Gond Zamindari of the Deccan | The Atram Rajas and the 1611 Sanad
The Sirpur (often written Sirpur (T) or Sirpur-Tandur) Samasthanam refers to a historic Gond estate associated with the Atram Rajas in the northern Deccan. It should be distinguished from the later Sirpur-Tandur administrative sub-district, which was created in 1872 under the Hyderabad State administration and comprised the taluks of Edlabad (Adilabad), Rajura and Sirpur. The Atram Gond chiefs of the Sirpur area subsequently held recognized zamindari authority under successive political regimes, including the Nizam's Hyderabad State. Historical accounts also associate the Sirpur Atram lineage with a 1611 CE sanad issued during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir.
The wider Sirpur-Chanda Gond tradition traces the political history of the region through a succession of Gond rulers whose centres of power included Sirpur, Ballarsha and Chanda. By the later medieval period, the Chanda Gond kingdom had become the principal Gond power in the area, while local chiefs and subordinate lineages continued to exercise authority over particular territories. The Chanda kingdom was conquered by the Maratha Bhonsles in 1751 CE, bringing a major change in the political status of the Gond ruling houses.
A significant document associated with the Sirpur Gond chiefs dates to 1611 CE, during the reign of Mughal emperor Jahangir. Historical accounts identify Govind Rao as receiving sardeshmukh and jagir-related rights connected with Sirpur and nearby villages, including Sirpur, Pangri, Kanchanpalli, Jainur and Chorpalli. The sanad is associated with the historical rights of the Gond chiefs and later Atram lineage. It was not an Aurangzeb sanad; Aurangzeb was born in 1618 and did not become emperor until 1658.
In 1751 CE, the Chanda Gond kingdom was conquered by the Bhonsles of Nagpur. The change ended the independent political authority of the Chanda Gond kingdom, although Gond chiefs and zamindars continued to exercise local influence in many areas.
The Treaty of Deogaon, concluded in 1803 after the Second Anglo-Maratha War, resulted in territorial changes involving the Bhonsle kingdom and the British. Territories in the region east of the Wardha and adjoining tracts subsequently came under the Nizam of Hyderabad through the political arrangements of the period. The transfer should not be described as the simple direct transfer of the entire Sirpur estate to the Nizam.
The Atram Rajas of Sirpur were a Gond ruling lineage associated with the Sirpur area and with Kanchanpalli. Historical accounts place the Sirpur Atram chiefs within the wider network of Gond chiefs connected with Chanda. Under Hyderabad State, such local chiefs could retain substantial authority over their estates and communities while functioning within the Nizam's administrative system.
Atram Jangu Bapu is identified in local historical accounts as a Raja of Kanchanpalli. He is traditionally credited with establishing the village and providing a well for its inhabitants. These details are part of the recorded history of the Kanchanpalli branch of the Atram lineage.
Narsing Rao is identified as a Deshmukh associated with the Gond local administration. Historical accounts state that he lived at Mamidpalli toward the end of his life rather than at Sirpur.
Govind Rao is associated with the important 1611 CE grant during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. Historical accounts connect him with sardeshmukh and jagir-related rights in Sirpur and nearby villages.
Rajesh Rao is mentioned in historical accounts in connection with the administration of Sirpur Patti, following an arrangement involving Bhim Rao of Kanchanpalli.
Bheem Rao Senior was an important Gond chief of the Kanchanpalli-Sirpur area during the late Nizam period. In 1942, anthropologist Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf and his wife Elizabeth came to Kanchanpalli during their field research among the Gonds. Historical accounts record Bheem Rao's cooperation with their work.
Other associated families: The Sitagondi and Maravi families were also associated with Gond chiefly authority in parts of the wider Asifabad region. Historical accounts state that the Sitagondi rajas were associated with areas of the former Asifabad taluk and that the ancestor of the Maravi rajas received Borda (Borjam) near Dorli.
The Sirpur-Tandur sub-district was created in 1872 under Hyderabad State administration with Edlabad, Rajura and Sirpur as its constituent taluks. It was an administrative unit and should not be confused with the earlier Gond estates or the later Sirpur Atram zamindari. By 1905, Sirpur-Tandur had been reorganized as the independent Adilabad District.
The wider Sirpur region had an agrarian and forest-based economy. Forest products were important to local livelihoods, while land revenue formed a major component of the historical administrative system. The later development of the Sirpur Paper Mills at Kaghaznagar became an important part of the area's modern industrial history, but it should not be used as the explanation for the historical name Sirpur-Tandur.
The wider region has long been home to Gond communities together with other tribal communities, including Kolam and Pardhan groups, as well as non-tribal populations. Gond chiefs served important local political and social roles within the changing administrative structures of the region.
The wider Sirpur area contains remnants associated with the region's Gond history, including the historic Sirpur Fort and other older structures, wells and religious sites. The fort has traditionally been associated with the Gond rulers of Sirpur. The 1611 CE sanad associated with the Gond chiefs is an important documentary element in the historical record of the region. Claims about particular monuments, festivals or forms of royal patronage should be distinguished from documented archival evidence and local tradition.
VI. Chronology and Milestones
VIII. Legacy of the Sirpur Samasthanam
The history associated with the Sirpur Samasthanam reflects the continued role of Gond chiefly families within the changing political systems of the northern Deccan. The Atram Rajas of Sirpur and Kanchanpalli formed part of this local ruling structure, while the 1611 CE record associated with Govind Rao provides an important documentary reference to Gond political and revenue rights during the Mughal period.
The later Sirpur-Tandur name belongs primarily to the administrative history of the Hyderabad State. The sub-district was established in 1872 and later became part of the administrative structure of Adilabad District. Today, Sirpur (T) is a town and mandal headquarters in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, Telangana. The historical Gond sites, surviving fort remains and traditions associated with the Atram chiefs form part of the region's wider tribal and political heritage.
- Sirpur-Chanda Gond Dynasty - Telangana360
- Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf, works and field records on the Gonds of Hyderabad State
- Hyderabad State Gazetteer - Adilabad District
- Imperial Gazetteer of India - Sirpur Tandur and Adilabad District
- Census of India - Adilabad District historical and administrative records
- Telangana State historical and district administration records
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