Burhanpur

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  Burhanpur appears in Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days under the spelling Burhampoor. The real city is a historical settlement in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District and is governed today as a Municipal Corporation. A passing mention in a famous novel hints at how far its reputation once travelled. Who gave the city its name, and after whom? Why did emperors and princes keep making it their base? What happened inside its royal palace, and what do its people make and believe today?

  201217

• 2. Sultans of Khandesh

  ›

  Coins, goddess idols and temples from prehistoric times have been found in excavations along the Tapti River and around Asirgarh Fort. The site was also an important town under the Rashtrakuta Dynasty from 753-982. Even so, Burhanpur only rose to real prominence in the medieval period. In 1388, Malik Nasir Khan, the Faruqi dynasty Sultan of Khandesh, is credited with establishing the city. He acted at the urging of Shaikh Zainuddin. The name honoured Burhan-ud-Din, a well-known medieval Sufi saint. Burhanpur became the capital of the Khandesh sultanate. Later, another sultan of the dynasty, Miran Adil Khan II, built a citadel and a number of palaces there. His reign ran from 1457-1501, and under it the city became a major centre for trade and textile production. When that long reign ended, the city's fortunes were still tied to the sultanate, and an emperor was about to change that.

  417518

• 3. Mughal Deccan Capital

  ›

  In 1601, the Mughal emperor Akbar annexed the Khandesh sultanate. Burhanpur became the capital of the new Khandesh subah, one of three top-level provinces added to the empire's original dozen as Akbar conquered much of the Deccan. The town housed the Mughal governor of Khandesh, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, through the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir. He gave the town a new water supply and laid out several gardens. In 1609, Jahangir appointed his second son, Parviz, to govern the Mughal provinces of the Deccan. The prince chose Burhanpur as his headquarters and his home. Around 1670, under the emperor Aurangzeb, a man named Daud Khan served as Subhadar, or governor, of Khandesh province. Yet the monuments that visitors seek out today come mostly from the rule of a different emperor, Shah Jahan.

  45176

• 4. A Royal Bath

  ›

  The Shahi Qila stands west of the Tapti River, a palace that Shah Jahan spent a considerable amount of time in and helped to expand. The Diwan-i-Aam and the Diwan-i-Khas were built on its terrace. One account describes it as a rare fort with a complete garden on its roof. Little of it remains, and the Qila is mostly in ruins. The surviving parts still show exquisite sculpture and carving. The main attraction is the hamam, or royal bath, built specifically so that Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, could enjoy a luxurious bath. It is said that she died there while giving birth to her fourteenth child. Intricate paintings still cover the ceiling. One of them shows a monument said to have inspired the Taj Mahal, her final resting place. Mumtaz Mahal was first buried at Burhanpur for six months before being moved. Her original grave, called the Aahukhana, is in disrepair. A local belief goes further and holds that the Taj Mahal was first meant to rise in Burhanpur. According to that belief, the plan was cancelled because the town lacked white marble.

  8971

• 5. Faith and Stone

  ›

  At Gandhi Chowk, in the centre of town, the Jama Masjid has two large minarets and three round cupolas. Its symmetric pillars carry extensive artwork that has been well conserved. Construction began under the Faruqi rulers and dragged on for so long that it continued after the death of Adil Shah. Akbar then supervised the work and saw the mosque completed. Elsewhere, the tomb complex of Dargah-e-Hakimi includes mosques, gardens and accommodation for visitors. It holds the grave of the Dawoodi Bohra saint Sayyedi Abdul Qadir Hakimuddin, and pilgrims come to it from several countries. The city also has a notable Gurudwara and a church. Twenty kilometres away, on the Burhanpur-Khandwa Highway, Asirgarh Fort crowns a great height. Strong outer walls, still standing intact, made it difficult to win in its prime. Back near the city, 2 kilometres to the north on the banks of the Utavali River, a tomb of black stone honours Shah Nawaz Khan. His real name was Iraj. He was born in Ahmedabad in Gujarat and was the eldest son of Abdul Rahim Khankhana. The tomb is in good condition even now, and city residents regard it as the best tourist destination in Burhanpur.

  6718198

• 6. Passing to the Marathas

  ›

  In 1681, a Maratha army sacked Burhanpur, an episode shown in the 2025 film Chhaava. Maratha power in the town then grew in stages. In the 1720s, the Peshwa Bajirao took it during his expedition to Malwa and Delhi. In the 1750s, an army under Sadashivrao Bhau, who had defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad, took control. As the Maratha Empire declined, the town was given to the Maratha sardar Holkar, and then to Scindia. In 1818, the Marathas finally handed Burhanpur over to the British. By then the city had passed through the hands of sultans, emperors, princes and sardars, and it still had its cloth.

  2151110

• 7. Loom Town

  ›

  Burhanpur is the largest hub of the power loom industry in Madhya Pradesh. It also has one project of the National Textile Corporation, known as the NTC. Local textile companies are known for a range of fabrics. These include interlining cloths, Grey Markin, Bleached Dhoti, Cambric and Power loom Cloth bakram. Several cotton mills operate in the city. So do oil mills, which add a second line of industry beside the textiles.

  1612

• 8. Rivers and Residents

  ›

  Burhanpur sits on the north bank of the Tapti River, on the southwestern border of Madhya Pradesh. It lies 512 km northeast of Mumbai and 340 km southwest of Bhopal, the state capital. Three rivers run near it: the Tapti, the Utavali and the Mohna. The city has four small ghats. The 2011 census counted 210,886 residents, of whom 108,187 were male and 102,699 were female. There were 38,118 households. Children aged 0 to 6 numbered 28,930. Literate residents totalled 147,056, or 69.7% of the population. Among people aged 7 and over, the effective literacy rate was 80.8%. Male literacy there was 85.1% and female literacy was 76.3%. Islam is followed by 50.5% of residents and Hinduism by 45.8%. A small number of Sikhs and Christians also live in the city. Urdu is the most commonly spoken language, followed by Hindi and Marathi. Gujarati, Sindhi and Marwari are also heard, and Nimadi is the local dialect. A railway station links Burhanpur to other cities, and regular buses serve nearby towns. The closest airport is Jalgaon Airport, a domestic field on the city's south side. Travellers needing an international flight must go to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.

  1314151218