History of Damoh District from The imperial gazetteer of India, 1881

Since 1881 moe historical information has beceome available. This is what was known shortly before 1881.

Note that the perspective in the account below is British.

Yashwant

The imperial gazetteer of India

By India, William Wilson Hunter

Published 1881 DAMOH

History.

In early times the Chandel Rajputs of Mahobd, in Bundelkhand,
administered the present Districts of Sagar and Damoh by
means of a deputy placed at Balihri, in Jabalpur (Jubbulpore) . Excepting
a few temples known as marhs, of rude architecture, and entirely
destitute of inscriptions, the Chandels have left no monuments of
their rule.

On the decay of the Chandeli Raj, about the end of the
11th century, the greater part of Damoh became dependent upon the
Gond power, which had its seat at Khatold, in Bundelkhand, until its
subversion about 1500 by the notorious Bundeld chief, Raja Barsinh
Deva.

The Muhammadan power made itself felt in Damoh from a
very early period. A Persian inscription, formerly affixed to the
principal gateway of the town of Damoh, purports to have been placed
there during the reign of Ghiyas-ud-din (A.D. 1367-1373). Two hundred
years, however, elapsed from this time before the Muhammadans
actually occupied the District. Their invasion met with little opposition,
except at Narsinhgarh, where the Gonds made a show of resistance
to Shah Taiyab, the commander of the Imperial forces.

During the supremacy of the Muhammadans, Damoh, Narsinhgarh (or as
they called it, Nasratgarh), and Lakhronf were the principal towns ;
and their presence may still be traced in the ruins of forts, tombs, and
mosques. The Muhammadan element in the population is now very
insignificant both in numbers and in position ; and though the Kazis of
Xarsinhgarh claim descent from Shdh Taiyab, they have fallen so low
that they are glad to take service as messengers and process-servers.

When the Mughal Empire began to give way before the rising Marhatta
power, the Muhammadans fast lost their hold over such outlying
dependencies; and Chhatra Sal, the powerful Raja of Panna, took the opportunity to annex Sagar and Damoh. The Gonds and other
wild tribes, however, who held the more mountainous regions in the
south and east of Damoh, never acknowledged his authority. In his time was built the fort of HATTA.

In the year 1733, Raja Chhatra
Sal was forced to solicit the assistance of Baji Rao Peshwa to
repel an invasion of the Nawdb of Farrukhabdd from the north.
To repay the service then rendered, Raja Chhatra Sal consented to
the cession called the tethra, by which all his territory was divided
into three equal parts—one for each of his two sons, and the remaining
third for the Peshwa, whom he formally adopted. In this distribution,
a part of Damoh was allotted to each of the three; but no long time
elapsed before the Marhattas wrested the whole of the District from the
Bundelds. From this period, Damoh continued subordinate to the
Marhatta governors at Sagar (Saugor), until by the treaty of 1818 it was
made over to the British.

Under the plundering revenue system of the
Marhattas, wide tracts relapsed into jungle, and the cultivating classes
sank into a state of hopeless poverty.

Half a century of British
administration has now brought about a new era of prosperity for
Damoh. Our earlier land settlements, based on the Marhatta records,
pressed heavily on the agricultural population ; but this error has been
rectified, and the District now enjoys a light assessment and fixed
tenures. The result has already manifested itself in the spread of cultivation,
and in the high market value of land, in,some cases exceeding
thirty years' purchase. The official records of Damoh were destroyed
in the disturbances of 1857.

Population.—A rough enumeration in 1866 returned the population
of Damoh at 262,641 ; the more careful Census of 1872 at 269,642.
The latest estimate, in 1877, indicates a total of 283,394 inhabitants.
The Census of 1872 still remains, however, the only basis for a detailed
examination of the people. It disclosed a population of 269,642 persons,
living on an area of 2799 square miles, residing in 1128 villages or
townships and 57,688 houses; persons per square mile, 96-34;