Narsinghpur is a city in Madhya Pradesh in central India. It is a district under Jabalpur division. Narsinghpur has a large temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha. As of 2001, Narsinghpur is the most literate district of the state.
History
Prehistory
The earliest signs of human life in Narsinghpur were found recently in the caves of Vinaiki village (Narsinghpur) which lies on the banks of Shakkar river (tributary of Narmada), in the hinterlands of Kareli Forest Zone (a part of Satpura reserve) in Narsinghpur. Most of the villagers are Gonds and they knew about the paintings for a long time. Locals call the rock paintings found in their village by the name 'Putra Putariya' (पुतरा पुतरिया).The actual age of the rock paintings is not yet determined. Analysis by the Department of Archaeology is awaited.
The axe, bow and arrows, and swords can be seen in the pictures. The rock paintings depict humans riding and playing with horses and elephants. Humans are also seen hunting animals like deer. Sheep, Wild boar, Buffaloes, and Barahsingha can also be seen. One of the rock paintings is of humans with armed axes and a peculiar headgear. Some of the paintings are of a clear red color similar to those found in Bhimbetika, while some are gray. Pictures have also been described in some script which is yet to be identified. It is within the radius of 150 kilometers from the Bhimbetka rockshelters of Raisen and about 100 km away from Adamgadh hills.
The Satavahana period This area was a part of the Satavahana Empire from the 2nd to the 4th centuries CE, after which, it was annexed into the Gupta Empire during the reign of the Emperor Samudragupta. There is some historical evidence for Padi rule. There is no record of this area until the 9th century CE, when the Kalachuri kingdom was established. The Kalchuri capital was near the Narmada river, later established at Tripuri.
Among the followers of Sangram Shah, Dalpati Shah ruled for a period of 7 years peacefully. After, this Queen Durgawati took the reign and gave a proof of courage or bravery, and ruled for a period of 16 years (1540–1564). In 1564, the Queen died, while fighting bravely, giving a tough fight to Asaf Khan, the Sepoy Salar of King Akbar. In Narsinghpur district, at the castle fort of Chauragarh, Asaf Khan trapped prince Veer Narayan and killed him with his cunning tactics. Thus Garha Katanga came under control of Mugals in 1564, Gonds Mugals. After then the area was under control of various officers and administrative or hereditary chiefs during the Maratha's rule. The boundaries of the area continued to change according to the powers and influence of their people. Chawarpatha, Barha, Saikheda, Gadarwara, Shahpur, Singhpur, Shrinagar, and Tendukheda were headquarters of various parganas
In 18 century the ruler of Narsinghpur Thakur ji was killed by British rulers and the fort of narsinghpur was totally destroyed. There are a number of sites of interest to archaeologists in the area, as the area has been inhabited since the second century AD, according to historical documents from that time. Narsinghpur has a number of sacred sites, including a nearby cave associated with Adi Guru Shankracharya's place of meditations and studies. The Gonds also called Parakarti Pujak
Bhonsle Rulers In 1785, Madhavji Bhonsle purchased the area of Mandla and Narmada Ghati in 27 lakhs. The area was under pressure of army rule during the reign of Raghuji Bhonsle, Nawab of Bhopal and Pindari. Due to unsuitability of the ruler and other problems, the common people were extremely exploited. This period was also known as a period of problems and instability. However, after the defeat of Bhosles in Battle of Sitabuldi in 1817, British rule came into existence in the area.
British period After the Battle of Sitabuldi, this area came under the control of British rule in 1817, which was confirmed by an alliance in 1826. In this period the area was known as Gadarwara pargana, with Chichli and Gangai. The Gond Jagirs were under Marathas, where as Sindhiya had given Barha and Paloha Jagirs to Pindari Sardars, Chitu Khan and Karim Khan. In 1818, the British army captured the fort of Chauragarh, and in 1830 the control of this area was given to a committee. During British rule, the administration of this district improved, and in 1836 the area was partitioned and was merged in Hoshangabad district. But after Bundela revolt in 1843, this part was once again reinstated in this district.
Struggle for independence Despite strong British rule, the desire for independence was prevalent among the common people. In 1825, Chawarpatha and Tendukheda were given to the British Government. In 1857 the police station of Chawarpatha and Tendukheda were captured by revolutionaries under the leadership of Gond Chief Delan Shah of Madanpur. With this, the struggle for independence was started. But in 1858, Delan Shah was caught and hanged to death. Thus in the year British curbed the struggle for independence, and they succeeded in establishing their rule. After 1899, Shayam Bihari Nagaria had a big hand in Independence Of Narsinghpur. Unfortunately, he died in December 2007.
Congress movement After the establishment of Indian National Congress in 1885, even in this district, the feeling for Independence was prevalent. Strong efforts were made by the people here, being motivated by the efforts and leadership of Lokmanya Tilak, Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. Among the leaders of his district were Gayadutt, Manik Lal Kochar, Choudhary Shankar Lal and Nitiraj Singh(were imprisoned in Sewani jail), Rudrapratap Singh(martyred by British) Gopal Das Kathal, Thakur Niranjan Singh, ( Mushran family donated to British War fund)who led the people of this district towards the Independence movements. In order to break the unity and enthusiasm of the people, the British had once again partitioned the district and merged it with Hoshangabad district. However, even then, enthusiasm as well as the fight for independence continued in the people's minds. During the mass demonstration of satyagrah at Chichli in 1932, Mansharam and Gauradevi lost their lives during police firing. One more incident transpired with one stouthearted liberation fighter, Ramkumar Badal, from village Bamhani, who was customarily involved in multiple protests was caught and charged under different sections after licit efforts, he went out and made a minuscule group of people in a town denominated Barman to protest against enforcement made by Britishers, which influenced multiple people near the town, and then the protest gained more reach and accolade, which made it more vigorous enough to win an aside, and so the executive officer appointed in that block was coerced to transmute the rules. This was a great triumph that influenced and incentivized people far away to fight for freedom.
Thousands of revolutionaries faced the atrocities of British rule and gave an example of strong devotion for the country, and snipe against the British rule. When the country gained Independence in 1947, on 15 August, a new era started in this district. After 9 years of independence, when states were reorganized on the basis of languages, Narsinghpur, once again, became a district. Since 1 November 1956, Narsinghpur district has been moving towards progress and prosperity in its full existence.
Geography Narsinghpur district is situated in the central part of Madhya Pradesh. Madhya Pradesh is located in the central part of India. Narsinghpur district holds a special importance being located in the country. It attracts special attention because of its natural situation as well. On the northern ends Vindhyachal and on the southern ends throughout the lengths, are Satpura ranges of mountains. In the northern part, river Narmada flows from east to west. It is a sacred river. Narsinghpur district has received many natural gifts as Narmada Kachhar. In the ancient period, this area was ruled by many Rajvansh, including the great historical warrior Rani Durgawati, who was known by various names in that period. In the 18th century, Jat Sardars had constructed a large temple, in which an idol of Lord Narsimha was placed and worshiped. So, in the name of Lord Narsimha the village was renamed. Gadariya Kheda become "Narsinghpur" and later on it became headquarters of the district.
Narsinghpur is located at .Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Narsinghapur It has an average elevation of .
Agriculture Narsinghpur district is well known for its fertile land. The black soil is suited for any kind of cultivation and there are adequate irrigation facilities. The district is famous for its rich agricultural production. It is situated in the upper part of Narmada Valley, which is of much important for agriculture. The district's production of grains is more than the local requirement. For agriculture both old and new techniques are equally in practice. For old equipment, there are ploughs, bullock carts, bakhar, , and various types of knives and khurpi. In new methods or techniques, there are: thrashers, tractors, harvesters, electric pumps and sprinklers. Along with these better quality seeds and the best quality pesticides are used.
Crops Mainly crops are cultivated in two seasons, Rabi and Kharif. This is based on the climate and the conditions prevails in the district by the time.
During Rabi, crops are cultivated in October–November, with cutting in April/May. The major Rabi crops are wheat, pulses, peas, alsi and masoor.
During Kharif, the farming period is June–July with cutting in October. The major Kharif crops are: paddy, jowar, bajra, makka, kondo and kutki.
The District's major commercial crops are soybeans and sugarcane, which is produced in large quantity and a major source of income. Narsinghpur is the largest producer of soybeans in the Madhya Pradesh. Soybean is used for oil extraction, and sugarcane for sugar and gur. Narsinghpur alone contributes about 80% of sugarcane production of MP.
Apparently Kareli (tehsil) is biggest gud mandi of India. Sugar industry has seen a significant progress in the last decade.
Soil and irrigation The district has rich black soil which is very fertile and heavy and useful for farming. Black Domat soil, smooth soil, rocky soil, and sandy soils are there in which wheat, grams and all type of pulses have been produced. The Kalmetahar area of the district is one of the most fertile lands of Asia. Here wheat and gulabi grams are the major crops which are produced in large quantity. Gadarwara is very famous for tuwar (Arhar) pulses mainly. At the district level, agricultural farms, soil experiment laboratories are there, where farmers get pesticides, best quality seeds, fertilizers and most important technical guidance.
Major sources for irrigation are wells, ponds, rivers, canals and tubewells. Irrigation has mainly been done by tube-wells.
Forest resources In the district, 26.55% of the area is covered by the forests which are a mixture of herbs, sherbs and scurbs. In the hilly area of Satpura and Vindhyachal, there are trees of teak, saal, bamboo and saj. In the plains, there are mahuwa, mangoes, khairi, achar, karonda, harr and baheda.
Teak forests are very dense and found all over the district. Dry wood from the forests is used in many domestic purposes and used for building construction and furniture making. In the district, tobacco leaf collection is done on a large scale. The season for tobacco collection is May–June. From tobacco leaves usually were made. In rural areas private contractors do the mahuwa collection which is used for preparing local wine.
From the forests, they harvest amala, chironji, harr, baheda, gum and herbs which are used for medicinal purposes. The district has plenty of mango trees and has ample production. In the deep forests, there are tigers, bears, monkeys, rabbits, pigs, deer, foxes, nilgai and panther.
Minerals