Achalpur अचलपुर Achalpur and Paratwada — Twin City |
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Modern city | |
Narrow gauge train named 'Shakuntala' at Achalpur Railway Station
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Nickname(s): City of Dams | |
Location in Maharashtra, India | |
Coordinates: 21°15′26″N 77°30′31″E / 21.25722°N 77.50861°ECoordinates: 21°15′26″N 77°30′31″E / 21.25722°N 77.50861°E | |
Country | India |
State | Maharashtra |
Region | Vidarbha |
District | Amravati |
Elevation | 369 m (1,211 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 612,293 |
Languages | |
• Official | Marathi, Hindi, English |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
PIN | 444805 or 444806 |
Telephone code | 07223 |
Vehicle registration | MH 27 |
Website | http://achalpurcity.com |
Achalpur, formerly known as Ellichpur and Illychpur, is a city and a municipal council in Amravati District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the second most populous city in Amravati District after Amravati and seventh most populous city in Vidarbha. It has a twin city known as Paratwada.
Achalpur or Ellichpur is first mentioned authentically in the 13th century as one of the famous cities of the Deccan. Though tributary to the Muslim Delhi Sultanate after 1294, it remained under Hindu administration till 1318, when it came directly under the Muslim Delhi Sultanate.
In 1294, Ala-uddin nephew of Jalaluddm Khilji, the reigning emperor of Delhi, invaded the Deccan with the object of subjugating Devagiri, of the wealth of which kingdom he had heard in the course of his forays in Central Asia. He halted at Ellichpur for two days and from then marched towards Devagiri from where he carried off an enormous quantity of plunder.
In 1347 Achalpur with the Berar region was ruled by the Bahmani Sultanate.
In 1490 Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk proclaimed his independence and founded the Imad Shahi dynasty of the Berar Sultanate. He proceeded to annex Mahur to his new kingdom and established his capital at Ellichpur. It was afterwards capital of the Berar Subah at intervals until the Mughal occupation, when the seat of the provincial governor was moved to Balapur. The town retains many relics of the Sultans of Berar.