History of Bhopal

Titled as the City of Lakes, Bhopal has a charm of its own. Visitors are rendered speechless after visiting various tourist attractions in Bhopal and getting insights about its past. The history of Bhopal is mainly dominated by three phases namely the early history, the begum rule and post-independence. History of Bhopal makes us aware of the times of yore and helps unfasten the knots of many mysteries and secrets of the yesteryears.

Early history states that the Bhopal was established in 11^th century by the Paramara king Bhoja. He was also the man behind the construction of a large lake named as Bhojtal, from where the city got its name (Bhoj from the ruler and tal from the lake). Formerly known as the Upper Lake, the Bhojtal also has an interesting history associated which makes it one of the must-visit places in Bhopal. An alternative theory describing the history of Bhopal states that city got its name from another king named Bhupala.

The region was soon subjugated by the Mughal rulers and remained a part of that empire till the death of the Emperor Aurangzeb. It was reestablished in 1720s when Dost Mohammad Khan constructed the Fatehgarh fort which emerged as a city of Bhopal after a few decades.

The second phase in the history of Bhopal is marked as the Begum rule. Mamola Bai was the first brave woman who ruled Bhopal for over 50 years.

But, the Begum rule came into limelight when Bhopal became a princely state in 1818. It was then ruled by four brave women subsequently. The first amongst them was the Qudsia Begum who made a bold decision that she would be succeeded by her 2 year old daughter Sikander.

Nobody dared to challenge her decision. Then came Shah Jehan and Kaikhusrau Jahan. It was under the rule of Begums that much of the investments was made for constructions like the Gohar Mahal and the very famous the Taj-ul-Masajid of Bhopal.

Third phase of history of Bhopal was after independence. The Union Government of India overtook Bhopal on 1^st June 1949.