Manikgarh
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Manikgarh (मानिकगढ़) is a historical place in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. It was under the rule of Gonds of Chanda from 9-16th century. It is a hill fort 507 metres above sea level built by the Naga kings in 9 CE.[1]
Variants
- Manikgadh (मानिकगढ़), जिला चंद्रपुर महाराष्ट्र, (AS, p.735)
- Manikgad (माणिकगड)
- Gadchandur (Marathi: गडचांदूर)
- Manikgadh Fort (माणिकगड)
Origin
Manikgad was built by the last Mana Naga King - Gahilu. The Mana Nagas settled in this area around 9 CE.
Jat clans
History
Manikgadh Fort: Manikgad fort in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra was built by the last Mana Naga King - Gahilu. The Mana Nagas settled in this area around 9 CE. Initially, the fort was named Manikagad after the patron deity of the Mana Nagas - Manikadevi - but later on this was shortened to Manikgad. Local legend holds that the fort was built by a Gond king named Mankyal (hence the name Manikgad). However, the lintel of the entrance gate has a Naga image carved in relief and not the Gond emblem of a lion and an elephant. So this legend is likely not true.[2]
The strong fortress of Manikgadh, nearly 1,700 feet high, and situated in inaccessible territory, was held by the Gond Rajas of Chanda whose sway extended in the north to Nagpur and in the south nearly up to the Godavari. They maintained their independence till the end of the 16th century when they began to give nominal allegiance to the Moghuls, and then to the Marathas, to whom they finally succumbed in 1751 and lost the kingdom of Chanda. Tradition asserts that the Gond rulers began their rule in the 9th century, though this seems to have been based mainly on hearsay. Sirpur was their capital until the Rajas transferred it to Chanda in the 16th century. Today the Gonds are one of the principal tribes of Central India and retain to the full their tribal customs, traditions and manners. Every year Gonds and other tribes gather in their thousands at the annual fair at Keslapur, a sylvan village.[3]
मानिकगढ़
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[4] ने लेख किया है ...मानिकगढ़ (AS, p.735), जिला आदिलाबाद, तेलंगाना में 1700 फुट ऊंची एक पहाड़ी पर यह सुदृढ़ दुर्ग अवस्थित है. यह चांदा (मध्य प्रदेश) के गोंड राजाओं के अधिकार में बहुत समय तक रहा. किवदंती है कि गोंडों ने नौवीं सदी में अपने राज्य की स्थापना की थी. 16 वीं सदी तक [p.736] यह स्वतंत्र रूप से राज करते रहे. इस काल में इन्होंने मुगलों की सत्ता नाम मात्र को स्वीकार कर ली थी. 1751 में मराठों के उत्कर्ष के साथ चांदा का गोंड राज्य समाप्त हो गया. मानिकगढ़ के आस-पास गोँड लोग अब भी सहश्रों की संख्या में हैं. केसलापुर नामक ग्राम में इनका भारी वार्षिक मेला लगता है.