Khāmgaon, India

History

Khamgaon used to be a major cotton hub during the British Raj and has many old buildings from the British era. Mahatma Gandhi stayed here for a brief time during Indian independence movement. They inaugurated Tilak Rashriya Vidyapeeth in the city. Anjuman High School and Junior College, and GS College of Science, Arts, and Commerce. Khamgaon was a center for Swadeshi movement after Kolkata. There are many historical and religious places around the city. Sant Gajanan Maharaj Shegaon, a holy place for Hindus, is located about 17 km (11 mi) northeast of Khamgaon in Shegaon.

The cotton trade at Khamgaon dates from about the year 1820, when a few merchants opened shops and began to trade in ghee, raw thread, and a little cotton. The place is said to owe its start in commercial life to the good management of one Jetal Khan, a revenue collector, who invited and encouraged traders. But the settlement of capitalists here is ascribed to a characteristic accident. The great camps of Pendharis were followed by many merchants and brokers who made big gains by buying up the booty. In 1818, Colonel Doveton broke up a large horde of Pendharis at a village close to Khamgaon. They were forced to disband and scatter, so the honest prize agents of this camp settled at Khamgaon, and their descendants became virtuous dealers of cotton in particular and other merchandise in general.

From the History section of Khamgaon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.