History of Nashik
Nashik region was included in Mauryan Kingdom, as per inscription issued by Dharma Maha Matra of Ashoka found at Devtek in Chandrapur district.
Naneghat inscription describes Vedishri as a very brave king, who was a unique warrior on the earth and was the lord of Dakshinapatha (Deccan).
Many years after the vedishree reign, most of Satavahana territories like Malwa, Nashik, Kathiawar of maharashtra were conquered by Shaka Kshatrapas.
Nahapana, a Shaka Kshatrapa probably appointed by the contemporary Kushana Emperor, was ruling over Konkan, Poona, Nasik and some other districts of Maharashtra as well as some portion of Central India as far north as Ajmer .
These records in the Nasik caves describe the charities and conquests of Ushavadata, who was evidently governing Northern Maharashtra and Konkan on behalf of his father-in-law.
The Shaka king accepted Satavahana vassalage, which is shown by his inscription in one of the Nasik caves, wherein he is called Benakatakasvami or the lord of Benakata (Wainganga district).
According to the inscription, the king's mother, Gautami Balsari, writes about her son as follows: '...who crushed the pride and conceit of the Kshatrapas.
Krishna, Gautamiputra, Pulumavi and Yajnashri excavated caves and donated villages to provide for the maintenance, clothing and medicines of the Buddhist monks.
The founder of the Abhira dynasty was Rajan Ishvarasena, the son of Shivadatta, who has left an inscription in cave IX at Nasik.
It records the investment of hundreds of Karshapanas in certain guilds at Nasik for providing medicines for the sick among the Buddhist mendicants residing in the Viharas of Trirashmi.
Judging by the expansion of this era, Ishvarasena and his descendants seem to have ruled a large territory comprising Gujarat, Konkan and Northern Maharashtra.
A copper-plate grant discovered at Pardi in the Surat district records the donation, by Dahrasena, of the village Kaniyas-Tadakasarika in the Antarmandali vishaya to a Brahmana residing at Kapura.
His copper-plate grant, dated in the year 241 (490 CE) of the Abhira era was discovered at Surat and records the donation of the village Purohita-palIika.
His coins have been found over a wide territory extending from Rajputana in the north to Maharashtra in the south in the village Devlana in the Baglan taluka of the Nasik district.
The grant shows that Shankaragana was, like his father, ruling over an extensive kingdom stretching from Malva in the north to at least the Nasik and Aurangabad districts in the south.
Shankaragana was succeeded by his son Buddharaja, who was involved in a struggle with the Chalukya king Mangalesha on the southern frontier of his kingdom soon after his accession.
He was succeeded by his son Kirtivarman I, who made some conquests in South India and is described as the night of destruction to the Nalas (of the Bastar district), the Mauryas of Konkan and the Kadambas of Vanavasi (in North Kanara).
Pulakeshin's grant dated in the Shaka year 552 (630 CE) was found at Lohaner in the Baglana taluka of the Nasik district.
It is dated in the Shaka year 552 (630 CE) and records Pulakeshin's grant of the village Goviyanaka to a Brahmana residing at Lohanagara (modern Lohaner).
Jayasimha's Nasik plates are dated in the Abhira year 436 (685 CE) and record his grant of the village Dhondhaka on the occasion of the Vishuva or vernal equinox.
It records the grant of eight villages and certain rites, dues and taxes in favour of the god Narayana, who was named Bhogeshvara evidently after king Bhogashakti, and was installed in a temple at Jayapura, modern Jarwar Budrukh near Anjaneri.
The second set of Anjaneri plates tells us that Bhogashakti granted certain rights, privileges and exemptions to the merchants of Samagiripattana when he resettled the town and the neighbouring villages some time after their devastation.
Bhogashakti's successor was probably overthrown by the Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga, who, from his Ellora plates, is known to have occupied the Nasik district some time before 715 CE.
The Rashtrakuta family produced several great conquerors who boldly invaded North and South India and achieved memorable victories such as Druva, Govinda II .
It was issued by Govinda III and is dated in the Shaka year 730 (808 CE) and records the grant of Ambakagram in the Vatanagara vishaya in the Nasikadesha to Brahmana Damodarabhatta, an inhabitant of Vengi, who belonged to the community of the Chaturvedins of that place.
In later years, the Rashtrakuta feudatories, who rose in rebellion against Govinda IV, deposed him and placed his uncle Baddiga-Amogha varsha III on the throne.
The latter was a man of quiet nature and spiritual temperament, who left the administration of the kingdom entirely to his ambitious and able son Krishna III.
His capital was Shrinagara as stated in the Vratakhanda, while from an early inscription it appears to have been Chandradityapura, which is identified with the modern Chandor in the Nasik district.
During their rule a peculiar style of architecture called Hemadpanti after Hemadri or Hemadpant, a minister of Mahadeva and Ramachandra came into vogue.
In 1931, a meeting of the Bombay Province Charmkar Parishad was organised in Nashik to work out the Chambhars' position with regard to the Second Round Table Conference in which Babasaheb was going to participate.
