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In June 2025, the Madhya Pradesh Government held a special Cabinet meeting at Pachmarhi, renaming the Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary after Raja Bhabhut Singh, a lesser-known but formidable tribal freedom fighter of the 1857 revolt.

About Raja Bhabhut Singh

• Lineage: Belonged to the Jagirdar family of Harrakot Raikheri, descended from Thakur Ajit Singh. His grandfather, Thakur Mohan Singh, had allied with Peshwa Appa Saheb Bhonsle of Nagpur during the 1819–20 resistance against the British.
• Role in 1857 Revolt:
  • A key Gond tribal leader with control over Jabalpur and the Satpura hills.
  • Employed guerrilla warfare tactics in the Satpura forests, using deep geographical knowledge to harass British forces.
  • Maintained close ties with Tatya Tope, a prominent national leader.
• Martyrdom:
  • British deployed the Madras Infantry to capture him.
  • He was executed in 1860, and is remembered in Korku tribal folklore.
  • Known as the "Shivaji of Narmadachal" for his resistance strategies.

Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Now Raja Bhabhut Singh Sanctuary)

• Located in the Satpura mountain range, central Madhya Pradesh, within the Deccan Peninsula biogeographic zone.
• Highest point: Dhoopgarh (1,352 m).
• Forms part of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, along with:
  • Satpura National Park
  • Bori Wildlife Sanctuary
• Key Biodiversity Zone in Central India.

Korku Tribe Overview

• Region: Mainly in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Melghat (Maharashtra).
• Occupation: Traditionally agriculturalists; introduced potato and coffee cultivation.
• Society: Patrilineal communities led by traditional headmen.
• Culture:
  • Practice ancestral worship through memorial stones called Munda.
  • Rich in oral traditions, which preserve the memory of tribal icons like Raja Bhabhut Singh.