History

The history of Mauganj dates back to the eleventh century starting with the advent of the Sengar clan of Rajputs into this fertile region located in North-Eastern Madhya Pradesh. It was previously known as ‘Mau Raj’ under the rule of the Sengar kings who settled down in the region and laid construction of forts in Mauganj, Mangawan and Bicchrahta.

The Sengar arrived in the region from Jalaun and ruled this little kingdom and famously defended it from the Kalachuris. However, at some point in the fourteenth century, the Baghelas invaded Mau Raj. They defeated the Sengars in the battle of Mau and destroyed their fort and ultimately annexed it to the kingdom of Bagelkhand. The scions of Sengars later eloped and constructed a new fortress and named it Nai Garhi which literally means ‘a new fortress. Its nearest towns are Manikwar, Hanumana, Deotalab, Naigadhi.

The reason for the fame of Devtalab is the Shiva temple located here, which is believed by the people around it to be a single stone temple which was built by Vishwakarma himself in a single night. Three fairs are organized here every year and a large number of devotees arrive.

The city of Naigarhi which means ‘new fort’ was established by Raja Chhatradhari Singh of the Sengar dynasty. According to the history of the region, he was a descendant of the Sengar dynasty of Rajputs, who ruled a kingdom called Mauganj, also known as ‘Mau Raj’. The dynasty is believed to have come from Jalaun (now in Uttar Pradesh) in the eleventh century and ruled as independent kings till the fourteenth century. However, a new clan of Rajputs, called the Baghelas, captured Mauganj from the Sengars. He established his control over this region and named it as Bagelkhand.