Location and Boundaries : Raisen District lies in the central part of Madhya Pradesh. The District is situated between the latitude 22 47′ and 23 33′ north and the longitude 7721′ and 78 49′ east. It is bounded in the west by Sehore district, in the north by Vidisha district, in the ease and south-east by Sagar district, in the south-east by Narsimhapur district, and in the south by Hoshangabad and Sehore district. The total area of the District is 8,395 Sq. Km., which contains the 1.93 % of the State’s area.
Origin of the Name : Raisen District takes its name from massive Fort. This fort is build on a sandstone hill, at the foot of which settles the town. The name is probably a corruption of Rajavasini or Rajasayan, the royal residence.
History : Raisen with a strong fort was an important centre of administration from the period of its foundation from Hindu times. In the fifteenth this fort was ruled by the Sultans of Mandu, from whom it passed to the Rajputs. In 1543 Shershah Suri captured from Puranmal. In Akbar’s time Raisen was the headquarter of a Sarkar in the Subah of Ujjain in Malwa. Fiaz Mohammad Khan, the third Nawab of Bhopal State occupied it in about 1760, later got himself recognized as Faujder of Raisen by Emperor Alamgir II.
During the Mugal period Khamkhera was the headquarter of the area noe falls in Gairatganj Tehsil. It receives its present name during the same Mugal rule. Shahpur was the headquarter of the Pargana. Later on it was shifted to Sagoni, which falls in Begamganj Tehsil.
After Bhopal State became a part ‘C’ State of the Union of India, the present district came into existence on 5th May, 1950, with headquarter at Raisen. It was decided to retain only seven Tehsils in the district.