1.
Hindu
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Hindu refers to any person who regards themselves as culturally, ethnically, or religiously adhering to aspects of Hinduism. It has historically used as a geographical, cultural, or religious identifier for people indigenous to South Asia. The historical meaning of the term Hindu has evolved with time, by the 16th century, the term began to refer to residents of India who were not Turks or Muslims. The historical development of Hindu self-identity within the Indian population, in a religious or cultural sense, is unclear, competing theories state that Hindu identity developed in the British colonial era, or that it developed post-8th century CE after the Islamic invasion and medieval Hindu-Muslim wars. A sense of Hindu identity and the term Hindu appears in texts dated between the 13th and 18th century in Sanskrit and regional languages. The 14th- and 18th-century Indian poets such as Vidyapati, Kabir and Eknath used the phrase Hindu dharma, the Christian friar Sebastiao Manrique used the term Hindu in religious context in 1649. In the 18th century, the European merchants and colonists began to refer to the followers of Indian religions collectively as Hindus, in contrast to Mohamedans for Mughals, scholars state that the custom of distinguishing between Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs is a modern phenomenon. Hindoo is a spelling variant, whose use today may be considered derogatory. At more than 1.03 billion, Hindus are the third largest group after Christians. The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 966 million, live in India, according to Indias 2011 census. After India, the next 9 countries with the largest Hindu populations are, in decreasing order, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United States, Malaysia, United Kingdom and Myanmar. These together accounted for 99% of the worlds Hindu population, the word Hindu is derived from the Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit word Sindhu, which means a large body of water, covering river, ocean. It was used as the name of the Indus river and also referred to its tributaries, the Punjab region, called Sapta Sindhava in the Vedas, is called Hapta Hindu in Zend Avesta. The 6th-century BCE inscription of Darius I mentions the province of Hidush, the people of India were referred to as Hinduvān and hindavī was used as the adjective for Indian in the 8th century text Chachnama. The term Hindu in these ancient records is an ethno-geographical term, the Arabic equivalent Al-Hind likewise referred to the country of India. Among the earliest known records of Hindu with connotations of religion may be in the 7th-century CE Chinese text Record of the Western Regions by the Buddhist scholar Xuanzang, Xuanzang uses the transliterated term In-tu whose connotation overflows in the religious according to Arvind Sharma. The Hindu community occurs as the amorphous Other of the Muslim community in the court chronicles, wilfred Cantwell Smith notes that Hindu retained its geographical reference initially, Indian, indigenous, local, virtually native. Slowly, the Indian groups themselves started using the term, differentiating themselves, the poet Vidyapatis poem Kirtilata contrasts the cultures of Hindus and Turks in a city and concludes The Hindus and the Turks live close together, Each makes fun of the others religion
2.
Peshwa
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A Peshwa was the equivalent of a modern Prime Minister in the Maratha Empire. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati, but later, they became the de facto leaders of the Marathas, and the Chatrapati was reduced to a nominal ruler. During the last years of the Maratha Empire, the Peshwas themselves were reduced to titular leaders, and remained under the authority of the Maratha nobles, all the Peshwas during the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji belonged to Deshastha Brahmin family. The first Peshwa was Moropant Pingle, who was appointed as the head of the Ashta Pradhan by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the initial Peshwas were all ministers who served as the chief executives to the king. The later Peshwas held the highest administrative office and also controlled the Maratha confederacy, under the Chitpavan Brahmin Bhat family, the Peshwas became the de facto hereditary administrators of the Confederacy. The Peshwas office was most powerful under Baji Rao I, under Peshwa administration and with the support of several key generals and diplomats, the Maratha Empire reached its zenith, ruling most of the Indian subcontinent. However, after the Peshwa Raghunathrao allied with the British, the Peshwas power declined substantially, later on many provinces were controlled and administered either by the Maratha nobles such as Daulat Rao Sindhia, or by the East India Company. During this period, the Maratha confederacy came to its end through its formal annexation into the British Empire in 1818, clever Deshasthas were happy with the downfall as they were kept away from power by talented Chitpavans for a long time. The word Peshwa is from Persian پیشوا pēshwā, meaning foremost, after the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1674, he appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as the first Peshwa. Shivaji Maharaj renamed this designation as Pantpradhan in 1674 but this term is commonly used. The first Peshwa was Moropant Trimbak Pingale who served the monarch and his son, Nilopant Pingale, was appointed Peshwa by the second Chhatrapati Sambhaji after Moropants s death in 1683. The second Peshwa, Ramchandra Amatya, received royal status from Chhatrapati Rajaram as Hukumatpanha from 1689 to 1699 and he was a sound administrator who rose from the level of a local Kulkarni to the ranks of Ashta Pradhan due to guidance and support from Shivaji. Amatya is a Sanskrit term denoting counselor, guide, supervisor or overseer of both personal and governmental affairs and he recaptured many forts from the Mughals between 1690 and 1694, some in person, as well as personally conducting guerilla war techniques. When Chhatrapati Rajaram fled to Jinji in 1689, before leaving from Maharashtra, Ramchandra Pant managed the entire state under many challenges such as the Mughal influx, the betrayal of Vatandars, and scarcity of food. With his help, Sachiv kept the Maratha State on an economic footing. Pant got tremendous military help from Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, in 1698, he happily stepped down from the post of Hukumatpanha and Rajaram offered this post to his wife Tarabai. Tarabai gave an important position to Pant in the administration of Maratha State and he wrote a book called Adnyapatra मराठी, आज्ञापत्र which explained different techniques of war, maintenance of forts and administration etc. The concepts in Adnyapatra and the wisdom and leadership of ] greatly helped the Maratha empire in building the foundation of state, as he was more loyal to Tarabai than Shahu, he was sidelined after the arrival of Chhatrapati Shahu
3.
Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi
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Parshuram Trimbak Kulkarni, popularly known as Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi, was a Minister and Count of the Maratha Empire. He served as Pratinidhi during Chhatrapati Rajaram and Tarabai’s reign and his contribution to the War of 27 years is considered to be of vital importance. He was also the founder of the states of Vishalgad. Parshuram Pant was born in a Deshastha Brahmin family in 1660 and his father was a tax assessor of a few villages around his native home of Kinhai near Koregaon in Satara district. At the age of 14, Parshuram Pant went to Vishalgad, due to his steady progress both in clerical as well as military functions, he was soon promoted as Ramchandra Pants deputy and was sent to Vasota Fort to look after military administration. Parshuram Pant exhibited his leadership qualities for the first time during the blockade of Panhala Fort in 1689 which was captured by Aurangzeb in the same year. Parshuram Pant, however, recaptured the fort in June 1692 with tremendous efforts and he also captured Fort Bhudargad and Chandangad from Mughals. Delighted with his performance, Rajaram honored him with the title of ‘Subha Lashkar’ and ‘Samsher Jung’ and it read, It was great to hear that Parshuram Pant was joining the Mughal camp for a consideration that was mutually agreed upon. Simultaneously, Parshuram Pant got a letter of same sort addressed to Ramchandra Pant, however, this trick could not work as both of them were closely associated with each other. During December 1699 to April 1700, when Satara fort was blocked by Aurangzeb, Parshuram Pant ensured non-stop supplies of food grain and ammunition to the Maratha army from Fort Parali. After Rajaram’s death in 1700, Parshuram Pant became right hand of Tarabai who sought his help in restoring her son Shivaji II on the vacant throne of Rajaram. In 1702, he fought for saving the fort Vishalgad continuously for five months, ultimately, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed and the fort was handed over to Aurangzeb on 4 June 1702 after receiving a sum of Rs.2 lac in tribute. Parshuram Pant would not get it back until 1707, however, just within a span of 3 years, he recaptured other forts like Panhala Fort, Pavangad, Satara, in 1707, Shahu was released by the Mughals and the civil war between him and Tarabai commenced. Unlike many others, Parshuram Pant remained loyal to Tarabai and fought against Shahu but was defeated, in 1710, he was released and was earnestly requested by Shahu to assume the post of Pratinidhi which he did with little hesitation. Even though he was granted a separate estate at Aundh near Karad. His disobedience, however, compelled Shahu to put him in twice during 1710 to 1714. Being a genuine devotee of the Hindu Goddess Yami, he wrote a few poems praising the goddess and received great respect and his son Shrinivasrao alias Shripatrao was appointed by Shahu to succeed him. ‘Satarchya Pratinidhi Gharanyacha Itihas’ by Anant Narayan Bhagwat ‘Marathi Riyasat Volume II’ by Govind Sakharam Sardesai ‘Pant Pratinidhi Bakhar’
4.
Baji Rao I
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Pantpradhan Shreemant Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat was a general of the Maratha Empire in India. He served as Peshwa to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu from 1720 until Bajiraos death and he is also known by the names Bajirao Ballal and Thorale Bajirao. Bajirao is credited with expanding the Maratha Empire, especially in the north, in his brief military career spanning 20 years, Bajirao never lost a battle and won 41 battles. According to the British Army officer Bernard Montgomery, Bajirao was possibly the finest cavalry general ever produced by India, Bajirao was born into the Bhat family of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmin lineage. His father Balaji Vishwanath was the first Peshwa of Chhatrapati Shahu, Bajirao had a younger brother Chimaji Appa and two sisters, Bhiubai Joshi and Anubai Ghorpade. He spent his childhood in his fathers newly acquired fiefdom of Saswad, Bajirao would often accompany his father on military campaigns. He was with his father when the latter was imprisoned by Damaji Thorat before being released for a ransom, when Vishwanath died in 1720, Shahu appointed the 20-year old Bajirao as the Peshwa. He is said to have preached the ideal of Hindu Pad Padshahi, Bajirao intended to plant the Maratha flag upon the walls of Delhi and other cities governed by the Mughals and he intended to replace the Mughal Empire and create a Hindu-Pat-Padshahi. By the time Bajirao became the Peshwa, Chhatrapati Shahu was almost a titular ruler, the Maratha confederacy was run in his name, but the real power lay in the hands of the Peshwa. By the time of Bajiraos appointment, Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah had recognized Marathas rights over the territories possessed by Shivaji at his death, in 1719, the Mughals had also recognized the Maratha rights to collect taxes in the six provinces of Deccan. Bajirao believed that the Mughal Empire was in decline and wanted to take advantage of this situation with aggressive expansion in north India. Sensing the declining fortune of the Mughals, he is reported to have said, Strike, strike at the trunk and the branches will fall off themselves. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan, had created his own independent kingdom in the region. For example, the Siddis controlled the Janjira fort, on January 4,1721, Bajirao met Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I at Chikhalthan to settle their disputes through agreement. However, Nizam refused to recognize the Maratha rights to collect taxes from the Deccan provinces, Nizam was made Vizier of Mughal Empire in 1721, but alarmed at his growing power, emperor Muhammad Shah transferred him from Deccan to Awadh in 1723. Nizam rebelled against the order, resigned as the Vizier and marched towards Deccan, the emperor sent an army against him, which the Nizam defeated in the Battle of Sakhar-kheda. In response, Mughal emperor was forced to recognize him as the viceroy of Deccan, the Marathas, led by Bajirao, helped Nizam win this battle. In fact, for his bravery in the battle, Bajirao was honored with a robe, a mansabdari of 7,000, an elephant, after the battle, Nizam tried to appease both the Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu as well as the Mughal emperor
5.
Shrivardhan
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For the fort in Satara see Shrivardhan fort Shrivardhan/Shriwardhan is a taluka, city and municipal council in the Raigad district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has developed into a resort, along with the nearby town of Harihareshwar. Located on a peninsula, the town itself boasts many beaches, in addition to proximity to numerous other beach destinations such as Diveagar Beach, people from across Maharashtra come to Shrivardhan and the nearby beaches all year round. The taluka of Shriwardhan is an ancient place of importance and is mentioned as being visited by Arjuna Pandav in his pilgrimage. It was an important port in the past, well known to traders of Ahmednagar and it appears in the accounts of leading European travellers, for example, Ziffardan. In 1538, Dom Joao de Castro described it as having little water under the pier at low tide and it is notable as the birthplace of Balaji Visvanath, the first Peshwa who was the Deshmukh of the town, where there is now a monument to him. In 1713, Shriwardhan was one of the sixteen fortified places in the Konkan ceded by Balaji Visvanath Peshwa to Kanhoji Angre of Kolaba. Balaji was the first Peshwa of Maratha Empire appointed by Chhatrapati Shahu, the distance between Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar is 18 km and they are often considered to be twin cities. Diveagar is a place than both cities, which has garnered it recent notice which has initiated its transformation into a popular tourist destination. Kandivali beach is also an important tourist destination, located just 10 minutes from Shrivardhan by bike, most of the people are engaged in fishing and agriculture, with fish being a popular offering for tourism. Shriwardhan is mostly covered with mango and coconut trees, the city is home to many hotels and resorts, and is popular as a destination for weekend getaways and group picnics. Rickshaws and Six-Seaters are available for travel between Shrivardhan and Harihareshwar, there is also an availability of Maharashtra state transport buses, which provide connections to all neighbouring cities. Buses connect Mumbai, Pune, Harihareshwar and Panvel, the nearest train station is in Mangaon, located 45 km away from Shrivardhan with strong connections throughout the Konkan coast to Pune and Mumbai. Shrivardhan is one of the oldest towns in Maharashtra, the Bhat Deshmukhs of Shrivardhan - later popularly known as Peshwas - witnessed the rise and the fall of Marathas after the Shivaji period. Though the capital of Peshwas was Pune, the institution of Peshwa was born in Shrivardhan in 1713. Balaji Vishwanath took control of the position and gained de facto rule in the Maratha empire under the rule of the Chatrapati king. The Peshwas administered the Maratha kingdom for more than 100 years, the third Peshwa, Balaji Bajirao, built a huge house here in 1750, which has recently been renovated. The statue of Balaji Vishwanath was also installed here in 1988, the temple in the town - Shri Laxminarayan Temple - is the main temple of Peshwas
6.
Konkan
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Konkan, also known as the Konkan Coast or Kokan, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India. It is a 720 km long coastline and it consists of the coastal districts of western Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra. The ancient Saptakonkana is a larger region. The word Konkan derived from two marathi words koṇa and kaṇa, the Konkan region is a relatively small strip of flat land at the western foothills of the Western Ghats. The Konkan division is an administrative sub-division of Maharashtra which comprises all the districts of the state. The Sahyadri Mountain range forms the boundary of the Konkan. The southern boundary is the Gangavali River, the Mayura River forms the northern boundary. The Gangavali flows in the district of in present-day Karnataka State, the towns of Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Honavar and Bhatkal fall within the Konkan. The exact identity of the Mayura River, the limits of the historic Konkan, is indeterminate. The two districts in the state capital Mumbai are also part of Konkan division, maharashtras konkan area consists of,1. Palghar 2. Thane 3. Mumbai city 4. Mumbai suburb 5. Raigarh 6. Ratnagiri 7. Tribal communities in Konkan include Konkana, Warli and Kolcha in Southern Gujarat, Dadra and Nagarhaveli, katkaris are found more in Raigad and also some in Ratnagiri district
7.
Maharashtra
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Four Maharashtra is a state in the western region of India and is Indias second-most populous state and third-largest state by area. It is the wealthiest Indian state and it is also the worlds second-most populous sub-national entity. It has over 112 million inhabitants and its capital, Mumbai, has a population of approximately 18 million, Nagpur is Maharashtras second capital as well as its winter capital. Maharashtras business opportunities along with its potential to offer a standard of living attract migrants from all over India. Ancient and medieval Maharashtra included the empires of the Satavahana dynasty, Rashtrakuta dynasty, Western Chalukyas, Mughals, the major rivers of the state are Godavari, and Krishna. The Narmada and Tapti Rivers flow near the border between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, Maharashtra is the second most urbanised state in India. The state has several popular Hindu places of pilgrimage including Pandharpur, Dehu and Alandi, other places that attract pilgrims from other parts of India and beyond include Hazur Sahib Gurudwara at Nanded, Sai Baba shrine at Shirdi and Dikshabhumi at Nagpur. Maharashtra is the wealthiest and one of the most developed states in India, as of 2011, the state had a per capita income of ₹1.0035 lakh, more than the national average of ₹0.73 lakh. Its GDP per capita crossed the ₹1.20 lakh threshold for the first time in 2013, however, as of 2014, the GDP per capita reduced to ₹1.03 lakh Agriculture and industries are the largest parts of the states economy. Major industries include chemical products, electrical and non-electrical machinery, textiles, petroleum, Jai Maharashtra The modern Marathi language developed from the Maharashtri Prakrit, and the word Mahratta is found in the Jain Maharashtri literature. The terms Maharashtra, Maharashtri, Marathi and Maratha may have derived from the same root, however, their exact etymology is uncertain. But the Marathas as a people do not seem to be mentioned before the thirteenth or fourteenth century, the most widely accepted theory among the linguistic scholars is that the words Maratha and Maharashtra ultimately derived from a combination of Maha and rashtrika. The word rashtrika is a Sanskritized form of Ratta, the name of a tribe or dynasty of petty chiefs ruling in the Deccan region. Another theory is that the term is derived from Maha and ratha / rathi, an alternative theory states that the term derives from the word Maha and Rashtra. However, this theory has not found acceptance among scholars who believe it to be the Sanskritised interpretation of later writers. Maharashtra was ruled by the Maurya Empire in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE, around 230 BCE Maharashtra came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty for 400 years. The greatest ruler of the Satavahana Dynasty was Gautamiputra Satakarni, in 90 CE Vedishri, son of the Satavahana king Satakarni, the Lord of Dakshinapatha, wielder of the unchecked wheel of Sovereignty, made Junnar, thirty miles north of Pune, the capital of his kingdom. The state was ruled by Western Satraps, Gupta Empire, Gurjara-Pratihara, Vakataka, Kadambas, Chalukya Empire, Rashtrakuta Dynasty, and Western Chalukya before finally
8.
Marathi language
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Marathi is an Indian language spoken predominantly by the Marathi people of Maharashtra. It is the language and co-official language in the Maharashtra and Goa states of Western India, respectively. There were 73 million speakers in 2001, Marathi ranks 19th in the list of most spoken languages in the world, Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India, after Hindi, Bengali and Telugu in that order. Marathi has some of the oldest literature of all modern Indo-Aryan languages, the major dialects of Marathi are Standard Marathi and the Varhadi dialect. Malvani Konkani has been influenced by Marathi varieties. Marathi has several features that set it aside from most other Indian languages, Marathi distinguishes inclusive and exclusive forms of we and possesses a three-way gender system that features the neuter in addition to the masculine and the feminine. In its phonology it contrasts apico-alveolar with alveopalatal affricates and, in common with Gujarati, Marathi is primarily spoken in Maharashtra and parts of neighbouring states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, union-territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The cities of Baroda, Surat, and Ahmedabad, Belgaum, Karwar, Nipani, Indore, Gwalior, Adoni, Hyderabad, Marathi is also spoken by Maharashtrian emigrants worldwide, especially in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Mauritius, and Canada. Marathi is the language of Maharashtra and co-official language in the union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra. In Goa, Konkani is the official language, however. Marathi is included among the languages which stand a part of the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India, the contemporary grammatical rules described by Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad and endorsed by the Government of Maharashtra are supposed to take precedence in standard written Marathi. Traditions of Marathi Linguistics and the rules give special status to tatsamas. This special status expects the rules for tatsamas to be followed as in Sanskrit and this practice provides Marathi with a large treasure of Sanskrit words to cope with demands of new technical words whenever needed. Jawaharlal Nehru University has announced plans to establish a department for Marathi. Marathi Day is celebrated on 27 February, the birthday of poet Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar, Indian languages, including Marathi, that belong to the Indo-Aryan language family are derived from early forms of Prakrit. Marathi is one of languages that further descend from Maharashtri Prakrit. Marathi literature began and grew owing to the rise of the Seuna dynasty of Devgiri, further growth and usage of the language was because of two religious sects – the Mahanubhava and Varkari panthans – who adopted Marathi as the medium for preaching their doctrines of devotion. Marathi had attained a place in court life by the time of the Seuna kings
9.
Chitpavan
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Until the 18th century, the Chitpavans were held in low esteem by the Deshastha, the older established Brahmin community of Maharashtra region. The community remains concentrated in Maharashtra but also has populations all over India, there are two common mythological theories of origin among the Chitpavans. The Parashurama myth of origin is identical to the myth that claimed by the Bene Israel of the Kolaba district, according to Bene Israeli myth, the Chitpavan and Bene Israel are descendants from a group of 14 people shipwrecked off the Konkan coast. One group converted to Hinduism as Chitpavan Brahmins, the other remained Jewish or Bene Israel, originally the myth pertained to Chitpavans only, but a certain section of society was obsessed with their lineage, hence furthered the name of Bene israel. The Konkan region has witnessed the immigration of groups, such as the Bene Israeli, Parsis. Each of these settled in parts of the region and there was little mingling between them. While the other groups generally took up trade as their primary occupation, very little is known of the Chitpavans before 1707 A. D. Sometime around this time, an individual of the Chitpavan community and he was brought there on the basis of his reputation of being an efficient administrator. He quickly gained the attention of Chhatrapati Shahu, balajis work so pleased the Chhatrapati that he was appointed the Peshwa or Prime Minister in 1713. Balaji was blessed by his spiritual preceptor Narayan Dikshit Patankar and he ran a well-organized administration, and, by the time of his death in 1720, he had laid the groundwork for the expansion of the Maratha Empire. Since this time until the fall of the Maratha Empire, the seat of the Peshwa would be held by the members of the Bhat family, the Chitpavan kin were rewarded with tax relief and grants of land. Historians cite nepotism and corruption as causes of the fall of the Maratha Empire in 1818, richard Maxwell Eaton states that this rise of the Chitpavans is a classic example of social rank rising with political fortune. After the fall of the Maratha Empire in 1818, the Chitpavans lost their dominance to the British. The British would not subsidize the Chitpavans on the scale that their caste-fellow. Pay and power was now significantly reduced, poorer Chitpavan students adapted and started learning English because of better opportunities in the British administration. Some of the prominent figures in the Hindu reform movements of the 19th and 20th centuries came from the Chitpavan Brahmin community and these included Dhondo Keshav Karve, Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Vinoba Bhave, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. These reforms preached against the Hindu caste system establishment, yet, some of the strongest resistance to change also came from the very same community. The vanguard and the old guard clashed many times, Ranade and other reformers were forced to offer penance for breaking purity rules
10.
Maratha Empire
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The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian power that existed from 1674 to 1818 and ruled over much of the Indian sub-continent. The Marathas are credited to an extent for ending the Mughal rule in India. The Marathas are Hindu warrior group from the western Deccan Plateau that rose to prominence by establishing a Hindavi Swarajya, known for their mobility, the Marathas were able to consolidate their territory during the Mughal–Maratha Wars and later controlled a large part of India. Chhattrapati Shahu, grandson of Shivaji, was released by Mughals after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, following a brief struggle with his aunt Tarabai, Shahu became ruler and appointed Balaji Vishwanath and later, his descendants, as the peshwas or prime ministers of the empire. Balaji and his descendants played a key role in expansion of Maratha rule, the empire at its peak stretched from Tamil Nadu in the south to Peshawar in the north, and Bengal and Andaman Islands in the east. In 1761, the Maratha Army lost the Third Battle of Panipat to Ahmad Shah Abdali of the Afghan Durrani Empire which halted their imperial expansion into Afghanistan, ten years after Panipat, the young Peshwa Madhavrao Is Maratha Resurrection reinstated Maratha authority over North India. In a bid to manage the large empire, Madhavrao I gave semi-autonomy to the strongest of the knights. They became known as the Gaekwads of Baroda, the Holkars of Indore and Malwa, the Scindias of Gwalior and Ujjain, the Bhonsales of the Nagpur and the Puars of Dhar and Dewas. In 1775, the East India Company intervened in a Peshwa family succession struggle in Pune, the Marathas remained the preeminent power in India until their defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars which left the East India Company in control of most of India. A large portion of the Maratha empire was coastline, which had secured by the potent Maratha Navy under commanders such as Kanhoji Angre. He was very successful at keeping foreign naval ships, particularly of the Portuguese and British, securing the coastal areas and building land-based fortifications were crucial aspects of the Marathas defensive strategy and regional military history. The Maratha Empire is also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, the historian Barbara Ramusack says that the former is a designation preferred by Indian nationalists, while the latter was that used by British historians. Maratha power was fragmented among several discrete fragments, although at present, the word Maratha refers to a particular caste of warriors and peasants, in the past the word has been used to describe Marathi people, including Marathas themselves. Shivaji was a Maratha aristocrat of the Bhosle clan who is considered to be the founder of the Maratha empire. Shivaji led a resistance to free the Maratha people from the Sultanate of Bijapur and he created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigad as its capital and successfully fought against the Mughals to defend his kingdom. He was crowned as Chhatrapati of the new Maratha kingdom in 1674, the state Shivaji founded was a Maratha kingdom comprising about 4. 1% of the subcontinent, but spread over large tracts. At the time of his death is was dotted with about 300 forts, about 40,000 cavalry,50,000 foot soldiers and naval establishments all over the west coast. Over time, the kingdom would increase in size and heterogeneity, Shivaji had two sons, Sambhaji and Rajaram
11.
Mughal Empire
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The dynasty, though ethnically Turco-Mongol, was Persianate in terms of culture. The Mughal empire extended over parts of the Indian subcontinent. The beginning of the empire is conventionally dated to the victory by its founder Babur over Ibrahim Lodi, the Mughal emperors were Central Asian Turco-Mongols belonging to the Timurid dynasty, who claimed direct descent from both Genghis Khan and Timur. During the reign of Humayun, the successor of Babur, the empire was briefly interrupted by the Sur Empire, the classic period of the Mughal Empire started in 1556 with the ascension of Akbar the Great to the throne. Under the rule of Akbar and his son Jahangir, the region enjoyed economic progress as well as harmony. Akbar was a warrior who also forged alliances with several Hindu Rajput kingdoms. Some Rajput kingdoms continued to pose a significant threat to the Mughal dominance of northwestern India, the reign of Shah Jahan, the fifth emperor, between 1628 and 1658 was the golden age of Mughal architecture. He erected several monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra, as well as the Moti Masjid, Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Delhi. By the mid-18th century, the Marathas had routed Mughal armies, during the following century Mughal power had become severely limited, and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, had authority over only the city of Shahjahanabad. He issued a firman supporting the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and following the defeat was therefore tried by the British East India Company for treason, imprisoned and exiled to Rangoon. Contemporaries referred to the empire founded by Babur as the Timurid empire, which reflected the heritage of his dynasty, another name was Hindustan, which was documented in the Ain-i-Akbari, and which has been described as the closest to an official name for the empire. In the west, the term Mughal was used for the emperor, and by extension, the use of Mughal derived from the Arabic and Persian corruption of Mongol, and it emphasised the Mongol origins of the Timurid dynasty. The term gained currency during the 19th century, but remains disputed by Indologists, similar terms had been used to refer to the empire, including Mogul and Moghul. Nevertheless, Baburs ancestors were sharply distinguished from the classical Mongols insofar as they were oriented towards Persian rather than Turco-Mongol culture, ousted from his ancestral domains in Central Asia, Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass, Baburs forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow the new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India, the instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun, who was driven out of India and into Persia by rebels. Humayuns exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal Courts, and led to increasing Persian cultural influence in the Mughal Empire, the restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayuns triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from a fatal accident shortly afterwards. Humayuns son, Akbar, succeeded to the throne under a regent, Bairam Khan, through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari River
12.
Aurangzeb
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Abul Muzaffar Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad, commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his regnal title Alamgir, was the sixth, and widely considered the last effective Mughal Emperor. He ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent during some parts of his reign, Aurangzeb was a notable expansionist and during his reign, the Mughal Empire temporarily reached its greatest extent. During his reign,4.6 million people were said have died due to war, Aurangzebs policies partly abandoned the legacy of pluralism, which remains a very controversial aspect of his reign and led to the downfall of the Mughal Empire. Rebellions and wars led to the exhaustion of the imperial Mughal treasury and he was a strong-handed authoritarian ruler, and following his death the expansionary period of the Mughal Empire came to an end. Nevertheless, the territory of the Mughal Empire still remained intact more or less until the reign of Muhammad Shah. Aurangzeb was born on 3 November 1618, in Dahod, Gujarat and he was the third son and sixth child of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. In June 1626, after a rebellion by his father, Aurangzeb. His daily allowance was fixed at Rs.500 which he spent on religious education, on 28 May 1633, Aurangzeb escaped death when a powerful war elephant stampeded through the Mughal Imperial encampment. He rode against the elephant and struck its trunk with a lance, Aurangzebs valour was appreciated by his father who conferred him the title of Bahadur and had him weighed in gold and presented gifts worth Rs.200,000. This event was celebrated in Persian and Urdu verses and Aurangzeb said, If the fight had ended fatally for me, death drops the curtain even on Emperors, it is no dishonor. The shame lay in what my brothers did, by arrangement, Aurangzeb stayed in the rear, away from the fighting, and took the advice of his generals as the Mughal Army gathered and commenced the Siege of Orchha in 1635. The campaign was successful and Singh was removed from power, Aurangzeb was appointed viceroy of the Deccan in 1636. In 1637, Aurangzeb married the Safavid princess, Dilras Banu Begum and she was his first wife and chief consort. He also had an infatuation with a girl, Hira Bai. In his old age, he was under the charms of his concubine, the latter had formerly been a companion to Dara Shikoh. In the same year,1637, Aurangzeb was placed in charge of annexing the small Rajput kingdom of Baglana, in 1644, Aurangzebs sister, Jahanara, was burned when the chemicals in her perfume were ignited by a nearby lamp while in Agra. This event precipitated a crisis with political consequences. Aurangzeb suffered his fathers displeasure by not returning to Agra immediately, Shah Jahan had been nursing Jahanara back to health in that time and thousands of vassals had arrived in Agra to pay their respects
13.
Sambhaji
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Sambhaji Bhosale was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire and his first wife Maharani Saibai. He was successor of the realm after his fathers death, Sambhajis rule was largely shaped by the ongoing wars between the Maratha kingdom and Mughal Empire as well as other neighbouring powers such as the Siddis, Mysore and the Portuguese in Goa. Sambhaji was captured, tortured and executed by the Mughals, Sambhaji was born at Purandar fort to Saibai, Shivajis first and favourite wife. His mother died when he was two and he was raised by his paternal grandmother Jijabai, as a result of the treaty, Sambhaji became a Mughal sardar and served the Mughal court of Aurangzeb and the father and son duo fought along the Mughals against Bijapur. He and his father Shivaji presented themselves at Aurangzebs court at Agra on May 12,1666, Aurangzeb put both of them under house arrest but they escaped on July 22,1666. Sambhaji was married to Jivubai in a marriage of political alliance, jivabai was the daughter of Pilajirao Shirke, who had entered Shivajis service following the defeat of a powerful Deshmukh who was his previous patron. This marriage thus gave Shivaji access to the Konkan coastal belt, Sambhajis behaviour, including alleged irresponsibility and addiction to sensual pleasures led Shivaji to imprison his son at Panhala fort in 1678 to curb his behaviour. Upon returning home, Sambhaji was unrepentant and was confined to Panhala. When Shivaji died in the first week of April 1680, Sambhaji was still captive in Panhala fort. Shivajis 2nd son Rajaram was installed on the throne on April 21,1680 by consensus, upon hearing this news, Sambhaji plotted his escape and took possession of the Panhala fort on April 27 after killing the Fort commander. On June 18, he acquired control of Raigad fort, Sambhaji formally ascended the throne on July 20,1680. Rajaram, his wife Janki Bai and mother Soyarabai were imprisoned, Soyarabai was executed in October 1680 on charges of conspiracy. Sambhaji then plundered and ravaged the city in 1680, his forces routed the Mughal garrison. The Marathas then looted the city and set its ports ablaze, in contrast to his fathers tactics, Sambhaji permitted torture and violence by his forces. Sambhaji then withdrew into Baglana, evading the forces of Mughal commander Khan Jahan Bahadur, entering the 1680s, the Marathas came into conflict with the Siddis, who were Muslim of African descent settled in India and held the fortified island of Janjira. At the start of 1682, a Maratha army, later joined by Sambhaji personally, attacked the island for thirty days, doing heavy damage, Sambhaji then attempted a ruse, sending a party of his people to the Siddis, claiming to be defectors. They were allowed into the fort and planned to detonate the gunpowder magazine during a coming Maratha attack, however, one of the female defectors became involved with a Siddi man and he uncovered the plot and the infiltrators were executed. Having failed to take Janjira in 1682, Sambhaji sent a commander to seize the fort of Anjadiva instead
14.
Rajaram I
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Rajaram Raje Bhosale was the younger son of Maratha ruler Shivaji, and half-brother of Sambhaji. He took over the Maratha Empire as its third Chhatrapati after his brothers death at the hands of the Mughal emperor and he had a very short reign, during which he was engaged in a struggle with the Mughals. After the death of Sambhaji, Rajaram was crowned at Raigad on 12 March 1689, details of this escape are known from the incomplete poetical biography of Rajaram, the Rajaramacharita written by his Rajpurohit, Keshav Pandit, in Sanskrit. Aurangzeb deputed Ghazi-ud-din Firoze Jung against the Marathas in the Deccan and he laid siege to it in September,1690. After three failed attempts, it was captured after seven years on 8 January 1698. Rajaram, however, escaped and fled first to Vellore and later to Vishalgarh, Rajaram occupied the fort at Jinji from 11 Nov.1689, but left before it fell in 1698, setting up his court at fort Satara. Rajaram died of disease in 1700 at Sinhagad near Pune in Maharashtra leaving behind widows. One of Rajarams widow, Tarabai proclaimed her son, Shivaji II as the Chhatrapati. However, the release of Shahu, after Aurangzebs death led to a conflict between Tarabai and Shahu with the latter becoming the winner and occupant of the throne. Tarabai established a seat at Kolhapur and installed her son as the rival chhtrapati. She was shortly deposed by the Rajasbai, the widow of Rajaram. Rajasbai installed the son of Rajaram called Sambhaji II on the Kolhapur throne. The Kolhapur line has continued to this day through natural succession, Chhatrapati Maratha Empire Bhosale family ancestry Khando Ballal List of people involved in the Maratha Empire Bhat family Imperial Gazetteer of India, v.2, p.440
15.
Murud-Janjira
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Murud-Janjira is the local name for a fort situated on an island just off the coastal village of Murud, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, India. The word Janjira is not native to India, and may have originated after the Arabic word Jazeera, Murud was once known in Marathi as Habsan. The name of the fort is a concatenation of the Konkani and Arabic words for Island, morod, the word morod is peculiar to Konkani and is absent in Marathi. Murud-Janjira Fort is situated on a rock off the Arabian Sea coast near the port town of Murud,165 km south of Mumbai. Janjira is considered one of the strongest marine forts in India, the fort is approached by sailboats from Rajapuri jetty. The main gate of the fort faces Rajapuri on the shore and it has a small postern gate towards the open sea for escape. The fort has 26 rounded bastions, still intact, there are many cannons of native and European make rusting on the bastions. On the outer wall flanking the gate, there is a sculpture depicting a tiger-like beast clasping elephants in its claws. The palace of the Nawabs of Janjira at Murud is still in good shape, a special attraction of this fort are 3 gigantic cannons named Kalalbangdi, Chavri and Landa Kasam. These cannons were said to be feared for their shooting range, another gate to the west is sea-facing, called Darya Darwaza. There is also another fortress, named Ghosalgad, which is located on top of the hill around 32 km east of Murud-Janjira, the Fort of Janjira on the sea is the only one of its kind. Janjira Jal-Durg was constructed by Malik Ambar, an Abssynian minister in the service of the Sultan of Ahmednagar, who belonged to the famous Nizamshahi dynasty. The fort, built at the end of the 17th Century, is almost entirely intact even today, despite the ravages of wind and tide, surprisingly, not even Shivaji could acquire it despite 13 expeditions to conquer the fort. His son, Sambhaji, tried a unique approach to capture the fort, but he too failed in his attempt. Not to be deterred, Sambhaji constructed another fort just across the bay, most of the earth that was dug up to build the tunnel was used in the making of this second fort, which was to be the base for future attacks on the sea fort of Janjira. This fort took 22 years to build and is constructed on 22 acres of land, in a journey back in history, visitors can gain access to the Janjira fort from Rajapuri, a small village on the coast. After a short ride in a boat, one can enter the fort through the main entrance. The fort is oval shaped instead of the oblong or square shape
16.
Pune
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Pune is the second largest city in the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ninth most populous city in the country. In the 18th century, Pune was the centre of the Indian subcontinent. Considered to be the capital of Maharashtra, Pune is known as Oxford of the East due to the presence of several well-known educational institutions in the city. The city has emerged as an educational hub in recent decades. Since the 1950s and 1960s, Pune has had a traditional old-economic base as most of the old industries continue to grow, a few college in the Europe have also actively engaged in Student-exchange programs with several colleges in Pune. Pune is also one of the fastest growing cities in the Asia-Pacific region, the ‘Mercer 2015 Quality of Living rankings’ evaluated local living conditions in more than 440 cities around the world where Pune ranked at 145, second in India after Hyderabad. It also highlights Pune among evolving business centres and emerging nine cities around the world with citation Hosts IT, the oldest reference to the place is found inscribed on a Rashtrakuta Dynasty copper plate dated AD937, which refers to the town as Punya-Vishaya meaning Sacred News. By the 13th century, it had come to be known as Punawadi, copper plates dated 858 AD and 868 AD show that by the 8th century an agricultural settlement known as Punnaka existed where Pune is today. The plates indicate that this region was ruled by the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the Pataleshwar rock-cut temple complex was built during this era. Pune was part of the territory ruled by Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri from the 9th century to 1327, in 1595, Maloji Raje Bhosale was granted the jagirdari of Pune by the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. Pune was ruled by the Ahmadnagar Sultanate until it was annexed by the Mughals in the 17th century, Pune was part of the Jagir granted to Maloji Bhosale in 1599 for his services to the Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar. His grandson, Shivaji, the founder of Maratha Empire, was born in Shivneri fort not far from Pune, Shivaji was brought up by his mother in Pune. Pune changed hands several times between the Mughals and the Marathas in the period between 1660 and 1705 and he stabilised the revenue collection and administrative systems of areas around Pune and in neighbouring area of the Maval region. In addition, he developed methods to manage disputes and to enforce law. Construction on the Lal Mahal began in 1631 AD, the Lal Mahal was completed in 1640 AD. Jijabai is said to have commissioned the building of the Kasba Ganapati temple, the Ganesha idol consecrated at this temple has been regarded as the presiding deity of the city. Shivaji encouraged the development of dams in the Parvati and Kondhwa regions of Pune for agricultural purposes, Pune and its surrounding villages were the major recruitment areas for Shivajis army between 1645 AD and 1680 AD. Between 1660 AD and 1670 AD the town was captured by Mughal General Shahista Khan, Shivaji often used Pune as his transit base during his major campaigns such as Varhad-Karanja, AhemadaNagar District, Karnataka, and Jalna
17.
Shahu I
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Shahuji Bhosle was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire created by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji. More popularly known as Chatrapati Shahu, he out of captivity by the Mughals. After the death of Aurangzeb, leading Mughal courtiers released Shahu with a force of fifty men and he was son of the second Chhatrapati Sambhaji and grandson of Chhatrapati Shivaji. It was under Shahu and his Bhat-Deshmukh family Peshwas that the Maratha empire became the largest in India, Shahu had four wives and fathered two sons and four daughters. He adopted two sons, Fatehsinh I and Rajaram II of Satara, Rajaram II had been brought to her by Tarabai, who initially claimed that the young man was her grandson and a descendant of Shivaji, but later disowned him as an imposter. Shahu died a death in 1749. His adopted son Rajaram II of Satara, claimed to be Tarabais grandson succeeded him, history of Satara District Imperial Gazetteer of India, v.2, p.441. Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great, Mumbai, Manudevi Prakashan, Rs.165
18.
Chhatrapati Shivaji
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Shivaji Bhonsle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire, in 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad. Shivaji established a competent and progressive civil rule with the help of a disciplined military and he revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration. Particularly in Maharashtra, debates over his history and role have engendered great passion and sometimes even violence as disparate groups have sought to characterise him and his legacy. Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in Pune district on 6 April 1627 or 19 February 1630, per legend, his mother named him Shivaji in honour of the goddess Shivai, to whom she had prayed for a healthy child. Shivaji was named after this local deity, Shivajis father Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanates. His mother was Jijabai, the daughter of Lakhujirao Jadhav of Sindkhed, at the time of Shivajis birth, the power in Deccan was shared by three Islamic sultanates, Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda. Shahaji often changed his loyalty between the Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar, the Adilshah of Bijapur and the Mughals, but always kept his jagir at Pune, Shivaji was extremely devoted to his mother Jijabai, who was deeply religious. This religious environment had a impact on Shivaji, and he carefully studied the two great Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, these were to influence his lifelong defence of Hindu values. Throughout his life he was interested in religious teachings, and regularly sought the company of Hindu. Shahaji, meanwhile had married a wife, Tuka Bai from the Mohite family. He left Shivaji and Jijabai in Pune in the care of his jagir administrator, Dadoji has been credited with overseeing education and training of young Shivaji. Shivaji as a boy was an outdoorsman and, though he received little formal education and most likely could neither read nor write. Shivaji drew his earliest trusted comrades and a number of his soldiers from the Maval region, including Yesaji Kank, Suryaji Kakade, Baji Pasalkar, Baji Prabhu Deshpande. However, Shivajis association with the Maval comrades and his independent spirit did not sit well with Dadoji who complained to Shahaji to no avail in making him compliant. At the age of 12, Shivaji was taken to Bangalore where he, his elder brother Sambhaji and he married Saibai from the prominent Nimbalkar family in 1640. Around 1645–46, the teenage Shivaji first expressed his concept for Hindavi Swarajya, in 1645, the 15-year-old Shivaji bribed or persuaded the Bijapuri commander of the Torna Fort, Inayat Khan, to hand over the possession of the fort to him. Firangoji Narsala, who held the Chakan fort professed his loyalty to Shivaji, on 25 July 1648, Shahaji was imprisoned by Baji Ghorpade under the orders of Mohammed Adil Shah, in a bid to contain Shivaji
19.
Deccan Plateau
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The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in southern India. It rises to 100 metres in the north, and to more than 1 kilometre in the south and it extends over eight Indian states and encompasses a wide range of habitats, covering most of central and southern India. It is separated from the Gangetic plain to the north by the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges, the name Deccan is an anglicised form of the Prakrit word dakkhin, itself derived from the Sanskrit word dákṣiṇa, as the Deccan Plateau is located in southern part of Indian subcontinent. The Deccan region has historically lacked an enduring geo-political centre, and has been defined in various ways, geographers have attempted to define it using indices such as rainfall, vegetation, soil type or physical features. When considering physical features, it is taken to be the bounded by the Narmada River, the Eastern Ghats. The 16th century historian Firishta defined Deccan as the inhabited by the native speakers of Kannada, Marathi. Richard M. Eaton also settled on this linguistic definition, the Western Ghats mountain range is very tall and blocks the moisture from the southwest monsoon from reaching the Deccan Plateau, so the region receives very little rainfall. The eastern Deccan Plateau is at an elevation spanning the southeastern coast of India. Its forests are relatively dry but serve to retain the rain to form streams that feed into rivers that flow into basins. Most Deccan plateau rivers flow south, most of the central plateau is drained by the Tungabhadra River, Krishna River and its tributaries, including the Bhima River, which also run east. The climate of the region varies from semi-arid in the north to tropical in most of the region with distinct wet, rain falls during the monsoon season from about June to October. March to June can be dry and hot, with temperatures regularly exceeding 40 °C. The name derives from the Sanskrit daksina, the plateau is bounded on the east and west by the Ghats, while its northern extremity is the Vindhya Range. The Deccans average elevation is about 2,000 feet, sloping generally eastward, its rivers, the Godavari, Krishna. The plateaus climate is drier than that on the coasts and is arid in places, having once constituted a segment of the ancient continent of Gondwanaland, this land is the oldest and most stable in India. The average height of the Western Ghats, which run along the Arabian Sea, anaimudi Peak in Kerala, with a height of 2,695 m above sea level, is the highest peak of peninsular India. In the Nilgiris lie Ootacamund, the hill station of southern India. The western coastal plain is uneven and swift rivers flow through it that forms beautiful lagoons and backwaters, the east coast is wide with deltas formed by the rivers Godavari, Mahanadi and Kaveri
20.
Tarabai
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Tarabai Bhosale was the regent of the Maratha empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhosale, son of the empires founder Shivaji and she is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal occupation of Maratha territories after the death of her spouse, and acted as regent during the minority of her son. Tarabai was daughter of famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite and she also was the niece of Soyarabai. On Rajarams death in 1700, she proclaimed her infant son, Shivaji II as Rajarams successor, as the regent, she took charge of the war against Aurangzebs forces. Tarabai was skilled in cavalry movement and made strategic movements herself during wars and she personally led the war and continued the insurgency against the Mughals. A truce was offered to the Mughals in such a way that it was rejected by the Mughal emperor. By 1705, Marathas had crossed the Narmada River and made incursions in Malwa. The Maratha country was relieved at the news of the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who died at Khuldabad in Aurangabad. Of the years 1700-1707, Jadunath Sarkar has opined, During this period and her administrative genius and strength of character saved the nation in that awful crisis. In order to divide the Maratha onslaught, the Mughals released Shahuji, Sambhajis son and Tarabais nephew and he immediately challenged Tarabai and Shivaji II for leadership of the Maratha polity. Shahu eventually prevailed thanks to his position and in part to the Peshwa Balaji Vishwanaths diplomacy. She established a court in Kolhapur in 1709 but was deposed by Rajarams second wife, Rajasabai. Tarabai and her son were imprisoned by Sambhaji II, Tarabai soon afterwards reconciled with Chhattrapati Shahu in 1730 and went to live in Satara but without any political power. In 1740s, during the last years of Shahus life, Tarabai brought a child to him and she presented the child as her grandson, and thus, a direct descendant of Shivaji. She claimed that he had concealed after his birth for his protection and had been raised by the wife of a Rajput soldier. The child was adopted by Shahu who did not have a son of his own, after Shahus death in 1749, Rajaram II succeeded him as the Chhatrapati. When Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao left for the Mughal frontier, Tarabai urged Rajaram II to remove him from the post of Peshwa, when Rajaram refused, she imprisoned him in a dungeon at Satara, on November 24,1750. She claimed that he was an impostor from Gondhali caste and she had presented him as her grandson to Shahu
21.
Ahmednagar
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Ahmednagar pronunciation is a city in Ahmednagar District in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 1494 on the site of a battlefield where he won a battle against superior Bahamani forces and it was close to the site of the village of Bhingar. With the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate, Ahmad established a new sultanate in Ahmednagar, Ahmednagar has several dozen buildings and sites from the Nizam Shahi period. Ahmednagar Fort, once considered almost impregnable, was used by the British to house Jawaharlal Nehru, a few rooms there have been converted to a museum. During his confinement by the British at Ahmednagar Fort in 1944, Ahmednagar is home to 19 sugar factories and is also the birthplace of the cooperative movement. Due to scarce rainfall, Ahmednagar often suffers from drought, Marathi is the primary language for daily-life communication. Hindi is also understood and spoken, though of the Dakhani dialect, with a lot of grammar. Ahmednagar has recently published a plan of developing the city by year 2031, the town Ahmednagar was founded in 1490 by Ahmad Nizam Shah I on the site of a more ancient city, Bhingar. With the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate, Ahmad established a new sultanate in Ahmednagar and it was one of the Deccan sultanates, which lasted until its conquest by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1636. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar was born on 31 May 1725 in Chondi village of Jamkhed taluka in Ahmednagar district. In 1759, the Peshwa of the Marathas obtained possession of the place from Nizam of Hyderabad, Ahmednagar was invaded by a British force under General Wellesley and captured. It was afterwards restored to the Marathas, but again came into the possession of the British in 1817, the town houses the second-largest display of military tanks in the world and largest in Asia. Situated in the region of the Western Ghats, Ahmednagar experiences primarily hot. As of 2011 Indian census, Ahmednagar had a population of 347,549, males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ahmednagar has an literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national urban average of 79. 9%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Marathi sant, wrote Dnyaneshwari, a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita. S. Meherabad, where the samadhi of the spiritual master Meher Baba is a place of pilgrimage, visited by each year, particularly on the anniversary of his death. His later residence was at Meherazad, approximately nine miles north of Ahmednagar, Ahmednagar Fort - Built by Ahmed Nizam Shah in 1490, this is one of the best-designed and most impregnable forts in India
22.
Bahadur Shah I
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Bahadur Shah, the seventh Mughal emperor of India, ruled from 1707 until his death in 1712. Born Muazzam, Shah was the son of Aurangzeb with his Muslim Rajput wife Nawab Bai. In his youth, he conspired to overthrow his father and ascend to the throne a number of times, Shahs plans were intercepted by the emperor, who imprisoned him several times. From 1696 to 1707, he was governor of Akbarabad, Kabul, after Aurangzebs death Shahs brother, Muhammad Azam Shah, declared himself successor before his defeat in the Battle of Jajau. During his reign, Shah bloodlessly annexed the Rajput states of Jodhpur and Amber and his reign was also disturbed by the Sikh leader Banda Singh Bahadur, who led a rebellion against him. Bahadur Shah was buried in the Moti Masjid at Mehrauli in Delhi, Muazzam was born on 14 October 1643 in Burhanpur to the sixth Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, and his secondary wife Nawab Bai. He was Nephew of Dara Shikoh, and also grandchild of Mumtaz Mahal. Muzzam was married to Rajkumari Namirta Bai daughter of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, during his grandfathers reign Muzzam was appointed vizer of Lahore from 1653-1659. In 1663, when he was twenty years old, Muazzam was made the governor of the Deccan province. The most important issue in front of him was to curb the rise of Shivaji, who was on the ascendant in the area, in 1663 itself, Muazzam attacked Pune which was Shivajis base at that time. However, the Mughal army was defeated and Muazzam himself was captured and he spent seven years as a prisoner of the Marathas. After his grandfather Shah Jahan died at Agra fort, Prince Muzzam was sent to Agra to by orders his father Muzzam buried his grandfather to Taj Mahal, Muazzams imprisonment was not severe, and indeed he was kept in the lap of luxury by his captors. This was the custom with regard to high-born and potentially useful captives, Shivajis own son, Sambhaji, was at roughly the same time a prisoner of the Mughals. In 1670, Muazzam organised an insurgency to overthrow Aurangzeb and proclaim himself the Mughal emperor and this plan may have been hatched at the instigation of the Marathas, and Muazzams own inclinations and sincerity are difficult to gauge. Anyway, Aurangzeb learned about the plot and sent Muazzams mother Begum Nawab Bai to dissuade Muazzam from rebellion, Nawab Bai brought Muazzam back to the Mughal court, where he spent the next several years under Aurangzebs supervision. However, Muazzam revolted in 1680 on the pretext of protesting Aurangzebs treatment of Rajput chiefs, once again, Aurangzeb followed his previous policy to dissuade Muazzam with gentleness and then to place him under greater vigilance. For the next seven years, from 1681 to 1687, Muazzam was an obedient son. In 1681, he was sent by Aurangzeb to the Deccan to crush a revolt raised by his step-brother Sultan Muhammad Akbar, according to the historian Munis Faruqui, Muazzam deliberately failed in his mission
23.
Parvati Hill
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Parvati Hill is a hillock in Pune, India. The hillock rises to 2,100 feet above sea level, atop the hillock is the Parvati Temple, one of the most scenic locations in Pune. The temple is the oldest heritage structure in Pune and was built during the rule of the Peshwa dynasty, for visitors, Parvati hill is also an observation point that offers a panoramic view of Pune. It is the second highest point in Pune, the hill has 103 steps leading to the top of the hill where the temple is situated. The main temple, Devdeveshwara, is made of blackstone and it was completed under Balaji Baji Rao, in 1749. Other temples are dedicated to Vitthal and Rukmini, Vishnu, Parvati Hill has 5 temples atop it, Devdeveshwar temple Kartikeya Temple Vishnu Temple Vitthal Temple Rama Temple The temples open at 5,00 am and close at 8,00 pm. Besides the temple, the Peshwa Museum is situated there, the samadhi of Balaji Baji Rao lies, where he spent the last moment of his life. Parvati water tank supplies water to the half of the city Pune
24.
Kanhoji Angre
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Kanhoji Angré or Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré was one of the first notable chief of the Maratha Navy in 18th century India. He fought against the British, Dutch and Portuguese naval interests on the coasts of India during the 18th century, as a result, his European enemies labeled him a pirate. Despite the attempts of the British and Portuguese to subdue Angre, Angre was born in the village of Angarwadi, six miles from Pune in the year of 1669, in a Sankapal Kshatriya family. They were the guardians of small state named Vir Rana Sank and were known as Sankapal. His mothers name was Ambabai and his father, Tukoji, served at Suvarnadurg under Shivaji with a command of 200 posts, little is known about his early life except that he was involved in daring exploits at sea with his father. He spent much of his childhood in the Suvarnadurg Fort, where he would become the governor. He was originally appointed as Surkhel or Darya-Saranga by the chief of Satara in c, Kanhoji started his career by attacking merchant ships of the British East India Company and slowly gained respect from all the colonial powers. In 1702, he abducted a merchant vessel from Calicut with six English sailors, in 1707, he attacked the frigate Bombay which blew up during the fight. In time, the British feared as he could take any merchant ship except large European ships, when Maratha Chattrapati Shahu ascended the leadership of the Maratha Empire, he appointed Balaji Viswanath Bhatt as his Senakarta and negotiated an agreement with Angre around 1707. This was partly to appease Angre who supported the other ruler, Tarabai, as per agreement, Angre became head of the Maratha Navy. Angre planned to march to Satara where Sahoojee was acting as a head of state, Angre was also placed as chief of 26 forts and fortified places of Maharashtra. In 1720, Angre captured the vessel Charlotte along its owner, Curgenven would be imprisoned for 10 years. Angre employed Europeans, generally Dutch, to command his best vessels and he also employed a Jamaican pirate named James Plantain and entrusted him with significant responsibilities such as the chief gunner post. Angre reemployed Manuel de Castro, who was considered as a traitor and punished by the Bombay Council for his failure in capturing Khanderi Island, in 1698, Angre located his first base at Vijayadurg, Devgad Taluka, located about 485 km from Mumbai. Angre created a base from the fortified islands of Kolaba at Alibaug. Khanderi and Underi off the coast of Thal, Alibaug, and he established a township called Alibag on seashore at southern tip of Mumbai. The main village at that time, was todays Ramnath, Kanhoji even issued his own currency in the form of a silver coin called the Alibagi rupaiya. In 1724, Angre built a port at Puranagad, located in Ratnagiri District, seven guns and 70 cannonballs were found in the port
25.
Kalyan
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Kalyan is a city in the Thane District of Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It is also known for being the Mumbai regions exit station to North India, Kalyan is within the administrative division at a taluka level of the Thane District. Kalyan and its neighbouring township of Dombivli jointly form the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation and it is considered a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, along with Vitthalwadi, Bhiwandi, Thane, Ulhasnagar and the municipal councils of Ambernath and Badlapur. Kalyan is the 7th biggest city in Maharashtra and 28th in the country, Kalyan city also has a well established and well known cycling club named Kalyan Cyclist The word Kalyan spelled in is a Marathi word which means Welfare in English. In pre-independent India, the administration spelled Kalyan as Kallian, Callian, the city has been attacked by various foreign armies including the Mughal, the Portuguese and the British. The Marathas were held in regard by the locals for being the only line of defence against invasions. It is still a town and carries on some traffic in coconuts, oil, coarse cloths, brass. Its external appearance indicates a state of superior opulence, Kalyan is rich for its ancient culture and is known as the place shivaji maharaj resided. And its Maharastrian dominated place Agri\Koli culture Kalyan also found attraction among European Christian Missionaries, the port of Kalyan landed them well within the mainland through boats in their attempt to spread Christianity across the other side of konkan. In the Middle Ages, Kalyan was occupied by the Ahmednagar Sultanate who renamed the city as Gulshanabad, Kalyan served as a port city for many centuries until siltation and the rise of Bombay eclipsed it and its sister ports – Nallasopara, Thane, Bhiwandi. Abandoned lighthouses used to guide sea traffic still exist along the riverbanks of Ganesh ghat, the port was ruled by the Maurya and Gupta Empires of north India and later was part of a Konkan principality vassal to the Yadava dynasty of Daulatabad, Deogiri. After the Khilji sack of Deogiri, the Yadavas fled into the Konkan region and set up their base at Mahikawati, modern Mahim, Mahikawati was conquered by the Muslims who set up petty coastal principalities. Anandi Gopal Joshi, a Women from Kalyan along with Kadambini Ganguly was one of the first two Indian women to obtain a degree in Western medicine in 1886 and she is also believed to be the first Hindu woman to set foot on American soil. The city of Kalyan was surrounded by a wall, the construction of which began during Shah Jahans reign and was completed during Aurangzebs reign in 1694 A. D. This city wall, which ran in excess of 2000 yards,2123 to be precise, was guarded by 4 gates and 11 towers. The fort wall enclosed an area of 70 acres and on a mound near the Kalyan creek. The wall of the fort along the top of the bank of the ditch. Under the Marathas, a new gate about 150 feet to the south of the Ganesh gate was opened near the mansion of Ramji Mahadeo Biwalkar, the Peshwas Governor
26.
Lonavla
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Lonavla pronunciation officially Lonavla is a town and a hill station Municipal Council in Pune district in the Indian State of Maharashtra. It is about 64 kilometres from the city of Pune and 96 kilometres from the city of Mumbai and it is known for its production of the hard candy chikki and is also a major stop on the railway line connecting Mumbai and Pune. From the Pune suburbs, local trains are available from Pune Junction, both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway as well as the Mumbai-Chennai highway pass through Lonavla. Lonavla is also home to INS Shivaji which is the Indian Navys Premier Technical Training Institute, the name Lonavla derives from Len and Avali. Lonavli in Prakrit is a place which has a series of such Len around it, present day Lonavla was a part of the Yadava dynasty. Later, the Mughals realized the importance of the region. The forts in the region and the Mavla warriors played an important role in the history of the Maratha, in 1871, the Lonavla and Khandala hill stations were discovered by Lord Elphinstone, who was the Governor of Bombay Presidency at the time. As of 2011 India census, Lonavla had a population of 57,698, males constitute 53. 47% of the population and females 46. 53%. The sex ratio in Lonavla is 870, lower than the average of 929. Lonavla has a rate of 89. 33%, which is higher than the state average of 82. 34%. The Male literacy rate is 93.4 %, and the literacy rate is 84. 57%. 10. 37% of the population in Lonavla is of children under 6 years of age. Lonavla and the adjacent Khandala are twin hill stations 622 metres above sea level, in the Sahyadri ranges that demarcate the Deccan Plateau, the hill stations sprawl over an approximate area of 38 square kilometres. Tourism peaks during the monsoon season, the name Lonavla is derived from the Sanskrit lonavli, which refers to the many caves like Karla Caves, Bhaja Caves and Bedsa that are close to Lonavla. A trip to Lonavla and Khandala can be combined with sight-seeing visits of Karla, Bhaja and Bedsa caves, Another place of interest is the Tungi fort, one of the forts captured by Malik Ahmad near the village of Karjat and was known for its natural strength. The Andharban trek begins from village Pimpri, passses through dense forests, valleys and waterfalls, Lonavla is on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and is well-connected to several towns of Khopoli, Karjat, Talegaon Dabhade, etc. Local trains run from Pune at 2 hour intervals and those originating from Mumbai along the central line have Khopoli as their last station. Buses are available at regular intervals to complete the remaining 15 km of the journey to Lonavla from Khopoli bus station and it takes 2.5 hours by train from Mumbai and 1 to 1.5 hour from Pune
27.
Farrukhsiyar
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Abul Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719, after murdering Jahandar Shah. Noted as a ruler he was easily swayed by his advisers, he lacked the ability, knowledge. He was the son of Azim-ush-Shan—the second son of emperor Bahadur Shah I—and Sahiba Nizwan and his reign witnessed the primacy of the Sayyid Brothers who became the effective powers of the land, behind the façade of Mughal rule. His constant plotting eventually led the Sayyid Brothers to officially depose him, Muhammad Farrukhsiyar was born on 11 September 1683 at the city of Aurangabad in the Deccan region. He was the son of Azim-ush-Shan. In 1696, he accompanied his father in his campaign to Bengal, in 1707, the then Mughal emperor Aurangzeb recalled his son Azim-ush-Shan from Bengal, instructing Farrukhsiyar to take charge of the province. Initially, he spent his years in the city of Dhaka and during the reign of Bahadur Shah I. In 1712, Azim-ush-Shan anticipated Bahadur Shah Is death and a struggle for accession, as he was marching past Azimabad when he heard of the Mughal emperors death. Consequently on 21rst March, Farrukhsiyar proclaimed his fathers accession to the throne, issued coinage in his fathers name, on 6 April, Farrukhsiyar heard of his fathers defeat. The prince becoming distressed contemplated suicide, but was dissuaded by his friends from Bengal, in 1712, Jahandar Shah ascended the throne of the Mughal empire by defeating his father Azim-ush-Shan. However, he wanted to avenge for his fathers death and he was joined by Hussain Ali Khan the subahdar of Bengal. They were also joined by Abdullah Khan, his brother who was the subahdar of Allahabad, as they reached Allahabad from Azimabad, Jahandar Shahs military general Syed Abdul Ghaffar Khan Gardezi with 12,000 troops clashed with Abdullah Khan. Abdullah Khan retreated to the Allahabad Fort, however, with the news of Gardezis death, his army fled. After he came to know of his defeat, Jahandar Shah sent another general Khwaja Ahsan Khan, on reaching Khajwah, they came to know that Farrukhsiyar was accompanied by Hussain Ali Khan and Abdullah Khan. With Abdullah Khan in command of the vanguard, Farrukhsiyar started the attack, after an artillery fight for a whole night, Aazuddin and Khwaja Ahsan Khan fled. The camp consequently fell to Farrukhsiyar, on 10 January 1713, the forces of Farrukhsiyar and Jahandar Shah met at Samugarh. Jahandar Shah was defeated and imprisoned and on the next day, on 12 February, Farrukhsiyar marched to the Mughal capital of Delhi and captured Red Fort and the citadel. The head of Jahandar Shah was put at the end of a bamboo and carried by an executioner on an elephant
28.
Muhammad
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Muhammad is the prophet of Islam. From a secular historical perspective he was a religious, political, from an Islamic perspective, he was Gods Messenger sent to confirm the essential teachings of monotheism preached previously by Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is viewed as the prophet of God in all branches of Islam. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity and ensured that his teachings, practices, born approximately 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca, Muhammad was orphaned at an early age, he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib. Muhammad gained few early followers, and met hostility from some Meccan tribes, to escape persecution, Muhammad sent some followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina in the year 622. This event, the Hijra, marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, in Medina, Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina. In December 629, after eight years of intermittent conflict with Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts, the attack went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed. In 632, a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, he fell ill, before his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. The revelations, which Muhammad reported receiving until his death, form the verses of the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the Word of God and around which the religion is based. Besides the Quran, Muhammads teachings and practices, found in the Hadith and sira literature, are upheld by Muslims. The name Muhammad means praiseworthy and appears four times in the Quran, Muhammad is sometimes addressed by designations deriving from his state at the time of the address, thus he is referred to as the enwrapped in Quran 73,1 and the shrouded in Quran 74,1. In Sura Al-Ahzab 33,40 God singles out Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets, the Quran also refers to Muhammad as Aḥmad more praiseworthy. The name Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, begins with the kunya Abū, the Quran is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe it represents the words of God revealed by the archangel Gabriel to Muhammad, the Quran, however, provides minimal assistance for Muhammads chronological biography, most Quranic verses do not provide significant historical context. An important source may be found in the works by writers of the 2nd. These include the traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad, which additional information about Muhammads life. The earliest surviving written sira is Ibn Ishaqs Life of Gods Messenger written c.767 CE, although the work was lost, this sira was used verbatim at great length by Ibn Hisham and Al-Tabari. Another early history source is the history of Muhammads campaigns by al-Waqidi, many scholars accept the earliest biographies as accurate, though their accuracy is unascertainable
29.
Sayyid brothers
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The term Sayyid brothers refers to Syed Hassan Ali Khan Barha and Syed Hussain Ali Khan Barha, who were powerful Mughal Army generals of the Mughal Empire during the early 18th century. The Sayyid Brothers became highly influential in the Mughal Court after Aurangzebs death and they created and dethroned Mughal Emperors at their will during the 1710s. Aurangzebs son Bahadur Shah I defeated his brothers to capture the throne with the help of Sayyid Brothers and Chin Quilich Khan, Bahadur Shah I died in 1712, and his successor Jahandar Shah was assassinated on the orders of the Sayyid Brothers. In 1713, Jahandars nephew Farrukhsiyar became the emperor with the brothers help and his reign marked the ascendancy of the brothers, who monopolised state power and reduced the Emperor to a figurehead. The brothers conspired to send Nizam-ul-Mulk to Deccan, away from the Mughal Court, in 1719, the Brothers blinded, deposed and murdered Farrukhsiyar. They then arranged for his first cousin, Rafi ud-Darajat, to be the ruler in February 1719. When Rafi ud-Darajat died of disease in June, they made his elder brother, Rafi ud-Daulah. After Rafi ud-Daulah also died of disease in September 1719. Muhammad Shah, to back control of his rule, arranged for the brothers to be killed with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah. Syed Hussain Ali Khan was murdered at Fatehpur Sikri in 1720, Syed Hassan Ali Khan and Syed Hussain Ali Khan were two of the numerous sons of Syed Abdullah Khan - Sayyid Mian. Later he was appointed ruler of Hoshangabad, Khandesh, and Nazarbar coupled with Thalner in the Sarkar of the same province, subsequently he was responsible for Aurangabad during the final campaign of the Mughal Emperor against the Maratha in 1705 and attended the funeral of Aurangzeb in 1707. The two Syed brothers, who now come into prominence, were not mere upstarts. In an expedition against a refractory Baloch zamindar, the Sayyids were of opinion that the honours of the day were theirs, Prince Muizz ud-Din Jahandar Shah thought otherwise, and assigned them to his then favourite administrator Isa Khan Mian. The Sayyids quit the service in dudgeon and repaired to Lahore, where lived in comparative poverty, waiting for employment from Munim Khan. In the battle of Jajau or Jajowan on the 18th Rabi I,1119 H. they served in the vanguard and fought valiantly on foot, as was the Sayyid habit in an emergency. A third brother, Syed Nur ud-Din Ali Khan, was dead on the field. Syed Hussain Ali Khan is also said to have offended Prince Muizz ud-Din Jahandar Shah, Prince Muizz ud-Din Jahandar Shah was vexed by this speech, and refrained from making any recommendation to his father in their favour. At length, by the favour of Prince Azim-ush-shan, Syed Hassan Ali Khan on the 21st Dhu al-Qida 1122 H. became that Princes deputy in the province of Allahabad, thus on his return to his headquarters his first impulse was to decline altogether that Princes overtures
30.
Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asif Jah I
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Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi was a Turkic nobleman with some Arab ancestry and the founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. He established the Hyderabad state, and ruled it from 1724 to 1748 and he is also known by his titles Chin Qilich Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk and Asaf Jah. According to his contemporary Shah Waliullah and the British historian Henry George Briggs and he was born to Ghazi ud-Din Khan Siddiqi Feroze Jung I and his first wife Wazir un-nisa Begum at Agra on 20 August 1671 as Mir Qamar ud-din Khan Siddiqi. The name was given to him by the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb and his paternal and maternal grandparents were both important Mughal generals and courtiers namely, Qilich Khan II and Jumlat-ul-Mulk Allami Saadullah Khan, the Vizier of Emperor Shah Jahan. At the age of six, Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan accompanied his father to the Mughal court in 1677, Emperor Aurangzeb awarded him a Mansab. Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan displayed considerable skill as a warrior and before he reached his teens began accompanying his father into battle, at the age of nineteen, the Emperor bestowed on him the title Chin Fateh Khan. For fighting on and capturing the fort he was raised to rank of 5000 horse and awarded 15 million dams, a jeweled sabre, at 26, he was appointed Commander in Chief and Viceroy, first in Bijapur, then Malwa and later of the Deccan. He inherited his familys military prowess, after Aurangzebs death he was appointed Governor of Oudh. After Bahadur Shahs death he opted for a life in Delhi. His enemies accuse Nizam ul-Mulk of building his own power-base independently of the Mughals in Delhi, while continuing to give obeisance to the throne and he was then called upon by Farrukhsiyar to help fight off the Sayyid Brothers. Farrukhsiyar lost his strife against the Saadaat i Baarha Sayyid Brothers and was killed, later Nizam ul-Mulk was rewarded for defeating the Saiyyid Brothers with the post of Vizier in the court of Muhammad Shah, the 18-year-old successor. But all did not work as planned, Nizam ul-Mulks attempts to reform the corrupt Mughal administration with its cliques of concubines and eunuchs created many enemies. Nizam ul-Mulks desire to restore the etiquette of the Court and the discipline of the State to the standard of Shah Jahans time earned him few friends, the courtiers poisoned the mind of the Emperor against him. Unimpressed by the up-start occupying what he considered to be his rightful place, the encounter was short but decisive. Wrapped in his bloodsoaked shawl, Mubariz Khan drove his war elephant into battle until he died from his wounds and his severed head was then sent to Delhi as proof of Nizam ul-Mulks determination to annihilate anyone who stood in his way. Now came from the Emperor an elephant, jewels and the title of Asaf Jah, with directions to settle the country, repress the turbulent, punish the rebels and cherish the people. Asaf Jah, or the one equal to Asaf, the Grand Vizier in the court of King Solomon, was the highest title that could be awarded to a subject of the Mughal Empire. There were no lavish ceremonies to mark the establishment of the Asaf Jahi dynasty in 1724, the inauguration of the first Nizam took place behind closed doors in a private ceremony attended by the new rulers closest advisors
31.
Rafi ud-Darajat
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Rafi-ul Darjat, the youngest son of Rafi-us-Shan and the nephew of Azim ush Shan, was the 10th Mughal Emperor. He succeeded Furrukhsiyar on 28 February 1719, being proclaimed Badshah by the Syed Brothers, as Rafi-ul Darajat owed his throne to the Syed Brothers they took full advantage of this. They wanted him to be a ruler and so took steps to curtail his power. The previous emperor Furrukhsiyar was deposed by the Syed Brothers as he had tried to maintain his independence, the reign of Rafi Ul-Darjat was one of turbulence. On 18 May 1719, less than three months after his own accession, Rafi Ul-Darjats uncle, Nekusiyar, assumed the throne at the Agra Fort as he thought he was eligible for the post. The Syed Brothers were extremely determined to defend the emperor they had raised to the throne, only three months after Nekusiyars enthronement, the fort surrendered and Nekusiyar was captured. He was respectfully received by the Amir Ul-Umara and confined at Salimgarh where he died in 1723, before dying, Rafi-ud-Darajat requested to enthrone his elder brother. Accordingly, on 6 June 1719, after a reign of 3 months and six days, two days later his brother, Rafi ud-Daulah, was enthroned. Rafi Ul-Darjat died of Lung Cancer or was murdered at Agra,13 June 1719 and his remains were interred near the shrine of Sufi saint, Khawaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, at Mehrauli in Delhi
32.
Chimaji Appa
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Shreemant Chimaji Ballal Peshwa was the son of Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa of Maratha Empire. He was a military commander who liberated the western coast of India from Portuguese rule. The high watermark of his career was the capture of Vasai fort from the Portuguese in a hard fought battle and they maintained well defended fortresses all along the coast located in islands and harbour mouths. From their headquarters in Goa they ran a theological Christian state all along the coastal region from Daman. To further the spread of Christianity, Inquisition was promulgated throughout the Portuguese possessions in India, Hindus were subjected to torture frequently surpassing even the barbarity of contemporary Islamic rulers. It was in this milieu that the Marathas arose, ignited by the call of swaraj given by Shivaji, while Bajirao was waging war against the Mughal Empire, Chimaji Appa concentrated his energies towards the Western Ghats. Vasai was the objective of the war, as this was the capital of the provincial government of Portugals northern Indian possessions. In 1733, the Marathas, led by Chimaji Appa, with Sardar Shankarbuwa Shinde wrested control of the Belapur Fort from the Portuguese, Sardar Jankojirao Shinde actual Great grandfather of Ranojirao Shinde and real younger brother of Dattajirao Shinde opened the attack from maratha side. After careful planning, Chimaji Appa led a Maratha army into the territories in 1737. Chimajis strategy was to go for the weakest link in the chain to the strongest, on 28 March 1737, Maratha forces led by Ranojirao Shinde and his great-grandfather Janojirao with both his sons Chengojirao and Raoloji shinde fought gallantly in this war. Maratha General Shankarbuwa Shinde captured the island fortress of Arnala. Thane and Salsette Island were freed in 1737, in November 1738, Chimaji Appa captured the fort of Dahanu and on 20 January 1739, Mahim capitulated. On 28 March 1739 Portuguese lost the island and the fortress of Karanja to Raoloji Shindes forces, finally in February 1739, Chimaji Appa invested Bassein Fort. Then mines were laid at various points under the walls and detonated. Inch by inch the fort was secured and resistance contained in small pockets, at this stage the tower of Saint Sebastian collapsed in an explosion, and Portuguese morale plummeted. On the 16th of May the Portuguese army surrendered, Portuguese Captain Caetano de Souza Pereira signed the surrender as most of the top army officers were already dead. Chimaji was magnanimous in victory, and surviving Portuguese were given a passage from the city. Legends also speak of his emulating Shivaji Maharaj by returning with honor a woman of Portuguese governors household who was presented to him as a spoil of war, Portuguese were given eight days to take all their movable property and move out
33.
Ichalkaranji
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Ichalkaranji is a Town in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is governed by a municipal council, Ichalkaranji Town is known for its export of Textile goods and textile manufacturing industry. The Nearest Airport from Ichalkaranji is Pune, Maharashtra and Belgaum, Kolhapur Airport is currently under construction. After construction it will be the nearest airport, Ichalkaranji is in western India about 425 kilometres south east of Mumbai. The City is growing rapidly and now merging with neighbouring Jaysingpur town to form a large satellite suburban township with Sangli city which is just 24 kilometres away, the city of Ichalkaranji assumes a place amongst the cities having highest per capita income in the country. Ichalkaranji City was a Maratha Princely state situated on the banks of Panchganga River and it was ruled by the Ghorpade dynasty for the last two centuries. He was the source of inspiration for the development of both the decentralized textile industry as well as the co-operative movement. He encouraged Mr. Vitthalrao Datar, an entrepreneur of the town. Perhaps this was the first power loom started in the textile industry of the country. Thus, Ichalkaranji has given a new concepts and dimensions to the field of India. The foresighted ruler gave a royal patronage by extending financial assistance as well as land to the desires weavers. The dynasty of Maratha rulers of Ichalkaranji, having its origin in the middle of the century, has had a long. A Brahmin widow, by the surname of Joshi, failing to eke out a living in the village of Mhapan, near Vengurla, in the Sindhudurg district, decided to try her luck up over the ghats. So, taking her son, Naro Mahadeo, a lad of about seven, she came to the village of Kapshi. Naro Mahadeo early took a keen interest in the horses of the general. This stolen ride was observed by the alert Santaji, who roundly scolded the syce, but also began to take a deep interest in the prodigal boy, thus, Naro Mahadev, the lad was benefited by the generals personal attention. Naro in turn served Santaji loyally and both developed affection for each other, as Naro Mahadeo proved his ability, he was promoted and later on was rewarded with Inams. Out of gratitude to his benefactor, Naro went on to change his surname from Joshi to Ghorpade and it was not long after this that Pune became the political centre of Maharashtra
34.
Raigad district
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Raigad District is a district in the state of Maharashtra, India. In 2011 the district had a population of 2,635,394, in 2011 urban dwellers had increased to 36. 91% from 24. 22% in 2001. The district is bounded by Mumbai Harbour to the northwest, Thane District to the north, Pune District to the east, Ratnagiri district to the south, and the Arabian Sea to the west. It includes the natural harbour of Pen-Mandwa, which is immediately south of Mumbai harbour. The northern part of the district is included in the metropolis of Navi Mumbai, and its port. The district includes towns/cities of Panvel, Alibag, Mangaon, Roha, Pen, Khopoli, Kharghar, Taloja, Khalapur, Uran, Patalganga, Rasayani, Nagothana, Poladpur, Karjat, the largest city both in area and population is Panvel. The district also includes the isle of Gharapuri or Elephanta, located in Uran which has ancient Hindu, Kulaba district was split from Thane district in 1869. According to the 1872 census, Kulaba district had a population of just over 350,000 people, with 94% of the population being Hindus, in 1881 the population was about 382,000, with 95% of the population being Hindus. Bhagat, Patil, Mhatre, Naik, Thakur, are famous, at this point the northernmost parts of modern Raigad district were retained in Thane district. Kolaba district was subsequently renamed Raigad district, after the British took over the old Colaba and this region, they established four Anglo – Vernacular medium school and 30 government schools in the year 1865–66. In the year 1861 the first school for girls was started in Alibag, the Mission Church started the first English school in Alibag in 1879. College, One Polytechnic Institute and One MMS College, Raigad district is divided into four subdivisions, with fifteen talukas, and 1,967 villages. According to the 2011 census Raigad district has a population of 2,634,200 and this gives it a ranking of 153rd in India. The district has a density of 368 inhabitants per square kilometre. Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 19. 36%, Raigad has a sex ratio of 955 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 83. 89%. Several scheduled tribes live in Raigad district, among these are the Mahadev, Koli, Katkari and Thakur. Raigad District is connected to Mumbai by Sion Panvel Expressway, the Mumbai-Pune expressway and NH4 passes through Panvel. NH17, which starts at Panvel, traverses the whole district, the Konkan Railway line starts at Roha and passes through Mangaon and Veer
35.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
