Hoshangabad Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Hoshangabad Town
Head-quarters of the District and tahsil of the same name, and also of the Nerbudda Division, Central Provinces, situated in 22° 46' N. and 77° 44 E., on the Indian Midland section of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, 12 miles from Itarsi junction and 476 miles from Bombay. The town is picturesquely placed along the southern bank of the Narbada river, while north of the river stretch the Vindhyan Hills in Bhopal territory. Population (1901), 14,940.
The name of the place is derived from Hoshang Shah Ghori, Sultan of Malwa, who is said to have founded Hoshangabad in the fifteenth century. In 1802 it was occupied by Wazir Muhammad, the well-known minister of Bhopal. He was defeated by a Maratha army outside Sohagpur and hotly pursued into Hoshangabad. While making a stand outside the town a horse was killed under him ; and he then mounted his celebrated crop-tailed horse, and escaped by leaping him over the battlements of the fort. A rude stone figure of a horse still marks the spot, and is locally venerated. Hoshangabad was taken by the Marathas in 1809 after a three months' siege, and was occupied by British troops in 181 7.
It is now the head-quarters of the Com- missioner and Divisional Judge, Nerbudda Division, and of an Executive Engineer, besides containing the usual District Staff. Hoshangabad was created a municipality in 1869. The municipal receipts during the decade ending 1901 averaged Rs. 29,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 24,000, the principal item being octroi. The town has some local trade, and a brass-working industry is carried on. Bamboo walking-sticks are made and exported, and excellent building stone is obtained from a quarry in the vicinity. Tlicre is a printing press. Hoshangabad has a higli school with 90 pupils, and several other schools. It is the hcad-cjuarters of the Friends Foreign Mission, which supports numerous medical and educational institutions, and has a technical school in a village near the town. Other institutions are a public dispensary and police hospital, and a veterinary dis[)ensary. A Government agricultural farm and cattle-farm have recently been started.
