manufacture of these fabrics are drawn with considerable care and skill; and in order to secure the purity of the metals employed for their composition, the wire-drawing under the native rule was done under government inspection. The town of Burhanpur and its manufactures were long on the decline, but in the early twentieth century they made a slight recovery.
The buildings of Interest in the town are a palace, built by Akbar, called the Lal Kila or the Red Fort, and the Jama Masjid or Great Mosque, built by Ali Khan, one of the Faruqi dynasty, in 1588. A considerable number of Boras, a class of Muslim merchants, reside here.
Burhanpur holds an important place among the historical cities of India. Naseeruddin Farooqi has built this city in 1407 A.D or 809 Hijr by the name of his religious leader Hazrat Shah Burhanuddin Gharib Khuladabadi. Farooqi dynasty has ruled this city for over 200 years. During this period they built forts, gardens, mosques, etc. which still depicts the architectural marvels of that time. Shahi Jama Masjid, Shahi Qila, Aasirgarh fort, Salem Shahi Eidgah, Bibi ki Masjid to name few of them. Farooqi's ruled from the fort of Aasirgarh, which remained unconquered during their time.
It is said that Hazrat Burhanuddin Gharib started his journey from Delhi to Daulatabad on summon from his Murshid Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dehlvi. His caravan reached amid dense forests at the bank of river Tapti where they stayed in a small village called Vasanna or Basanna. He was very much impressed by the tranquility and beauty of this place. In evening Hazrat Burhanuddin held prayers at this place and prayed to Allah to have a city at this place. Next morning his caravan took off towards Daulatabad and reached here on 720 Hijr. He spread his teachings and worked for the welfare of the people for rest of his life. He died in 1338 A.D. or 738 Hijr.
According to the historical extracts, Malik Raja Ibn Khan "wazir of Daulatabad" of Farooqi dynasty was the follower of Hazrat Sayed Zainuddin Daud Shirazi In the period of Firoze shah Togloqe he was appointed the governor of Khandesh. At the request of Malik Raja Ibn Khan Hazrat Sayyed Zainuddin Daud Shirazi gave permission to build a city of Zainabad on the other side of the river Tapti in the name of his pir-o-murshid. Unfortunately Malik Raja Ibn Khan could not start the work in his lifetime. He passed on this responsibility to his son Naseer khan. When Naseer khan Farooqi became the ruler of Khandesh, first he conquered Aasirgarh fort in 801 Hijr then according to the will of his father and desire of his pir-o-murshid he laid the foundation of the City of Burhanpur in 1407 A.D or 809 Hijr. The prayers of Hazrat shah Burhanuddin Gharib Khuladabadiwere answered.
After the fall of Farooqi dynasty came mughals. They ruled Burhanpur for over 150 years. Mughal emperor Akbar attacked Aasirgarh using his full might but could not conquered fort for 11 months. Finally he conquered it by bribing and by other means in 1601 A.D or 1009 Hijr. Since Burhanpur was known as the gateway to Deccan, therefore it held an important place during mughal period, where at one or the other time either mughal prince or their ambassadors were appointed.
[edit] External link
A comprehensive website for [http://www.burhanpurcity.com Buhanpur City;http://www.burhanpur.nic.in ]
