Nashik is also known as Mini Maharashtra, because the climate and soil conditions of Surgana, Peth, Igatpuri resembles with Konkan.
With the exception of the westernmost few villages, the western portion is hilly, and intersected by ravines, and only the simplest kind of cultivation is possible.
In February 2016, The Statue of Ahimsa, a 108 ft idol of first Jain tirthankara Rishabhdev carved in monolithic stone was consecrated at Mangi Tungi.
According to the Ramayana, Rama stayed in the region for a time in caves now called Sita Gufa, and killed Rakshasas who were harassing rishis.
The earliest mention of Nashik comes from a Varttika of Katyanana on Panini Sutra, where he calls a town Nashika as a Nagara.
Soon the Saka Kshatrapas conquered Nashik from the Sathavahanas, who were forced to retreat southeast to a small territory around their capital Pratishthana.
Nahapana's son in law, Ushadevata, described his charitable contributions of donating villages to gods and Brahmins, and constructing infrastructure such as dharamshalas and ferries, in inscriptions in the Pandavlena Gutta Caves.
After the defeat of the Kalachuris, the Chalukyas assigned the Sendrakas to govern southern Gujarat and Khandesh, including Nashik.
Originally feudatories of the Western Chalukyas, the Yadavas expanded their empire far, defeating the Kakakiyas, Paramaras and other foes, and shifted their capital to Devagiri.
Near Baglana ruled Rai Kiran, last of the Vaghela Dynasty, who had sought shelter with the Yadavas after his kingdom fell.
When Ramachandra's successor stopped payment in 1311, Malik Kafur killed the Yadava king and annexed his domains into the Delhi Sulatanate.
There Man Dev, ruler of the mountainous region of Salher and Malher, took the rebels captive and seized their goods.
Parts of Nashik continued to be under the province of Daulatabad under the Bahamanis, but neither they or the Delhi Sultanate had any control over the Chandvad or Satmala Hills, or Baglana.
During a war between the Bahamanis and Gujarat, Ahmad Shah Bahmani ravaged Baglana and tried to take the fort of Tambol.
in 1499, Ahmad Nizam Shah subjugated the ruler of Galna, but after Malik Wagi's murder the local chiefs of Nashik reasserted their independence.
In 1507, Ahmad Nizam Shah reconquered the chiefs, but after his death in 1508, the ruler of Galna threw off Sultanate rule again.
However, because of the plentiful food and pastures as well as the difficulty of marching through the passes, Akbar was forced to negotiate with the chief Pratapshah.
French merchant Tavernier noted that Baglana was particularly wealthy for being on the trade route between Surat and Golconda.
In October 1670, Shivaji sacked Surat again, and while he was returning he was intercepted by the Mughals between Vani and Dindori in Nashik district.
The Sayyid brothers then ruling Delhi sought a negotiated peace, and Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath negotiated a peace which saw the Marathas gaining grants of Chauth and Sardeshmukhi over Nashik, the northern part of which comprised the districts of Bagalana and Galna, although the territory was still nominally under Mughal control.
Soon the Nizam's own son, who controlled Baglana fort, rebelled, and rebellion spread to other parts in the district, but this was soon crushed.
Meanwhile, the Marathas intended to install Salabat Jung's brother Gaziuddin as Nizam in return for ceding all lands between the Tapi and Godavari to the west of Berar.
In 1802, a civil war broke out in the Maratha camp and Pindari raiders devastated Nashik, resulting in a famine.
The Marathas responded with brutal massacres of the Bhils, but this failed to stop the raiding, and landlords soon hired Arab mercenaries who soon became the main moneylenders.
These flows are normally horizontally disposed over a wide stretch and give rise to table land type of topography also known as a plateau.
The shallow alluvial formation of recent age also occurs as narrow stretch along the banks of Godavari Rivers.
The soils are the weathering products of Basalt and have various shades from gray to black, red and pink colour.
These hill ranges are eastward spurs of the Western Ghats and form prominent landmarks in the district, some noted for the shrines they harbor while others for the trekking adventures which can be undertaken while ascending the peaks.
[8] According to the 2011 census Nashik district has a population of 6,107,187,[12] roughly equal to the nation of El Salvador[13] or the US state of Missouri.
[17] Administratively, the district is divided into fifteen talukas, which are grouped into four sub-divisions: The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha (Kumbha Mela) is held after every twelve years at Nashik.