Balapur
Encyclopedia
Balapur is a city and a municipal council
in Akola district
in the state of Maharashtra
, India
.
The name Balapur is after the Village Goddess called Baladevi, the temple of which has a very ancient history.
The town in an important junction for traffic on National Highway No 6, which carries the Calcutta traffic to the Port City of Bombay. Transport destined for south takes a southward turn following a wide State Highway crossing the NH 6 here. The nearest Rail head is at Paras, 7 km from the town. The MSEB is expanding its thermal power station with two 250 MW units to augment the falling generating capacity of the state power corporation. There is further potential to expand it to 1000 MW making it a Super Thermal Power Station. One of the popular and traditional profession of people here is manufacturing DARI (cotton rugs/carpets) using handlooms. Other major business of people here is manufacturing Bricks, which is exported to surrounding districts. Surprisingly there are no suicide by the farmers here as the majority of them are Muslims and do not go for high yield crops which are not suitable to Balapur area. If developed, if can be a good tourist place after Nagpur.
The old Gazetteer states, "People are sufficiently educated to scrawl their names on all parts of the chhatri, and a stone in the middle has been coloured with the ubiquitous sacred red. The frivolous say that visitors to the chhatri must do three thing firstly, they should note the char bot ka patthar, four-fingers stone, which has been set in near the top of a pillar. In 1616, Shahnawaz Khan, the Subedar of Barar who was camping at Balapur, defeated Malik Ambar attacking him near Kirkee by way of Rohinkheda pass. But he could not hold for long and had to retreat to Balapur. Aurangzeb, after ascending the imperial throne at Delhi, appointed Raja Jaisingh as the Governor of the Deccan. He constructed a very pretty chhatri, umbrella-shaped pavilion, 25 feet square and 33 feet in height at Balapur. Mirza Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb, is said to have lived here and to have built a mud fort. It may be noted that as per the treaty of Purandar in 1665, Balapur pargana along with the Avandhe pargana was given in the name of Sambhaji as a jageedar and he was made a commandant of 5,000.
Balapur was an important military station after Ellichpur now Achalpur during the Mughal
period.
It becomes seat of Provincial governor of Berar instead of Ellichpur and Prince Shah Murad, son of Akbar settled in Barar with Balapur as his headquarters in 1596. Near Balapur he founded a new city named Shahpur and constructed a beautiful palace for himself now in ruins. As his relationship was deteriorating with Abdur Raheem Khan-i-Khanan, the commander of the army, Akbar recalled Khan-i-Khanan and sent his trusted friend Abul Fazl
to help him. After the fall of Ahmadnagar, Balapur was still the principal garrison town of Barar, but Daniyal Mirza preferred Burhanpur, where he died of drink in 1605, as his viceregal capital. The death of his favourite son was a severe shock to Mirza Muhammad Jalaluddeen Akbar, who survived Daniyal Mirza only for a few months, and died in October 1605, when he was succeeded by his eldest son Saleem, who took the title of Jahangeer.The climate of Balapur had an unfortunate effect on the Mughal officers. Akbar's son Murad had already died there from the effects of drink, and in 1617 Raja Mahan Singh, a distinguished and valued officer of Jahangeer's, died there from the same cause. Shahnawaz Khan succumbed to the same fate a few years later Balapur was one of the richest Pargana in Barar Subah.
Muhammad Azam Shah, Son of Aurangzeb
has resided here and build a Mud fort here. A Chhatri or Pavilion was erected by Mirza Raja Jai Singh
, Commander of Shah Jahan
and general of Aurangzeb
. In 1720 Asif Jah defeated the Mughal forces dispatched against him.
Balapur fort which exist in bad condition, was completed in 1757 by Ismail Khan Nawab of Ellichpur and is second largest fort in Barar after Gawilgarh hill fort. There exist a Rauzah Masjid with Tomb of Saint Maulvi Masoom Shah built by Mirza Aman Sher Baig in 1737-38. According to inscriptions on Jageerdar's Haveli, Khadin Gate was built in 1703-04.
The local Municipality was established in 1934. It provides services in the field of education (primary) and a rural hospital with hardly any facilities to be shared by the town people. Many private practitioners are available.
, Balapur had a population of 39,493. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Balapur has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Municipal council
A municipal council is the local government of a municipality. Specifically the term can refer to the institutions of various countries that can be translated by this term...
in Akola district
Akola District
Akola is a district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The city of Akola is the district headquarters. Akola district forms the central part of Amravati Division, and was a former British Raj Berar Province.Area of the district is 5,431 km²...
in the state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The name Balapur is after the Village Goddess called Baladevi, the temple of which has a very ancient history.
Geography
Balapur is located at 20.39°N 76.46°E. It has an average elevation of 425 metres (1394 feet).The town in an important junction for traffic on National Highway No 6, which carries the Calcutta traffic to the Port City of Bombay. Transport destined for south takes a southward turn following a wide State Highway crossing the NH 6 here. The nearest Rail head is at Paras, 7 km from the town. The MSEB is expanding its thermal power station with two 250 MW units to augment the falling generating capacity of the state power corporation. There is further potential to expand it to 1000 MW making it a Super Thermal Power Station. One of the popular and traditional profession of people here is manufacturing DARI (cotton rugs/carpets) using handlooms. Other major business of people here is manufacturing Bricks, which is exported to surrounding districts. Surprisingly there are no suicide by the farmers here as the majority of them are Muslims and do not go for high yield crops which are not suitable to Balapur area. If developed, if can be a good tourist place after Nagpur.
History
Fort.- The construction of the present fortress of Balapur which is in ruined condition now, was started by Mirza Azam Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb and was completed by Ismail Khan, the Nawab of Elichpur in 1757 as per old gazetteer of Barar India. The chhatri, (umbrella-shaped pavilion,) was constructed by Mirza Raja Jaising, is a 25 feet square and has a height of 33 feet. Its foundations were much damaged in a great flood which occurred more than 100 years ago, but after some years the damage was repaired at a cost of Rs 3,000 received from Jaipur.The old Gazetteer states, "People are sufficiently educated to scrawl their names on all parts of the chhatri, and a stone in the middle has been coloured with the ubiquitous sacred red. The frivolous say that visitors to the chhatri must do three thing firstly, they should note the char bot ka patthar, four-fingers stone, which has been set in near the top of a pillar. In 1616, Shahnawaz Khan, the Subedar of Barar who was camping at Balapur, defeated Malik Ambar attacking him near Kirkee by way of Rohinkheda pass. But he could not hold for long and had to retreat to Balapur. Aurangzeb, after ascending the imperial throne at Delhi, appointed Raja Jaisingh as the Governor of the Deccan. He constructed a very pretty chhatri, umbrella-shaped pavilion, 25 feet square and 33 feet in height at Balapur. Mirza Azam Shah, son of Aurangzeb, is said to have lived here and to have built a mud fort. It may be noted that as per the treaty of Purandar in 1665, Balapur pargana along with the Avandhe pargana was given in the name of Sambhaji as a jageedar and he was made a commandant of 5,000.
Balapur was an important military station after Ellichpur now Achalpur during the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
period.
It becomes seat of Provincial governor of Berar instead of Ellichpur and Prince Shah Murad, son of Akbar settled in Barar with Balapur as his headquarters in 1596. Near Balapur he founded a new city named Shahpur and constructed a beautiful palace for himself now in ruins. As his relationship was deteriorating with Abdur Raheem Khan-i-Khanan, the commander of the army, Akbar recalled Khan-i-Khanan and sent his trusted friend Abul Fazl
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
Shaikh Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak also known as Abu'l-Fazl, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami was the vizier of the great Mughal emperor Akbar, and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, and a Persian translation of the Bible...
to help him. After the fall of Ahmadnagar, Balapur was still the principal garrison town of Barar, but Daniyal Mirza preferred Burhanpur, where he died of drink in 1605, as his viceregal capital. The death of his favourite son was a severe shock to Mirza Muhammad Jalaluddeen Akbar, who survived Daniyal Mirza only for a few months, and died in October 1605, when he was succeeded by his eldest son Saleem, who took the title of Jahangeer.The climate of Balapur had an unfortunate effect on the Mughal officers. Akbar's son Murad had already died there from the effects of drink, and in 1617 Raja Mahan Singh, a distinguished and valued officer of Jahangeer's, died there from the same cause. Shahnawaz Khan succumbed to the same fate a few years later Balapur was one of the richest Pargana in Barar Subah.
Muhammad Azam Shah, Son of Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
has resided here and build a Mud fort here. A Chhatri or Pavilion was erected by Mirza Raja Jai Singh
Jai Singh I
Mirza Raja Jai Singh was a senior general of the Mughal Empire and a ruler of the kingdom of Amber . His father was Maha Singh the Raja of Garha, and his mother was Damayanti, a princess of Mewar.The great Raja Man Singh of Amber had several sons, the most capable of whom were the eldest Jagat...
, Commander of Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
and general of Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
. In 1720 Asif Jah defeated the Mughal forces dispatched against him.
Balapur fort which exist in bad condition, was completed in 1757 by Ismail Khan Nawab of Ellichpur and is second largest fort in Barar after Gawilgarh hill fort. There exist a Rauzah Masjid with Tomb of Saint Maulvi Masoom Shah built by Mirza Aman Sher Baig in 1737-38. According to inscriptions on Jageerdar's Haveli, Khadin Gate was built in 1703-04.
The local Municipality was established in 1934. It provides services in the field of education (primary) and a rural hospital with hardly any facilities to be shared by the town people. Many private practitioners are available.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Balapur had a population of 39,493. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Balapur has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.