Chand Sultan (1706-1739) was a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

king of Nagpur. He was the eldest son and successor of

Bakht Buland Shah Bakht Buland Shah was a ruler of the Rajgond dynasty. He added to his kingdom, the territories of Chanda and Mandla, and portions of Nagpur, Balaghat, Seoni, Bhandara and the adjoining Rajput kingdom of Kherla/Khedla. The present districts of ...

of Deogarh. He ascended the throne of Deogarh in 1706 and shifted his capital from Deogarh to

Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...

. He carried out further reforms in his kingdom and planned layout of the new city of

and under him, the kingdom prospered. He was a kind ruler who loved his people and extended his territory considerably to the east of the river

Wainganga The Wainganga is a river in India originating in the Mahadeo Hills in Mundara near the village Gopalganj in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. It is a key tributary of the Godavari. The river flows south in a winding course through the states of Madhya Prade ...

. He constructed the famous Jumma Talao that had in-built steps & also provided water supply to the city of

. He also built a wall around the entire city, stretching almost 3 miles and having five solid gates. He constructed his fortress at Mahal, the oldest part of

, surrounded by a wall 3km/5km long. The Jumma Gate still stands today, renamed as the Gandhi Gate.

Succession

After his death in 1739, there were quarrels over the succession, leading to the throne being usurped by Wali Shah, an illegitimate son of Chand Sultan by a non-gond woman. Chand Sultan's widow invoked the aid of the Maratha leader Raghuji Bhonsle of Berar in the interest of her sons Akbar Shah and Burhan Shah. Wali Shah was put to death and the rightful heirs placed on the throne.

Raghoji I Bhonsle Raghoji Bhonsle or Raghoji I Bhonsale or Raghuji the Great (1695 – February 1755) of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors ruled ...

was sent back to Berar with a plentiful bounty for his aid. The Maratha general judged that Nagpur must be a plentiful and rich country by the magnificence of his reward. However, dissensions continued between the brothers and once again, the elder brother Burhan Shah requested the aid of Raghuji Bhonsla. Akbar Shah was driven into exile and finally poisoned at

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

. However this time, Ragoji Bhonsle did not have the heart to leave such a plentiful and rich country, with it being within his grasp. He declared himself 'protector' of the Gond king. Thus in 1743, Burhan Shah was practically made a state pensionary, with real power being in the hands of the Maratha ruler. After this event the history of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh is not recorded. A series of Maratha rulers came to power following the fall of the Gonds from the throne of

, starting with

Raghoji Bhonsle Raghoji I (''Raghoji Bhonsle''; ; 1695 – February 1755) or Raghuji the Great of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors ruled the ...

. Raja Burhan Shah was succeeded by Rahman Shah. He was succeeded by Suleiman Shah, a minor, his nephew and adopted son, succeeded him, just two years before the death of the last Bhonsle king. Suleiman Shah was staunchly loyal to the British government, he was a most humane and generous landlord and a just yet a merciful magistrate. He died on 15th April, 1885.

References

{{reflist History of India 1739 deaths