On a historical note, a pleasure resort and capital of the Gond Kings during the 12th century, Jabalpur was later the seat of the Kalchuri dynasty. The Marathas held sway over Jabalpur until 1817, when the British wrested it from them and left their impression on the spacious cantonment with its colonial residences and barracks. 

Today Jabalpur is an important administrative centre, abustle with commercial activity. Jabalpur has always been a centre of attraction due to its strategic geographical position and its history. It is said that in ancient times the city was ruled by the Hayahya rulers of the Tripuri kingdom. There is a reference to the same kingdom in the epic Mahabharata. Later on, it became a part of the Maurya and the Gupta empires. Following this, the Kalchuri rulers conquered Jabalpur and made it their capital in the 11th century. 

Subsequently, it was transferred to the Gonds who then lost the town to the Mughals. The Marathas also acquired this region for a while, but eventually in 1818 the British took it under their rule and made it the capital of the Saugor and Nerbudda territories. It was also an active site during the freedom struggle. The great freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose presided over the Tripura Congress session in 1939 at Jabalpur. Therefore, many cultures and peoples amalgamated and created this cosmopolitan city. 

Acharya Vinayak Narhari Bhave called it Sanskaar Dhaani, or the cultural capital, if Madhya Pradesh, with several exponents of music, art, film and culture originating from here. The original settlement in this area was ancient Tripuri and the rulers of this city, the Hayahaya, are mentioned in the Mahabharata. It passed successively into Mauryan and then Gupta control until, in 875 AD, it was taken by the Kalchuri rulers. In the 13th century it was overrun by the Gonds. By the early 16th century it had become the powerful state of Gondwana. 

Though besieged by Mughal armies from time to time, Gondwana survived until 1789 when it was conquered by the Marathas. Their rule was unpopular, due largely to the increased activities of the thuggees who were ritual murderers and bandits. The Marathas were defeated in 1817. The thuggees were subdued by the British who developed the town in the mid-19th century.