Burhanpur

Burhanpur, on the banks of the Tapti (Tapi) River in southern Madhya Pradesh, has a long and important history as a gateway between North India and the Deccan. The town rose to prominence in the late 14th–15th centuries under the Faruqi sultans of Khandesh, who developed it as a fortified river city controlling trade routes, agricultural hinterland and passes towards the south.

In the late 16th century, Akbar and then Jahangir brought Burhanpur firmly into the Mughal Empire, turning it into a major provincial capital and military base. Grand mosques, sarais, stepwells and the Shahi Qila (royal palace-fort complex) were built or expanded in this period. The city became known for its textiles, crafts and thriving markets.

Burhanpur is closely connected with Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz died here in 1631 during a Deccan campaign; her body was initially buried in Burhanpur before being moved to Agra, where the Taj Mahal was built. Some sources mention that Shah Jahan first considered building her grand mausoleum at Burhanpur, but eventually chose the Yamuna riverfront in Agra instead.

In the 18th–19th centuries, as Mughal power waned and Maratha and British control expanded, Burhanpur gradually declined in political importance, but it remained a regional trade centre. Today, its Mughal-era mosques, palaces, gates and water systems make it one of central India’s richest but still relatively less-explored heritage towns.