Burhanpur District was created on 15 August 2003, from the southern portion of Khandwa District. The Tapti River flows through the district from east to west. The district is divided from Khandwa District on the north by the Satpura Range, which is also the divide between the Narmada River valley and the valley of the Tapti. The pass through the Satpuras that connects Burhanpur and Khandwa is one of the main routes connecting northern and southern India, and the Asirgarh fortress, which commands the pass, is known as the Key to the Deccan.