A cultural and heritage expedition along the Wardha river valley, organised by Vedh Pratishthan, has documented a cluster of Mughal-era tombs, a medieval mosque, and other historical structures in Amravati district’s Ashti (Peth Ahmadpur) and Amaner areas, offering a rare glimpse into the region’s layered history.
The expedition found that the Wardha river long served as the boundary between Muslim and Gond kingdoms during the Bahmani and Imadshahi periods. Following Mughal Emperor Akbar’s annexation of Berar, Emperor Jahangir appointed Afghan chieftain Mohammad Shah Niyazi as nawab of four parganas — Amaner, Ashti, Pawnar, and Talegaon. Mohammad Shah established his headquarters at Ashti, and upon his death in 1627, a finely built tomb in Dakhani Mughal architectural style was erected there, which remains intact today. His son Ahmad Shah later founded Peth Ahmadpur, and his tomb from 1651 stands in the same compound alongside graves of other nawab family members, including freedom fighter Rashid Khan Nawab, who died in the 1942 movement.
At Amaner, on the banks of the Wardha, the expedition visited the tomb of Lal Khan Pathan — a commander of Aurangzeb — built around the 11th Hijri century and protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Amravati Gazetteer records that the tomb was constructed by Aurangzeb’s Hindu commander Raja Kishan.
The expedition was led by archaeologist and Vedh president Dr Manohar Naranje, and included secretary Khushal Kapse, butterfly expert Dr Ashwin Kinarkar, ornithologist Dr Lokesh Tamgire, and other researchers.
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