Chauragarh

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Chaugan Fort, Chougan, Narsinghpur

District map of Narsimhapur

Chaugan Fort (Chougan) - Chichli - Narsinghpur, MP

Chauragarh (चौरागढ़) is a Fort in village Chougan in Gadarwara tahsil of Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

Variants

• Chauragarh (चौरागढ़) (जिला नरसिंहपुर, म.प्र.) (AS, p.347)
• Chauragarh Fort (चौरागढ़ किला)
• Chougan (चौगान)
• Chaugan (चौगान)
• Chougan Quila (चौगान किला)
• Chaugan fort

Location

It is located at 20.35 latitude 79.55 longitude. This fort is situated at a distance of about 35 kilometers from the Gadarwara in dense forest on Chauragarh hill near the border of Chhindwara district.

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Chaura (चौरा) (Jat clan) → Chauragarh (चौरागढ़) is a village and site of a fort in Gadarwara tahsil of Narsinghpur district in Madhya Pradesh.

History

After the establishment of Raj Gond Vansh, an era of peace and prosperity began in the area. This Vansh came to existence by Yadav Rao, who laid the foundation of a strong kingdom at a place called Garha–Katanga and started a process of strong mighty rule. One of the rulers, Sangram Shah (1500–1541) had established 52 Garh, of the Gond Dynasty. The fort of Chauragarh (Chougan) at Narsinghpur was constructed by Sangram Shah, which is still an evidence of bravery of Veerarayan. He was son of Queen Rani Durgawati.

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.

Chaugan Fort

Chaugan Fort, Chauragarh, Narsinghpur

Chaugan Fort (चौगान का किला): The fort of Chaugan is situated on the peak of Satpuda mountain called Chauragarh near Chaugan village in Gadarwara tehsil of Narsinghpur district. It is located at 20.35 latitude 79.55 longitude. This fort built at a distance of about 35 kilometers from the Gadarwara tehsil headquarters is east-facing. These types of rocks are made by connecting thick limestone with small and big boulders. There is a rampart on top of the hill, three gates are there in this fort. There is a pond inside the fort, which is called Revakund, near it there is an ancient pyramidal peak or temple.

A fragmentary idol of Narasimha (the head and body are separated) is kept in the sanctum sanctorum, which definitely seems to be of the period before the Gond rulers. Other important places within the fort are the Rangmahal and the palace of the Gond king Prem Narayan Shah, in front of which are the remains of an open pavilion (Darbar Hal). The square terraced wells built in each house are still there. In 1816 AD, this fort was destroyed by the British, since then it is deserted and at present there is a forest plants have grown in it. During the time of Gond and Maratha kings, this fort palace was strategically important. The Chauragarh fort or fort of Chaugan was built by the mighty Gond ruler Sangramshah in 16th century. At present it is under the Madhya Pradesh forest department.

Chauragarh

Chauragarh (20° 35’ N and 79° 55’ E.)

[p.460]: This ruined hill fort of the Gadarwara Tahsil lies to the south-east of the tahsil headquarters. It is about 12 miles or 19.2 4km. from Gadarwara, and the nearest railway station to the fort being Bohani on the Itarsi Jabalpur main line of the Central Railway. The place can be reached by a journey in bullock cart. The fort is situated in the deserted village by name Chaugan. Formerly Chaugan was a largely populated inhabitation situated at the foot of the hill.

Though completely shorn of its former glory this famous stronghold played an important part in the history of the region during the reigns of the Gond and the Maratha rulers. The fort was very cleverly designed. It encircles within its boundary of defences the entire area of the two adjacent hills and the plateau which is about 800 feet above the level of the Narmada valley.

Numerous masonry tanks to receive rain water and the drainage of the hills for perennial water supply are constructed within the fort. The two hills, thus enclosed are by a dip of about 300 feet. The northern, the eastern and the western faces of the fort are scarped for several hundred feet. A hillock, situated to the south of the fort is called the Bundelakot to commemorate the traditional attack of the Bundelas.

It is said that the fort was built by Sangram Shah, the Gond king of Garha Mandla dynasty in the 15th Century AD.. The capital of the Gond

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[p.461]: kings was at Garha. When the famous Rani Durgawati of that dynasty was fighting with the forces of the Mughals, the fabulous treasure was kept in this nearly impregnable fort of Chauragarh. Rani Durgawati died fighting and her son Prem Narayan was removed to Chauragarh for refuge. The Mughal General Asaf Khan besieged and reduced the fort. The Mughal General killed the Prince and looted the treasure of the Gonds. The booty consisted of innumerable gold and silver coins, golden toys, jewels, pearls, gold and silver and 1,000 elephants.

The British reduced the fort in 1818. The western hill within the enclosure contains remains of the palaces of the Gond rulers. Towards the east remains of buildings, built in the Bhonsla regime to house its army, are noticed. Besides these, there is an old temple with finely carved pillars in a dilapidated condition. It contains a broken image of Narsimha (Man-cum-lion incarnation of Vishnu).

At present thick growth of forest has hidden the foundations of the buildings within and the portion of boundary walls. The village Chaugan, in which stands the fort, covers an area of 655 acres with, no population.

Source -Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers Narsinghpur District by P.N. Shrivastav, 1971, p.460-461

चौगान का किला

चौगान का किला नरसिंहपुर

चौगान का किला नरसिंहपुर जिले की गाडरवारा तहसील मैं चौगान ग्राम के पास सतपुडा पर्वत की चौरागढ़ नामक चोटी पर है. यह 20.35 latitude 79.55 longitude पर स्थित है. गाडरवारा तहसील मुख्यालय से लगभग 35 किलोमीटर दूरी पर बना यह दुर्ग पूर्वाभिमुख है. इस पूर्व की दीवारें एवं महल गढी हुई प्रकार शिलाओं ,अनगढ छोटे बडे प्रस्तकारों से चुना के गाढ़े की जुड़ाई द्वारा बने हैं.

पहाड़ी के ऊपर एक परकोटा बना है. इस किले में तीन द्वार लांघ कर पहुंचते हैं. किला के अंदर एक तालाब है जिसे रेवाकुंड कहा जाता है. इसके ही समीप एक प्राचीन पिरामिड शिखर वा मंदिर है. इसमें गर्भग्रह में नरसिंह की एक खंडित मूर्ति (सिर एवं धर अलग-अलग है) रखी है जो निश्चित रूप से गोंडकाल (दुर्ग निर्माण काल) से पहले की मालूम पड़ती है. किले के भीतर अन्य दूसरे महत्वपूर्ण स्थान हैं - रंगमहल एंव गोंड राजा प्रेम नारायण शाह का महल जिसके सामने खुले मंडप के (दरवार हाल) के अवशेष हैं. रानीताल एंव रानीमहल के बीच में मराठा-काल में निर्मित भवनों के चिन्‍ह भी मौजूद हैं जिन‍की सीमा के अंदर प्रत्येक घर में बनाए गए वर्गाकार सीढ़ीदार कुएं अभी भी हैं. सन 1816 ईस्वी में इस किले को अंग्रेजों ने तोड दिया. तभी से यह वीरान हो गया और वर्तमान में इस में जंगल खड़ा है. गौंड एवं मराठा राजाओं के समय में यह दुर्ग महल महत्वपूर्ण था चौरागढ़ दुर्ग अथवा चौगान के इस किले का निर्माण 16 वीं ईश्‍वी में पराक्रमी गौंड शासक संग्रामशाह ने कराया था. वर्तमान में यह वन विभाग के अधीन है.

चौरागढ़

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...चौरागढ़ (AS, p.347) जबलपुर ज़िला (Narsinghpur), मध्य प्रदेश का ऐतिहासिक नगर है। गढ़मंडला की प्रसिद्ध रानी दुर्गावती के शासन काल में यह राज्य का प्रधान नगर था। सुरक्षा की दृष्टि से राज्य का कोष यहीं रहता था। चौरागढ़ का क़िला रानी दुर्गावती के श्वसुर संग्राम सिंह का बनवाया हुआ था। संग्रामपुर की लड़ाई के पश्चात, जिसमें दुर्गावती ने वीरगति प्राप्त की, मुग़ल बादशाह अकबर के सेनापति आसफ़ ख़ाँ ने चौरागढ़ को घेर लिया। इस युद्ध में दुर्गावती का पुत्र वीरनारायण मारा गया और गढ़ की रानियाँ सती हो गयीं। आसफ़ ख़ाँ ने चौरागढ़ को खूब लूटा, यहाँ से लूट में उसे अनन्त धनराशि प्राप्त हुई थी।

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