Jalgaon is a city in Maharashtra, India. The city is located in northern Maharashtra in the Khandesh sub-region and serves as the administrative headquarters of the district of the same name, Jalgaon District. The Girna River flows from the western part of the city. Jalgaon is popularly known as the "Banana City of India" as farmers in the region (Jalgaon district) grow around two-thirds of Maharashtra's banana production.
According to Abul Fazal (Gladwin's AineAkbari, 1157), the name Khandesh is derived from the title "Khan" given by Ahmad-I of Gujarat (1411-1443) to Malik Nasir, the second of the Faruki kings. According to some sources, the name comes from the Khandava forest of Mahabharat. The Mahabharat mentions Yuvanshava, the ruler of Toranmal (Nanddurbar district), fighting with the Pandavas. The rock temples and caves of Nashik and Ajanta show that during the first three centuries AD, Khandesh was among the rulers who patronized Buddhism. It was then ruled by Saptavananas, Andhrabhrityas, Virsen (King Ahir), Yawan dynasty, Chalukyas, Yadavs and then Alaud-din Khilji, Mohammad Tughlak, Malik Raja Malik Nazir, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and then the Marathas ruled the region.
The ancient Khandesh, which was controlled by the Faruqui dynasty of Burhanpur, was then well established by the Maratha Royal called Tulajirao Bhoite and became Jalgaon. The Bhoite rulers built a mansion there which is now recognized as Bhoite Gadhi. In the 18th century, Khandesh was conquered by the British forces of the Holkar regime with Dhule as their headquarters. Robert Gill was the first officer of the British East India Company in the Khandesh district based in Dhule. In 1906, Khandesh was divided between East Khandesh and West Khandesh, and Jalgaon became the district headquarters of East Khandesh. After the reorganization of the Indian states in 1956, East Khandesh became part of Bombay State and later in 1960, it became part of Maharashtra.
