Balapur, Akola district

Balapur بالاپور बाळापुर
City
Balapur Location in Maharashtra, India
Coordinates: 20°23′N 76°28′E / 20.39°N 76.46°E / 20.39; 76.46Coordinates: 20°23′N 76°28′E / 20.39°N 76.46°E / 20.39; 76.46
Country	India
State	Maharashtra
District	Akola
Elevation	425 m (1,394 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	44,594
Languages
• Local	Urdu
• Official	Marathi
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	444302
Telephone code	07257
Vehicle registration	MH 30

Balapur (Urdu: بالاپور‎) is a city and a municipal council in Akola district in the state of Maharashtra, India.

Geography

Balapur has an average elevation of 425 metres (1,394 ft).^[1] The town in an important junction for traffic on National Highway No 6, which carries the Calcutta traffic to the Port City of Bombay. Transport destined for south takes a southward turn following a wide State Highway towards Hyderabad , crossing the NH 6 here. There are three Rivers Mann,mahens and Bhikund. Two of them are in the city including a dam at Mann river providing water to thermal power plant placed in paras.The nearest Rail head is at Paras, 7 km from the town. The MAHAGENCO is expanding its thermal power station with two 250 MW units to augment the falling generating capacity of the state power corporation. There is further potential to expand it to 1000 MW making it a Super Thermal Power Station. One of the popular and traditional profession of people here is manufacturing DARI (cotton rugs/carpets) using handlooms. Other major business of people here is manufacturing Bricks, which is exported to surrounding districts. Surprisingly there are no suicide by the farmers here as the majority of them are Muslims and do not go for high yield crops which are not suitable to Balapur area. If developed, it can be a good tourist place after Nagpur.

History

Balapur was an important military station after Ellichpur now Achalpur during the Mughal period.^[2] It became the seat of Provincial governor of Berar instead of Ellichpur^[3] and Prince Murad, son of Akbar settled in Barar with Balapur as his headquarters in 1596. Near Balapur he founded a new city named Shahpur and constructed a beautiful palace for himself which is now in ruins. As his relationship was deteriorating with Abdur Raheem Khan-i-Khanan, the commander of the army, Akbar recalled the Khan-i-Khanan and sent his trusted friend Abul Fazl to help him. After the fall of Ahmadnagar, Balapur was still the principal garrison town of Berar, but the next prince sent to administer the Deccan after the death of Murad, Daniyal Mirza preferred Burhanpur, as his viceregal capital. Daniyal died of drink in 1605. The death of his third son was a severe shock to the Emperor Akbar, who survived Daniyal Mirza only for a few months, and died in October 1605, when he was succeeded by his eldest son Salim (Jehangir). The climate of Balapur had an unfortunate effect on the Mughal officers. Akbar's son Murad had already died there from the effects of drink, and in 1617 Raja Maan Singh, a distinguished and valued officer of Jahangir's, died there from the same cause. Shahnawaz Khan succumbed to the same fate a few years later. Balapur was one of the richest Pargana in Berar Subah.

Muhammad Azam Shah, Son of Aurangzeb resided and build a Mud fort here. A Chhatri or Pavilion was erected by Mirza Raja Jai Singh, Commander of Shah Jahan and general of Aurangzeb. In 1720 Asif Jah defeated the Mughal forces dispatched against him.

There are still two families surviving by the name Qadri headed by Saiyad Mahmood Saeed Qadri Advocate sajjadah nasheen of Khanaahe Qadriyah located at the bank of river Bhains. They are having the Shijrah for the same with the family tree and very precious scripture that is Qurane Shareef written by Hazrat Abu Haneefah. There is also a very famous dargah of Hazrat Saiyad Shah MahmoodQKadri (Mahboobe Subhani)who was very famous for their deeds because of the same deed Hazrat Aurangzeb rahmatullah-alaih has visited the same place for their Qadam Bosi and gave him the Jageer of three villages that is Umra, Lasura and Chitora. The Qadri Jageer at Balapur present is headed by Dr Saiyad Yuusuf Saeed Qadri and Saiyad Ameer Mahmood Qadri after the death of Saiyad Mahmood Saeed Qadri Advocate in 2005 and on the foot steps of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jeelani. The Second family name is Khanqahe Naqshandi located Kasarkher on bank of the river Man.

Education

Major educational institutions include:

• Anjuman Anwarul Islam Jr College Balapur.
• Huda English School Balapur.(Run By Abdul Razique Sir)
• Shelad Urdu High School Shelad
• Smt Dhanabai High School Balapur

Forts and Palaces

Balapur Fort which exist in bad condition, was completed in 1757 by Ismail Khan Nawab of Ellichpur and is second largest fort in Barar after Gawilgarh hill fort. There exist a Rauzah Masjid with Tomb of Saint Maulvi Masoom Shah built by Mirza Aman Sher Baig in 1737-38. According to inscriptions on Jageerdar's Haveli, Khadin Gate was built in 1703-04.^[4]

Local municipality

The local Municipality was established in 1934. It provides services in the field of education (primary) and a rural hospital with hardly any facilities to be shared by the town people. Many private practitioners are available. A District Hospital is coming up and its construction is almost complete.

Demographics

As of 2011 India census,^[5] Balapur had a population of 44,494. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Balapur has an average literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 55% of the males and 45% of females literate. 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.

References