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 Pleasure resort and capital of the Gond
Kings
during the 12th century, Jabalpur was later the seat of the Kalchuri
dynasty. The Marathas held sway over Jabalpur until 1817, when the
British wrested it from them and left their impression on the
spacious cantonment with its colonial residences and barracks. Today
Jabalpur is an important administrative centre, abustle with
commercial activity.
The original settlement in this area
was ancient Tripuri and the rulers of this city, the
Hayahaya, are mentioned in the Mahabharata. It passed
successively into Mauryan and then Gupta control until,
in 875 AD, it was taken by the Kalchuri rulers. In the
13th century it was overrun by the Gonds and by the
early 16th century it had became the powerful state of
Gondwana. Though besieged by Mughal armies from time to
time, Gondwana survived until 1789 when it was conquered
by the Marathas. Their rule was unpopular, due largely
to the increased activities of the thuggees who were
ritual murderers and bandits. The Marathas were defeated
in 1817 and the thuggees subdued by the British who
developed the town in the mid 19th century.
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