Burhanpur is a historical city in the Indian state of

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

. It is the administrative seat of Burhanpur District. It is situated on the north bank of the

Tapti River The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...

and northeast of city of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12.5& ...

, southwest of the state's capital city of

Bhopal Bhopal (; ISO 15919, ISO: Bhōpāl, ) is the capital (political), capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes,'' due to ...

. The city is a Municipal Corporation.

History

Pre-Mughal period

Burhanpur was an important town under the

Rashtrakuta Dynasty The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal Indian polity ruling large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest known Rashtrakuta inscription is a 7th-century copper plate grant detailing their rule from Manapu ...

from 753–982. Excavations of the

and

Asirgarh Fort Asirgarh Fort is an Indian fortress ''( qila)'' situated in the Satpura Range about north of the city of Burhanpur, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The fort is said to date to the early 15th-century and commands a pass through the Sa ...

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 The Farooqi dynasty (also spelt Farooqui, Faruqi) or the Farooq Shahi was the ruling dynasty of the Khandesh Sultanate (named after the Khandesh region) from its inception in 1382 till its annexation by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1601. The found ...

Sultan of

Khandesh Khandesh is a geographic region in Maharashtra, India. It was made up of present Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar districts. It also said that Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh was also its part. The region have seen many geographical ch ...

, discovered Burhanpur, at the behest of Shaikh Zainuddin and named it after a well-known medieval

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

saint, Burhan-ud-Din. Burhanpur became the capital of the

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 Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

emperor

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

annexed the Khandesh sultanate and Burhanpur became the capital of

Khandesh subah Khandesh is a geographic region in Maharashtra, India. It was made up of present Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar districts. It also said that Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh was also its part. The region have seen many geographical chan ...

, one of three new top-level provinces in the

Mughal empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...

, added in 1601 (like

Berar Subah The Berar Subah () was one of the Subahs (provinces) of the Mughal Empire, in Central India from 1596 to 1724. It bordered Golconda, Ahmandagar (both conquered in 1601), Kandesh and Malwa provinces as well as the independent and tributary kin ...

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 Khanzada Mirza Khan Abdul Rahim (17 December 1556 – 1 October 1627), popularly known as simply Rahim and titled ''Khan-i-Khanan'', was a poet who lived in India during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar, who was Rahim's mentor. He was one of ...

, 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 Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...

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. Royal bath or hammam shahi qila Burhanpur

Royal bath or hammam shahi qila Burhanpur

Many historical monuments survive in the area around Burhanpur, mainly dating from the rule of the great Mughal emperor

Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...

. 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 Mumtaz Mahal (; ; born Arjumand Banu Begum; 27 April 1593 – 17 June 1631) was the empress consort of Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1631 as the chief consort of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of t ...

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 The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

, 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 Alamgir I (Muhi al-Din Muhammad; 3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, also called Aurangzeb the Conqueror, was the sixth Mughal emperors, Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707, becomi ...

Maratha conquest

In the 1720s, the town was taken by the Maratha

Peshwa The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...

Bajirao Bajirao I (né Visaji, ; 18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He was appointed Peshwa at the age of nineteen by Shahu I, following the death of his father, Balaji Vishwanath. He is credited with establis ...

during his expedition to Malwa and Delhi. In the 1750s, a Maratha army under

Sadashivrao Bhau Sadashivrao Bhau Bhatt (4 August 1730 – 14 January 1761) was son of Chimaji Appa (younger brother of Bajirao I) and Rakhmabai (Pethe family) and the nephew of Baji Rao I. He was a finance minister during the reign of Maratha king Rajaram II ...

, who defeated the

Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...

, 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

Burhanpur is situated on the southwestern border of Madhya Pradesh, near the banks of the

Demographics

As 2011 Indian Census, the population of Burhanpur in 2011 was 210,886, of which males and females were 108,187 and 102,699 respectively. The population in the age group of 0 to 6 years was 28,930, of which 15,035 were males and 13,895 were females. The total number of literates in Burhanpur was 147,056, which constituted 69.7% of the population with male literacy of 73.3% and female literacy of 65.9%. The effective literacy rate of 7+ population of Burhanpur was 80.8%, of which male literacy rate was 85.1% and female literacy rate was 76.3%. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population was 14,440 and 2,179 respectively. Burhanpur had 38118 households in 2011.

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

is followed by 50.5% and 45.8 of the population respectively, with small number of

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

s and

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

is the most commonly spoken language.

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

and

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...

are the other prominent languages. Gujarati, Sindhi and

Marwari Marwari may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the Marwar region of Rajasthan, India, largely in the Thar Desert ** Marwari people, an Indian ethnic group originating in the Marwar region ** Marwari language, the language of the Marwari ...

are also spoken. Nimadi is the local dialect.

Economy

Industries

Burhanpur is known for its textile industry. It is the largest hub for the power loom industry in the state. It is also known for having one NTC (

National Textile Corporation National Textile Corporation is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. It owns 23 working textile mills which produce yarn and fabric. The company was incorporated in April 1968. NT ...

) project. It has a number of textile companies which are well known for interlining cloths, Grey Markin, Bleached Dhoti, Cambric, Power loom Cloth bakram and other types of fabric. There are also several cotton and oil mills in the city.

Tourism

Burhanpur was ruled by several dynasties, and consequently has many visitor attractions of historical interest. It has three rivers, the

Tapti The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat a ...

, the Utavali and the Mohna, with several natural sights for visitors to Burhanpur. The city has four small ghats. Being the home of a very diverse population, Burhanpur has a notable

Gurudwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurd ...

Masjid A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

, Church, a world-famous

Dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

– The fort built by Asa Ahir of the Ahir dynasty is notable for its historical architecture. This fort during its prime time was difficult to win because of being built at a great height, with strong outer walls which are still standing intact. It is situated on Burhanpur-

Khandwa Khandwa is a city and a nagar nigam in the Nimar region of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Khandwa district, formerly known as East Nimar District. Khandwa is a major railway junction; the Malwa line co ...

Highway, from Burhanpur. * Shahi Qila – A rare

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

with a complete garden on its terrace. It was built in the Farooqi Dynasty and ruled by

Shahjahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked th ...

for a long period of time. His beloved wife Mumtaz died here and it is believed that the

was decided to be made in Burhanpur before the plan was cancelled due to lack of white marble here at the time, though Mumtaz was buried here for six months after her death until Taj Mahal construction was completed. *

Jama Masjid A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.See: * * * * ...

– The Jama Masjid is a historic monument as well as a place of worship. It is centrally located in Gandhi Chowk. The construction of Jama Masjid started in Farooqi rule. The construction of the monument took very long and continued even after Farooqi leader Adil Shah's demise. Then Emperor Akbar supervised and completed the work of the Masjid. There are two large

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

s, three round

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

s and extensive artwork on its symmetric pillars which are well conserved. File:Main entrance of Jama Masjid, Burhanpur.jpg, Main entrance of Jama Masjid, Burhanpur File:Jama masjid Burhanpur, front decorative entrance facade.jpg, Mosque front decorative entrance facade File:Qibla, Jama Masjid , Burhanpur.jpg , Qibla, Jama Masjid File:Four arc shape pillars with midpoint lock, Jama masjid, Burhanpur.jpg, Four arc shape pillars with midpoint lock at roof top File:Translated manuscript photo, engraved on masjid wall.jpg, photo of Translation of inscription, engraved on masjid wall File:Pillar allignment from Qibla to extreme outer entrance gate.jpg, Pillar alignment from Qibla to extreme outer entrance gate File:Engraved writing detailing Jama Masjid history.jpg, Engraved writing detailing Jama Masjid history File:Big Tasbeeh of old Mogul era kept in Jama masjid.jpg , Big Tasbeeh of old Mogul era kept in Jama masjid File:Jama masjid , Burhanpur Minaret and front open space.jpg, Jama masjid, Burhanpur Minaret and front open space File:Qibla sculpture in detail, Jama Masjid, Burhanpur.jpg , Qibla sculpture in detail * Dargah-e-Hakimi – The tomb complex 'Dargah-e-Hakimi' includes mosques, gardens, and accommodation facilities for visitors. Here the holy

Dawoodi Bohra The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. They number approximately one million worldwide and have settled in over 40 countries around the world. The majority of the Dawoodi Bohra community re ...

saint, Sayyedi Abdul Qadir Hakimuddin is buried, with his

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

visited by pilgrims from several countries. * Tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan - The tomb of Shah Nawaz Khan is a visible grand tomb of the Mughal rule built of black stone on the banks of the Utavali River, at a distance of 2 kilometres north of Burhanpur. This building has its own special place among other buildings built during the Mughal period in Burhanpur. Shah Nawaz Khan's real name was 'Iraj'. He was born in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

(Gujarat). He was the eldest son of Subedar Abdul Rahim Khankhana of Burhanpur. This tomb is in good condition even after so many years. This place is considered the best tourist destination for the city residents.

Transport

Burhanpur is well connected to other cities of India via railway network. The city has one

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

, while regular buses are available for travel to nearby cities. The closest airport is

Jalgaon Airport Jalgaon Airport is a domestic airport serving the city of Jalgaon in Maharashtra, India. It is located in Kusumbe, off National Highway 753F (NH-753F), southeast of the city centre, and away from the Ajanta Caves, for which it is its closes ...

, a domestic airport, which is present on south side of the city, while

Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport is an international airport serving the city of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the busiest airport in Central India and is located west of Indore. According to the statistics released by the Airports Autho ...

is the nearest customs airport within the state. The

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the international airport serving Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second-busiest airport in India in terms of total and international passenger traffic a ...

is the nearest international airport located in

in Maharashtra.

In popular culture

* The city is mentioned in

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's ''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate ...

'' as Burhampoor. *

Sacking of Burhanpur (1681) The sacking of Burhanpur (31 January 1681 - 2 February 1681) refers to the looting of the wealthy city of Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh by the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The Maratha army commanded by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Mahara ...

by the Maratha army was shown in 2025 film ''

Chhaava ''Chhaava'' () is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language historical action film based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire, who is played by Vicky Kaushal. An adaptation of the Marathi novel ''Chhava'' by Shivaji Sa ...

''.

References

External links

Burhanpur Historical City

My Burhanpur - The Historical City

Burhanpur Gateway to South India
{{Indore Division Cities and towns in Burhanpur district Former capital cities in India Cities in Madhya Pradesh