Tarrauhan

A jagir in India during the British Raj (Capital of the state was in Pathraundi), situated between the northern Vindhyachal mountain range and the Paiswani River, where many traditions lived. It is undoubtedly a place of some antiquity. It was sometimes under the Baghel kings and sometimes the Chandelas. I am talking about Tarrauhan, which is full of antiquities. So let's know about its history.

Tarrauhan Fort

Tarrauhan Jagir (1812-1948)

 One tradition says that in the remote past a city called Dalampur existed here, but no ruins are extant. Another tradition has it that the village formerly existing was called Tishhakapura, and that about 1625 A.D. We have a written literature which explain its life span. Let's know how it came into existence.

The Baghel dynasty, which is an Indian Rajput dynasty, is a branch of the Chalukya/Solanki dynasty. It reached Gujarat from South India in 960 AD. This dynasty was founded by Vyaghra Dev (Vagh Rao), son of Veer Dhaval of Solanki Raj dynasty. King Vyaghra Dev loved to travel on pilgrimage. After doing many pilgrimages he came to Chitrakoot in 1233-34 AD. In the charm of Chitrakoot, he settled here and established the state of Rewa. This state was called 'Baghelkhand'. The dialect spoken here was called 'Bagheli' or 'Gahora Bagheli'.

Location of Baghelkhand in India

The descendants of King Vyaghra Dev (Vagh Rao) ruled in Baghelkhand and Raja Ramchandra (King Ram Krishna Judev) was also among these descendants. In 1550, when Humayun was defeated in a war, he left his 10-year-old son Akbar for upbringing in Rewa itself. Akbar and Ramchandra grew up together as royal heirs. They were good friends.

Akbar became the sultan of Delhi, while Ramchandra became the king of Rewa. Birbal (Mahesh Das) and Tansen were in the court of Raja Ramchandra. Raja Ramchandra sent Birbal and Tansen to Akbar's court in 1562, which were member of the nine gems of Akbar. Rewa was the first princely state in India to declare Hindi the national language, in the times of Maharaja Gulab Singh. 

Akbar divided the kingdom into two parts –

1) Kalinjar

2) Bhatghora or Bhatgahora

  The part which belonged to the Rewa king was called Bhaat or Bhatta. The upper part of the hills was called Patha and the lower part was called Gahora.

This is the Patha-gahora which has deteriorated and turned into Bhat-gahora. Tarrauhan used to come in the Bhat-ghora government. The name Tarrahuan is said to be derived from 'Tare', meaning lower town or land. Babar, who came to India in 1526, called Gahora one of the three mighty kingdoms in his autobiography 'Babarnama'.

Poet Madhav Urvya in 'Veer Bhanuday Kavyam' (1555-56) described the Baghel dynasty and mentioned the grandeur of the state.

 Later there was a mutual division among the Baghel kings of Rewa and the property was mainly divided into two groups –

1) Chitkar Rajput and 2) Surki Rajput

Both the groups got twelve and a half villages.

Surki Rajputs got Tarrauhan.

In 1625 AD, Surki Rajput Basant Rai came to Tarrauhan and built a fort here. The structure of this fort was modern and beautiful, its beauty and the wealth of Raja Basant Rai attracted the King of Delhi and Raja Basant Rai lost his life in a majestic tussle. After this the Tarauhan fort and the surrounding area went to Panna Raj, whose king was Hriday Shah, who was the son of King Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand.

Hriday Shah gave Karvi subdivision to a Muslim, whose name was 'Rahim Khan'. Rahim Khan took up his residence in Tarrauhan Fort and became famous with the title of Nawab. After Rahim Khan, the Tarrauhan Fort and Jageer was succeeded by ‘Ahmed Khan’. When Hindupat became the ruler of Panna Raj, he defeated Ahmed Khan in the battle of Murwal in 1776 AD and captured Tarrauhan Fort.

Fort

Fort Entrance

Entrance Passage

Building 1

Building 2

Building 2- Back

Later the British government took this fort in its possession to maintain peace and made Tehsils inside it. The population of Tarrauhan was decreasing year by year. In 1858, this fort was completely abandoned and the tehsil was shifted to Wada. (In 1824, Maratha Binayak Rao built a beautiful palace in Karwi, which is called Wada, you’ll see details about it in my next blog soon)

In 1907, Tarrauhan was merged with Karwi and become a town. Here the principal or the original inhabitants were divided into eight mohallas (wards), which are as follows-

1) Dhaturaha Naka (Dhaturaha derived from the names of Brahmin residents)

2) Paturia Naka (Formed from the Hindi word of Courtesan)

3) Farashan Tola (Derived from the name of the Farash families here, who were in charge of making Carpets for Nawabs)

4) Dadian Tola (Derived from Dadiya who were the treasurers and collector of the custom at the same period)

5) Gargan Tola (The main inhabitants of this place, named after Garg Brahmins)

6) Kurmiyan (Got this name from the people of Patel fraternity) and Khawanpar (The area beyond the moat of the fort)

7) Babutola (Origin of the name is not forthcoming)

8) Chhiptahari (Chippa community used to live and trade here like printing cloth, lac and bangles, domestic utensils made by Phool and Kansa.

  Mahoba Lathi were made here for watchmen and Mahoba Lathis of Tarrauhan were famous. Mochis of the place can turn out some very fair embroidery on it.

 Apart from the fort, there are two Akharas here. The larger one is called Rambagh, which is situated close to the river. The institution is devoted to the Vaishnavite cult of Rama (Balaji) and has six revenue free villages were attached to it. It built in Samvat 1789 (1732 AD). It was made revenue-free by Panna Raja and continued by the British government. The incumbent Mahant of the former is Madho Das, who resides in Tarrauhan, and of the latter Parmeshri Das, who generally lives in village of Dadri.

Ram Bagh Akhara

BalaJi Temple inside Akhara

Bara Dadi (Hall with 12 Doors) 

Haathi Darwaza(Enterance for Elephants) 

List of incumbents Mahants

Temple at Dadri

The other is smaller, built in Samvat 1851 (1794 AD). Two tax free villages were attached to it.

 There are four mosque, one of which is an old and solid structure. 

Tomb in premises of old mosque

It lies near the river. It has a stone written in Persian 'Sarkar Rahm Bahadur' - Gaurat Shah Badshah Bahadur Shah reign 1181 Hijri (1767-1768 AD). There are old mausoleums around the mosque and it is believed that family, relatives and followers of Nawab Rahim Khan probably rest in the numerous muhammadan graves scattered round about.

 

Inscription in Persian

Graves scattered around old mosque

 

 

 Ref: The Imperial Gazetteer of India, Rewa Gazetteer, Banda Gazetteer, Wikipedia keywords: Baghelkhand, Princely state Rewa, Princely state Panna, Taraon State and Engraved stones