Khandwa district is an administrative district in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The town of Khandwa serves as its administrative headquarters. The district forms part of the Nimar (Nimad) region in the south-western part of the state and lies within the Indore division. Until 2003, the district was known as East Nimar, when a portion was carved out to form the separate Burhanpur district.
| State | Madhya Pradesh |
|---|---|
| Division | Indore |
| Headquarters | Khandwa |
| Region | Nimar |
| Country | India |
| Former name | East Nimar district |
Khandwa district lies on the southern side of the Narmada River, with the Satpura range running along its southern edge. The Narmada and the Tapti are the principal rivers influencing the district's drainage. The terrain is a mix of alluvial plains in the river valleys and hilly, forested tracts in the south. The district shares boundaries with Dewas, Khargone, Burhanpur, Harda, and Hoshangabad (Narmadapuram) districts, as well as parts of Maharashtra to the south.
The district is divided into several tehsils and development blocks for revenue and rural administration. Major towns include Khandwa, Pandhana, Mundi, Harsud, and Omkareshwar. The district falls under the Khandwa Lok Sabha constituency for the Indian Parliament. The Khandwa parliamentary seat encompasses assembly segments from Khandwa and adjoining districts.
The Nimar region has a long historical record, with Khandwa mentioned in medieval sources as a settlement of religious significance. The area came under successive powers including the Paramaras, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, the Marathas (notably the Holkars of Indore), and finally the British, under whom it formed part of the Central Provinces and Berar.
After Indian independence and the reorganisation of states in 1956, the region was incorporated into the new state of Madhya Pradesh. The district was historically called East Nimar, paired with West Nimar (now Khargone). On 15 August 2003, Burhanpur tehsil and surrounding areas were separated to constitute Burhanpur district, after which the residual unit came to be commonly referred to as Khandwa district.
The economy of the district is predominantly agricultural. Cotton, soybean, wheat, jowar, gram, and pulses are major crops, with cotton historically giving the Nimar region its identity as a cotton-producing belt. Khandwa town is an important railway junction on the Mumbai–Itarsi route and serves as a trading and processing centre for agricultural produce. The district hosts the Singaji Thermal Power Project at Dongalia near Mundi, a major coal-fired power station of the Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company.