Nagpur Division is one of six administrative divisions of Maharashtra state in India. Nagpur is the easternmost division in the state, with an administrative headquarters in the city of Nagpur. 

Nāgpur

Third largest city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune with a population of 2.1 million (2001 Census), Nagpur was the 13th largest urban conglomeration in India in 2001 and the foremost city in Maharashtra's eastern Vidarbha region. Nagpur is also the state's second capital, and the winter session of the Maharashtra legislative assembly is held here every year. The city also headquarters the respective administrations of Nagpur District and Nagpur Division. On a global scale, Nagpur is estimated to be the 114th largest city and the 143rd largest urban area in the world in 2006 in terms of population. Nagpur is also important geographically as it lies practically at the centre of India with the country's geographical centre (Zero Mile) being situated here. Moreover, Nagpur is well-known throughout India as a trade centre for high-quality oranges grown in the surrounding region and hence the city is also known as Santra Nagari (Marathi for 'Orange City'). Recently, the city celebrated 300 years of its establishment.

  * Area: 51,336 km² (19,821 mi²)

  * Population (2001 census): 10,665,939
  * Districts: Bhandara, Chandrapur,

Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nagpur, Wardha
  * Literacy: 75.90%
  * Area under irrigation: 4,820 km²

 
History
The first reference to the name Nagpur is found in a 10th century copper-plate inscription discovered at Devali in the neighbouring Wardha district. The inscription is a record of grant of a village situated in the visaya (district) of Nagpura-Nandivardhana during time of Rastrakuta king Krsna III in the Saka year 862 (940 CE). However, tradition ascribes the founding of Nagpur to Bakht Buland, a prince of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh in the Chhindwara district. In 1743, the Maratha leader Raghoji Bhonsle of Vidarbha established himself at Nagpur, after conquering the territories of Deogarh, Chanda and Chhattisgarh by 1751. After Raghoji's death in 1755, his son and successor Janoji was forced to acknowledge the effective supremacy of the Maratha Peshwa of Pune in 1769. Regardless, the Nagpur state continued to grow. Janoji's successor Mudhoji I (d. 1788) came to power in 1785 and bought Mandla and the upper Narmada valley from the Peshwa between 1796 and 1798, after which Raghoji II (d. 1816) acquired Hoshangabad, the larger part of Saugor and Damoh. Under Raghoji II, Nagpur covered what is now the east of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,Orissa, and parts of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

 
In 1803 Raghoji II joined the Peshwas against the British in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British prevailed, and Raghoji was forced to cede Cuttack, Sambalpur, and part of Berar. After Raghoji II's death in 1816, his son Parsaji was deposed and murdered by Mudhoji II. Despite the fact that he had entered into a treaty with the British in the same year, Mudhoji joined the Peshwa in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in1817 against the British, but was forced to cede the rest of Berar to the Nizam of Hyderabad, and parts of Saugor and Damoh, Mandla, Betul, Seoni and the Narmada valley to the British after suffering a defeat at Sitabuldi in modern-day Nagpur city. Mudhoji was deposed after a temporary restoration to the throne, after which the British placed Raghoji III the grandchild of Raghoji II, on the throne. During the rule of Raghoji III (which lasted till 1840), the region was administered by a British resident. In 1853, the British took control of Nagpur after Raghoji III died without leaving an heir. From 1853 to 1861, the Nagpur Province(which consisted of the present Nagpur region, Chhindwara, and Chhatisgarh) became part of the Central Provinces and Berar and came under the administration of a commissioner under the British central government, with Nagpur as its capital. Berar was added in 1903.

 
TATA, one of the most respected industrial houses in India, started the country's first textile mill at Nagpur, formally known as Central India Spinning and Weaving Company Ltd. The company was popularly known as "Empress Mills" as it was inaugurated on 1 January 1877, the day queenVictoria was proclaimed Empress of India.

 
Nagpur was a scene of significant political activity during India's freedom struggle. The city hosted two annual sessions of the Indian National Congress and the Non Co-Operation Movement was launched in the Nagpur session of 1920. After Indian Independence in 1947, Central Provinces and Berar became a province of India, and in 1950 became the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, again with Nagpur as its capital. However when the Indian states were reorganized along linguistic lines in 1956, the Nagpur region and Berar were transferred to Bombay state, which in 1960 was split between the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. There has been talk of Nagpur being the next National Capital for some time now, as at many given times, the government has felt that New Delhi is located too close to China and Pakistan.

 
Geography and Climate
Nagpur has an area of approximately 220 km² and is situated

at 21° 06' N latitude and 79° 03' E longitude and a mean altitude of 310 meters above sea level. Being located far away from any major water body at the centre of the Indian peninsula, the Nagpur's climate is dry or mildly humid for most of the year except for the rainy season. Nagpur city receives an annual rainfall of 1,205 mm (47.44 in) mostly between the months of June and September. The highest recorded rainfall was 304 mm on July 14, 1994. Summer lasts from March to June, with temperatures peaking in the month of May. Summers in Nagpur are extremely hot, with daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C (104°F). Winter lasts from November to January, during which it is not unusual for temperatures to drop below 10°C (50°F). The highest recorded temperature in the city was 48.6 °C (119.5 °F) on 1954-05-26, while the lowest was 3°C.