History of Jabalpur

Jabalpur is one of the major cities of Madhya Pradesh state in India.Jabalpur is postulated to be Jabalipattan (जाबालिपत्तन) or Jabalipuram (जाबालिपुरम) of the legendary atheist sage Jaabaali mentioned in the epic Ramayana, as his tapasya-bhoomi (= place of penance)

Jaabaali Muni is one of the nine Rishi in Dasharath's court in Vaalmeeki Raamaayan.His nine Rishis are -  Vashishth and Vaamdev were the in charge of religious ceremonies; and Suyagya, Jaabaali, Kashyap, Gautam, Maarkandeya, Deerghaayu, and Kaatyaayan were their assistants and also lived there.

Thus Jaabaali was one of the priests in the court of King Dasharath in Ayodhyaa. It is believed that he is the son of Vishwaamitra. Jaabaali Muni is famous for the advice he gave to Lord Raam( He tested Sri Raama during his exile by his atheistic arguments). Jaabaali Muni was a free thinker and an ascetic who did not believe in Heaven and a life hereafter - he advised Shree Raam not to follow his duty and go to the forest to fulfill his father Dasharath's vows to Queen Kaikeyee. Shree Raam, of course, ignores his advice and goes on to perform His duties as a faithful son. This is in the Ayodhyaa Kaand.

 Here is one verse from Atheist Jaabaali Muni to Shree Raam -

na te kashchid dasharathah twam cha tasya na kashchanaa |
anyo raajaa twam anyaH cha tasmaat kuru yad uchyate

"Dasharath is none to you nor you are in anyway to him. That King is another and your are another. Hence, do what is told by me?"

And Shree Raam replies :
"The logical words, you have made it out to be good, saying 'Do this good thing' as uttered to me, are really unworthy. Having promised before my father about my exile to the forest, how can I fulfill Bharat's words now, abandoning the father's words? A firm promise has been made by me in the presence of my father, when Queen Kaikeyee too became rejoiced.

Then Vashishth says --
Recognizing that Raam has become angry, Vashishth spoke as follows: "Even Jaabaali is aware of the going and coming of this world. He spoke in this manner, on account of his desire that you should return. O, Lord of the people! Learn from me of the creation of the world."

Ashokan relics have been found in Jabalpur. Later on it was the capital of the famous Tripuri kingdom in the 9th & 10th centuries. In AD 875, it was taken over by the Kalachuri dynasty who made Jabalpur their capital. In the 13th century, the Gonds seized it and made it their capital. Inscriptions record the existence during the 11th and 12th centuries of a local line of princes of the Haihai people who are closely connected with the history of Gondwana.In the 16th century the Gond raja of Garha-Mandla extended his power over fifty-two districts, including the present Jabalpur. During the minority of his grandson, Asaf Khan, the viceroy of Kara Manikpur, conquered the Garha principality and held it at first as an independent chief. Eventually he submitted to the Mughal emperor Akbar. From time to time, the Mughal rulers tried to overrun it. The legendary Gond Queen Rani Durgavati also died fighting the Mughal forces led by the Akbar.