Shah Jahan hunting wild
Asiatic lions in Burhanpur (July 1630)
Pre-Mughal period Burhanpur was an important town under the
Rashtrakuta Dynasty from 753–982. Excavations of the
Tapti River and
Asirgarh Fort have discovered many coins, goddess idols and temples from the prehistoric era. However, Burhanpur came to prominence during the medieval period. In 1388, Malik Nasir Khan, the
Faruqi dynasty Sultan of
Khandesh, discovered Burhanpur, at the behest of
Shaikh Zainuddin and named it after a well-known medieval
Sufi saint,
Burhan-ud-Din. Burhanpur became the capital of the
Khandesh sultanate. Later, Miran Adil Khan II (reigned 1457–1501), another sultan of this dynasty, built a citadel and a number of palaces in Burhanpur. During his long reign, Burhanpur was transformed into a major centre for trade and textile production.
Under the Mughals In 1601, the
Mughal emperor
Akbar annexed the Khandesh sultanate and Burhanpur became the capital of
Khandesh subah, one of three new top-level provinces in the
Mughal Empire, added in 1601 (like
Berar Subah in 1869 and Ahmadnagar subah in 1601–35) to the initial dozen as he conquered much of the Deccan. The town served as the residence of Khandesh's Mughal governor,
Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, during Akbar and Jahangir's rule. He constructed a new water supply for the town, as well as several gardens. In 1609, Mughal emperor
Jahangir appointed his second son
Parviz to the governorship of the Mughal provinces of the Deccan, and the prince chose Burhanpur as his headquarters and his residence. Many historical monuments survive in the area around Burhanpur, mainly dating from the rule of the great Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan. Burhanpur was an important Mughal outpost. Shah Jahan spent a considerable amount of time in this town, and helped add to the
Shahi Qila. The Shahi Qila is one majestic palace in Burhanpur, located to the west of the Tapti River. Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas were built on the terrace of the Qila. Little of it remains today, as the Qila is mostly in ruins. However, the parts of the palace that are still standing display exquisite sculpture and carvings. The main attraction at the palace is the
hamam or royal bath. It was specifically built for Shah Jahan's wife,
Mumtaz Mahal so that she could enjoy a luxurious bath. It is said that she died there while giving birth to her fourteenth child. Even today, the ceiling has many intricate paintings. One of these paintings depicts a monument which is said to have been the inspiration for the
Taj Mahal, her final resting place. She was initially buried there for six months before being moved. The original grave called the Aahukhana is in disrepair. Around 1670 Daud Khan was the Subhadar (Governor) of Khandesh province, under the rule of
Aurangzeb.
Maratha conquest In the 1720s, the town was taken by the Maratha
Peshwa Bajirao during his expedition to Malwa and Delhi. In the 1750s, a Maratha army under
Sadashivrao Bhau, who defeated the
Nizam of Hyderabad, took control of the town. At the downfall of the Maratha Empire, the town was given to Maratha Sardar Holkar, Scindia, and then finally in 1818 was handed over to the British by the Marathas. == Geography ==