History of Sehore district is filled with rich glories of the past. This district in the state of Madhya Pradesh stands in the foothills of Vindhyachal range in the middle of Malwa Plateau region. The priests of different sects like Shaiva, Jain, Shakta, Vaishnavas, Buddhist and Nath made the Sehore district a significant seat of their deep meditation. This district was previously a part of the Bhopal estate. After the formation of the state of Madhya Pradesh, the state capital Bhopal was a part of the Sehore district. It was bifurcated in the year 1972, and a new Bhopal district was formed.
Several big and small rivers abound the landscape of the Sehore district. Narmada River, Parbati River, River Dudhi, River Newaj, River Kolar, River Papnas, River Kulans, River Seewan, River Lotia, and other rivers tell the sad tale of their lost splendour in the form of scattered idols. Idols of Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Nandi, Garuda, Lord Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, apsaras and fairies have been found in different postures and forms.
Maharshi Patanjali, the illustrious founder of Yoga sect spent some time here in prayers and worship. Folklore also indicates to the visits of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Sita to its different places. Sehore has a number of temples, monasteries, shrines, mosques and churches of great historical and religious antiquity. In that sense, the district of Sehore boasts of its glorious tradition of communal harmony and homogeneous culture.
"Sidhhapur" is the old name of the Sehore district. As per the rock- edict found from the River Seevan, it got its name from `Sidrapur". The district of Sehore got its name from the Anglo-Indian perversion of "Sher" or Lion as pronounced by the British, since lion or `Shers` were in great numbers in the nearby jungles. This district has been an integral part of Avanti. Later on, it was under the rule of Magadha dynasty, Chandragupta I, Harshavardhan, Ashoka the great, Raja Bhoj, Peshwa chiefs, Rani Kamlawati and the Nawabs of Bhopal dynasty. This district in the state of Madhya Pradesh remained the headquarters of the British people.
The district of Sehore played a vital role in the freedom movement of India, especially the Sepoy Mutiny 1857. `Nishan-e-Mahaviri` and `Nishan-e-Mohammadi` remained furling in the place of Union Jack. That short phase of independence from the British clutches ended, when Sir Hurose and Robert Hamilton crushed the uprising by putting three hundred and fifty four patriots to the gallows and gunning down one hundred and forty nine Indian military men worked under British East India Company (sepoys). Nawabs of Bhopal remained always loyal to the British and that caused heavily to the efforts of the patriots in order to move out the British from the district of Sehore.
On the 15th of August 1947, India got its independence, but the estate of Bhopal did not merge with the Indian Union till 1949. Sehore has the honour of its achievement in the field of literature and academics. Lanciet Likinson, a British politician got translated Kalidasa`s famous book "Abhignan Shakuntalam" in 1835-40.
