New Sample test paper – PSI/STI Questions based on Agriculture
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Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Inspiring Readings -Read It !
Inspiring Readings
(Please forward this to everyone that you know !)
If a problem can be solved, no need to worry about it.
If a problem cannot be solved what is the use of worrying?
If you miss an opportunity don't fill the eyes with tears.
It will hide another better opportunity in front of you
Don't compare yourself with any one in this world.
If you compare, you are insulting yourself.
No one will manufacture a lock without a key.
Similarly God won't give problems without solutions.
Life laughs at you when you are unhappy...
Life smiles at you when you are happy...
Life salutes you when you make others happy...
Every successful person has a painful story.
Every painful story has a successful ending.
Accept the pain and get ready for success.
Easy is to judge the mistakes of others.
Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes.
It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to cover the earth with carpet.
No one can go back and change a bad beginning;
But anyone can start now and create a successful ending.
"Changing the Face" can change nothing.
But "Facing the Change" can change everything.
Don't complain about others;
Change yourself if you want peace.
Mistakes are painful when they happen.
But year's later collection of mistakes is called experience, which leads to success.
Be bold when you loose
and be calm when you win.
Heated gold becomes ornament. Beaten copper becomes wires. Depleted
stone becomes statue. So the more pain you get in life you become more valuable.
INDIA 2007 / INDIA 2008
INDIA 2007 / INDIA 2008
Contents1. Land and the People 1
2. National Symbols 22
3. The Polity 26
4. Agriculture 57
5. Art and Culture 110
6. Basic Economic Data 124
7. Commerce 149
8. Communications 162
9. Defence 193
10. Education 208
11. Energy 243
12. Environment 282
13. Finance 321
14. Food and Civil Supplies 406
15. Health and Family Welfare 451
16. Housing 512
17. India and the World 530
18. Industry 561
19. Justice and Law 656
20. Labour 682
21. Mass Communication 701
22. Planning 751
23. Rural Development 783
24. Scientific and Technological Developments 799
25. Transport 897
26. Water Resources 933
27. Welfare 964
28. Youth Affairs and Sports 1015
29. States and Union Territories 1035
30. Diary of National Events 1048
31. General Information 1202
Download Full Report From
1) India Year Book 2007
2) India Year Book 2008
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Indian Heroes - Famous Indian Personalities
Indian Heroes - Famous Indian Personalities
Indian Entrepreneurs
Dhirubhai Ambani
JRD Tata
Adi Godrej
Anil Ambani
Dr. K. Anji Reddy
Azim Premji
Bhai Mohan Singh
B.M. Munjal
Ekta Kapoor
Ghanshyam Das Birla
Karsanbhai Patel
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
K.P. Singh
Kumar Mangalam Birla
Lalit Suri
M.S. Oberoi
Mukesh Ambani
Nandan Nilekani
Narayana Murthy
Naresh Goyal
Dr. Pratap Reddy
Rahul Bajaj
Ramalinga Raju
Ratan Tata
Raunaq Singh
Shiv Nadar
Subhash Chandra
Subroto Roy
Sunil Mittal
Tulsi Tanti
Verghese Kurien
Vijay Mallya
Mallika Srinivasan
Naina Lal Kidwai
Shahnaz Hussain
Sulajja Firodia Motwani
Shobhana Bhartia
Leaders
Jawaharlal Nehru
Annie Besant
Aruna Asaf Ali
Aurobindo Ghose
Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Chandrashekhar Azad
Dadabhai Naoroji
Gopal
Jawaharlal Nehru
Lala Lajpat Rai
Lal Bahadur Shastri
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Motilal Nehru
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Rajiv Gandhi
Sardar Patel
Sarojini Naidu
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Subhas Chandra Bose
Veer Savarkar
Kasturba Gandhi
Madam Cama
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
Sucheta Kriplani
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Ajmal Khan
Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Bipin Chandra Pal
Chittaranjan Das
Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari
Gopinath Bordoloi
Jayaprakash Narayan
K Kamaraj
MangalPandey
Mridula Sarabhai
Rani Gaidinliu
S. Srinivasa Iyengar
Sir Surendranath Banerjee
Musicians
Hariprasad Chaurasia
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
Hariprasad Chaurasia
MS Subbulakshmi
Shiv Kumar Sharma
Zakir Hussain
Ananda Shankar
AR Rahman
Beghum Akhtar
Pandit Debu Chaudhuri
Sri Lalgudi Jayarama Iyer
RD Burman
Swathi Thirunal
Miyan Tansen
Tyagaraja
Allauddin Khan
Annapurna Devi
Bismillah Khan
L. Subramaniam
Muthuswami Dikshitar
Indian Singers
Alisha Chinai
Alka Yagnik
Asha Bhosle
Lata Mangeshkar
Shubha Mudgal
Kishore Kumar
Kundan Lal Saigal
Mohammed Rafi
Classical Dancers
Mallika Sarabhai
Shovana Narayan
Sonal Mansingh
Yamini Krishnamurthy
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Uday Shankar
Birju Maharaj
Painters
Amrita Shergill
Jamini Roy
Raja
MF Hussain
Tyeb Mehta
Anjolie Ela Menon
Francis Newton Souza
Rameshwar Broota
SH Raza
Others
Tenzing Norgay
Amritanandamayi
Mirabai
Sister Nivedita
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Rani Lakshmi Bai
M G Ranade
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
Shakuntala Devi
NRI Entrepreneurs
Amar Bose Profile
Arun Sarin
Indra Nooyi
Lakshmi Mittal
Sabeer Bhatia
Lord Swaraj Paul
Vinod Dham
Vinod K
Dimple Kapadia
Jaya Bachchan
Kajol
Madhubala
Madhuri Dixit
Nargis
Preity Zinta
Rani Mukherjee
Rekha
Shabana Azmi
Sharmila Tagore
Smita Patil
Sri Devi
Sushmita Sen
Dev Anand
Kamal Haasan
Mehmood
Mithun Chakraborty
Mohanlal
Mammootty
Rajinikanth
Shahrukh Khan
Sivaji Ganesan
Raj Kapoor
Satyajit Ray
Writers
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Premchand
Rabindranath Tagore
Anita Desai
Arundhati Roy
Jhumpa Lahiri
Mulk Raj Anand
R.K. Narayan
Salman Rushdie
Vikram Seth
V.S. Naipaul
Kiran Desai
Mahadevi Varma
Shashi Deshpande
Shobha De
Khushwant Singh
Nirad C. Chaudhuri
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan
Subramanya Bharathi
Mahasweta Devi
Scientists
C.V. Raman
Homi Bhabha
Jagdish Chandra Bose
Meghnad Saha
M. Visvesvaraya
Satyendra Nath Bose
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Vikram Sarabhai
Anil Kakodkar
APJ Abdul Kalam
Birbal Sahni
Srinivasa Ramanujan
Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar
Har Gobind Khorana
Social Reformers
Dayanand Saraswati
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Ramakrishna Paramhansa
Swami Vivekananda
Vinoba Bhave
Kiran Bedi
Medha Patkar
Shanta Sinha
Baba Amte
Jyotiba Phule
Shahu Chhatrapati
Indian Vocalists
Girija Devi
Kumar Gandharva
Vishwanath Rao Ringe
Pandit Jasraj
Balamurali Krishna
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
Bhimsen Joshi
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Constitution of India
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India was enacted on 26th of January, 1950. The Constituent Assembly of India drafted the nation's Constitution. Being drafted on 26th of November, 1949, the Indian Constitution laid the foundations for establishment of the Democratic Republic of India.
On 29th August, 1947 a Drafting Committee, with Dr. Ambedkar as the Chairman, was formed on the basis of the various reports submitted by the previous committees. It was in the year 1948 that a Draft Constitution including a range of proposals was formed by the concerned committee. The Constituent Assembly of India held two meetings in February 1948 and October 1949 to go through the clauses of the Draft. Finally, from 14th to 26th of November, 1949 the Constituent Assembly analyzed each and every provision of the Draft. The then President of the Constituent Assembly of India signed the Draft on November 26th, 1949.
Today, there are 12 Schedules and 395 Articles in the Constitution of India. Amendments have been made to the Constitution time and again as per the need of the hour. Till 2006, there have been 94 Amendments made to the constitution.
Some of the prominent female personalities of the Constituent Assembly were Vijaylakshmi Pandit and Sarojini Naidu. From Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, B N Rau and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad to K M Munshi, Sardar Patel and Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyer, each one had a major contribution towards the present form of the Constituent Assembly.
The Preamble, as it is presented in the Constitution of India, is mentioned below: "WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION."
The Parliamentary form of Government of India was first introduced by the Constitution of the nation. Consisting of the President the Parliament of India has two Houses namely Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The President leads the Executive of the Union as the Constitutional head. The Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers as per the Article 74(1) of the Indian Constitution. The 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India indicates that the legislative powers are shared by both the State Legislatures and the Parliament of India.
The Constitution of India was enacted on 26th of January, 1950. The Constituent Assembly of India drafted the nation's Constitution. Being drafted on 26th of November, 1949, the Indian Constitution laid the foundations for establishment of the Democratic Republic of India.
Drafting of the Constitution
The Constitution of India was drafted over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 17 days. The members of Constituent Assembly of India met for the first time in the year 1946 on December 9. The next meeting of the Assembly took place on August 14th, 1947 for the dominion of India in which the proposal of forming various committees was presented. Such committees include Committee on Fundamental Rights, the Union Powers Committee and Union Constitution Committee. One of the unique factors of this meeting was that the Assembly gathered as the Sovereign Constituent Assembly of India.On 29th August, 1947 a Drafting Committee, with Dr. Ambedkar as the Chairman, was formed on the basis of the various reports submitted by the previous committees. It was in the year 1948 that a Draft Constitution including a range of proposals was formed by the concerned committee. The Constituent Assembly of India held two meetings in February 1948 and October 1949 to go through the clauses of the Draft. Finally, from 14th to 26th of November, 1949 the Constituent Assembly analyzed each and every provision of the Draft. The then President of the Constituent Assembly of India signed the Draft on November 26th, 1949.
Today, there are 12 Schedules and 395 Articles in the Constitution of India. Amendments have been made to the Constitution time and again as per the need of the hour. Till 2006, there have been 94 Amendments made to the constitution.
Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly of India was formed by the elected members of the provincial assemblies of the country. Presided over by Dr. Sachidanand Sinha for the first time, the Indian Constituent Assembly played the most important role in creating the Constitution of India. After Dr. Sinha, Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the President of the Assembly. Comprising over 30 schedule class members, the Constituent Assembly also included sections of Christians, Anglo-Indians and Minority Community. Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, being the Minority Community Chairman, also successfully worked for the Christians. While H P Modi was the representative of the Parsi community, Frank Anthony headed the Anglo-Indian section of the country in the Constituent Assembly.Some of the prominent female personalities of the Constituent Assembly were Vijaylakshmi Pandit and Sarojini Naidu. From Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, B N Rau and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad to K M Munshi, Sardar Patel and Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyer, each one had a major contribution towards the present form of the Constituent Assembly.
Preamble
The Preamble is one of the most significant parts of the Constitution of India. Focusing on the core objective of the Indian Constitution, the Preamble includes the following:- Equality - which connotes equal opportunity for one and all
- Justice - which means fair judgment in the fields of politics, society and economy
- Fraternity - which works towards keeping the integrity and strength of the country intact along with special stress on individual dignity
- Liberty - which assures every citizen of India the freedom of speech and expression, religious independence and choice of going by one's own belief
The Preamble, as it is presented in the Constitution of India, is mentioned below: "WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION."
Parts of the Constitution
The Constitution of India covers a total of 395 Articles in 22 parts. The parts of the Indian Constitution are mentioned below:- Part I - The Union and its Territory
- Part II - Citizenship
- Part III - Fundamental Rights
- Part IV - Directive Principles of State Policy
- Part IVA - Fundamental Duties
- Part V - The Union
- Part VI - The States
- Part VII - The States in Part B of the First Schedule
- Part VIII - The Union Territories
- Part IX - Panchayats
- Part IXA - Municipalities
- Part X - The Scheduled and Tribal Areas
- Part XI - Relations Between The Union and The States
- Part XII - Finance, Property, Contracts and Suits
- Part XIII - Trade, Commerce and Intercourse within The Territory of India
- Part XIV - Services Under The Union and The States
- Part XIVA - Tribunals
- Part XV- Elections
- Part XVI - Special Provisions Relating to Certain Classes
- Part XVII - Official Language
- Part XVIII - Emergency Provisions
- Part XIX - Miscellaneous
- Part XX - Amendment of the Constitution
- Part XXI - Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions
- Part XXII - Short Title, Commencement, Authoritative Text in Hindi and Repeals
The Parliamentary form of Government of India was first introduced by the Constitution of the nation. Consisting of the President the Parliament of India has two Houses namely Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The President leads the Executive of the Union as the Constitutional head. The Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers as per the Article 74(1) of the Indian Constitution. The 7th Schedule of the Constitution of India indicates that the legislative powers are shared by both the State Legislatures and the Parliament of India.
Schedules to Indian Constitution
Schedules to the Constitution of India can be added through the amendments to it. There are twelve schedules to Constitution of India, which are effective at present, are given below:- First Schedule: This schedule is about the States and Union Territories of India.
- Second Schedule: In this Schedule, provisions made to the President and the Governors of States, Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of the People, the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of States, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council of a State, the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts and the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India
- Third Schedule: Forms of Oaths or Affirmations are mentioned in this Schedule.
- Fourth Schedule: This Schedule specifies the allocation of seats in the Council of States.
- Fifth Schedule: Provisions as to the Administration and Control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes are mentioned in this Schedule. The amendment of the schedule is also included in the Part D of the Schedule.
- Sixth Schedule: This Schedule deals with the provisions as to the Administration of Tribal Areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
- Seventh Schedule: The List I or the Union List, List II or the State List and List III or the Concurrent List are included in this Schedule.
- Eighth Schedule: The 22 languages selected as the official languages of India are mentioned in this Schedule.
- Ninth Schedule: Validation of certain Acts and Regulations is dealt with in this Schedule
- Tenth Schedule: Provisions as to disqualification on ground of defection for the Members of Parliament and Members of the State Legislatures are mentioned in this Schedule.
- Eleventh Schedule: This Schedule talks about the powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats
- Twelfth Schedule: Powers, authority and responsibilities of Municipalities are defined in this Schedule.
Bharat Ratna Award and Bharat Ratna Awardees
Bharat Ratna Award
India has produced a legacy of brave hearts since times immemorial. Probably there is not enough space to measure their sacrifices. However, we cannot close our eyes to those people who have made our country proud by excelling in their own fields and bringing us international recognition. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour, given for exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order.The original specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal, 35 mm in diameter, with the sun and the Hindi legend "Bharat Ratna" above and a floral wreath below. The reverse was to carry the state emblem and motto. It was to be worn around the neck from a white ribbon. This design was altered after a year.
Bharat Ratna Award
Bharat Ratna Award
(Reverse Side)
T he provision of Bharat Ratna was introduced in 1954. The first ever Indian to receive this award was the famous scientist, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. Since then, many dignitaries, each a whiz in varied aspects of their career has received this coveted award.In fact, our former President, Shri A. P. J Abdul Kalam is also a recipient of this esteemed honour (1997). There is no written provision that Bharat Ratna should be awarded to Indian citizens only. The award has been awarded to a naturalized Indian citizen, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa (1980) and to two non-Indians – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela (1990). It is also not mandatory that Bharat Ratna be awarded every year. The last time this award was given was in 2001, to Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar and Ustad Bismillah Khan.
Bharat Ratna Awardees
• Kumari Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar
Arts : 2001 : India : Maharashtra
• Late. Ustad Bismillah Khan
Arts : 2001 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Prof. Amartya Sen
Literature & Education : 1999 : United Kingdom :
• Lokpriya Gopinath (posth.) Bordoloi
Public Affairs : 1999 : India : Assam
• Loknayak Jayprakash (Posth.) Narayan
Public Affairs : 1999 : India : Bihar
• Pandit Ravi Shankar
Arts : 1999 : United States :
• Shri Chidambaram Subramaniam
Public Affairs : 1998 : India : Tamil Nadu
• Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi
Arts : 1998 : India : Tamil Nadu
• Shri (Dr.) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Science & Engineering. : 1997 : India : Delhi
• Smt. Aruna Asaf (Posth.) Ali
Public Affairs : 1997 : India : Delhi
• Shri Gulzari Lal (Shri) Nanda
Public Affairs : 1997 : India : Gujarat
• Shri Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhai Tata
Trade & Industry : 1992 : India : Maharashtra
• Shri Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Public Affairs : 1992 : India : West Bengal
• Shri Satyajit Ray
Arts : 1992 : India : West Bengal
• Shri Morarji Ranchhodji Desai
Public Affairs : 1991 : India : Gujarat
• Shri Rajiv Gandhi
Public Affairs : 1991 : India : Delhi
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Public Affairs : 1991 : India : Gujarat
• Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedakr
Public Affairs : 1990 : India : Maharashtra
• Dr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
Public Affairs : 1990 : South Africa :
• Shri Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran
Public Affairs : 1988 : India : Tamil Nadu
• Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Social Work : 1987 : Pakistan :
• Shri Acharya Vinoba Bhave
Social Work : 1983 : India : Maharashtra
• Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu Teresa
Social Work : 1980 : India : West Bengal
• Shri Kumaraswamy Kamraj
Public Affairs : 1976 : India : Tamil Nadu
• Shri V.V. Giri
Public Affairs : 1975 : India : Orissa
• Smt. Indira Gandhi
Public Affairs : 1971 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri
Public Affairs : 1966 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane
Social Work : 1963 : India : Maharashtra
• Dr. Zakir Hussain
Public Affairs : 1963 : India : Andhra Pradesh
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Public Affairs : 1962 : India : Bihar
• Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy
Public Affairs : 1961 : India : West Bengal
• Shri Purushottam Das Tandon
Public Affairs : 1961 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve
Social Work : 1958 : India : Maharashtra
• Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant
Public Affairs : 1957 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Dr. Bhagwan Das
Literature & Education : 1955 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Shri Jawaharlal Nehru
Public Affairs : 1955 : India : Uttar Pradesh
• Dr. M. Vishweshwariah
Civil Service : 1955 : India : Karnataka
• Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
Public Affairs : 1954 : India : Tamil Nadu
• Dr. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman
Science & Engineering. : 1954 : India : Tamil Nadu
• Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan
Public Affairs : 1954 : India : Tamil Nadu
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The following individuals have served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra since its establishment in 1960
| # | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
| 1 | Yashwantrao Chavan | 1 May 1960 | 19 November 1962 | INC |
| 3rd Assembly Elections (1962) | | | | |
| 2 | Marotrao Kannamwar | 20 November 1962 | 24 November 1963 | INC |
| 3 | Vasantrao Naik | 5 December 1963 | 20 February 1975 | INC |
| 4 | Shankarrao Chavan | 21 February 1975 | 17 May 1977 | INC |
| 5 | Vasantdada Patil | 17 May. 1977 | 18 July 1978 | INC |
| 6th Assembly Elections (1978) | | | | |
| 6 | Sharad Pawar | 18 July 1978 | 17 February 1980 | Progressive Democratic Front |
| 7th Assembly Elections (1980) | | | | |
| 7 | Abdul Rehman Antulay | 9 June 1980 | 12 January 1982 | INC |
| 8 | Babasaheb Bhosale | 21 January 1982 | 1 February 1983 | INC |
| 9 | Vasantdada Patil | 2 February 1983 | 1 June 1985 | INC |
| 8th Assembly Elections (1985) | | | | |
| 10 | Shivajirao Nilangekar Patil | 3 June 1985 | 6 March 1986 | INC |
| 11 | Shankarrao Chavan | 12 March 1986 | 26 June 1988 | INC |
| 12 | Sharad Pawar | 26 June 1988 | 25 June 1991 | INC |
| 9th Assembly Elections (1991) | | | | |
| 13 | Sudhakarrao Naik | 25 June 1991 | 22 February 1993 | INC |
| 14 | Sharad Pawar | 6 March 1993 | 14 March 1995 | INC |
| 10th Assembly Elections (1995) | | | | |
| 15 | Manohar Joshi | 14 March 1995 | 31 January 1999 | Shiv Sena |
| 16 | Narayan Rane | 1 February 1999 | 17 October 1999 | Shiv Sena |
| 11th Assembly Elections (1999) | | | | |
| 17 | Vilasrao Deshmukh | 18 October 1999 | 16 January 2003 | INC |
| 18 | Sushil Kumar Shinde | 18 January 2003 | 30 October 2004 | INC |
| 12th Assembly elections (2004) | | | | |
| 19 | Vilasrao Deshmukh | 1 November 2004 | 4 December 2008 | INC |
| 20 | Ashok Chavan | 8 December 2008 | Present | INC |
Friday, September 11, 2009
History of Maharashtra
Early History
Although some Paleolithic remains have been discovered, Maharashtra enters recorded history in the second century BC, with the construction of its first Buddhist caves. These lay, and still lie, in peaceful places of great natural beauty, but could never have been created without the wealth generated by the nearby caravan trade routes between north and south India.
Origins
The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in a Chinese traveler's account. Its name may have originated from rathi, meaning "chariot driver" and referring to builders and drivers of chariots who formed a maharathis, a "fighting force." This region seems to have attained prominence as early as 90 A.D., when king Vedishri made Junnar the capital of his kingdom, thirty miles north of Pune. For the 900 years ending in the early fourteenth century, with the overthrow of the Devgiri Yadavs by the northern Muslim powers, no historical information in this region is available. In 1526, first Mughal king, Babar, established his prominanace in Delhi and soon the Mughal power spread to the southern India. The Mughals were to dominate India till the early eighteenth century.
Poet-Saints
The regions's first Hindu rulers, based in Badami, appeared during the sixth century, but the eighth-century Rashtrakutas achieved a greater authority. Buddhism was almost entirely supplanted throughout the entire country by the twelfth century, in what has been characterized as a peaceful popular revolution attributable largely to the popular poet-saints. Maharashtra was one of the main channels that helped the emotional and emotional bhakti school of Hinduism spread from southern to northern India, thanks here to work of Jnanesvara (1271-1296) whose commentary on the Bhagwad Gita, the Jnanesvari, was significantly written in the day-to-day spoken language, Marathi, as opposed to classical Sanskrit. The most famous of his contemporary poet-saints was the tailor Namdev (1270-1350), whose passionate devotional hymns caught the popular imagination. The tradition they established continued to flourish, even when forced underground by Islam, reaching its zenith in the simple faith of the anguished Tukaram (1598-1650), whose wife and son died in a famine, and Ramdas, the "Servant of Rama" (1608-1681). Ramdas, both ascetic and political activist, provided the philosophical underpinning behind the campaigns of Maharashtra's greatest warrior, Shivaji.
The Maratha Reign
In the sixteenth century, regional Muslim powers like Nizamshahi, Adilshahi, and Qutubshahi established their prominence in the Deccan region. They basically served the Mughal empire but were autonomous to an extent. One of them, Nizamshahi was located in Ahmednagar, a town 95 miles east of Pune. Maloji Bhosle, Grandfather of Shivaji served for the Nizam as a Sardar. In 1595, Bahadur Nizam II honored him as 'Raja' for his courage in a battle with Mughals and gave him the estates of Pune and the fort of Chakan, near Pune. This is generally considered as the starting point of the Maratha history.
The Reign of Shivaji (1627 - 1680)
Shivaji Bhosle, founder of the Maratha empire, was born in 1627, in the fort of Shivneri, 40 miles north of Pune. In 1629, Shivaji's father Shahaji, who had succeeded his father Maloji, in Pune and Chakan, disengaged himself from the service of the Nizamshahi. Consequently, in 1635 the Nizam's army attacked Pune. Shahaji surrendered and his estates were returned to him. Soon, Shahaji put Dadaji Kondadev in charge of Pune,and as a caretaker for the Shivaji while he joined the Adilshahi in Vijapur, aprox. 400 miles south of Pune, which was soon to emerge as the most important power in the region as the other local powers slowly diminished.
In Pune, Dadoji built a palace 'Lal Mahal', for Shivaji and his mother Jijabai. At the age of sixteen (1643 AD), Shivaji took great delight in stirring up his friends' hopes and nursed the thought of becoming independent. He took the oath to make the land free at the fort Torna at the age of sixteen. This was the start of his lifelong struggle against Mughals and other Muslim powers. By 1647, Shivaji had captured two forts and had the complete charge of Pune. In 1657, he committed his first act of hostility against the Adilshahi by plundering a large booty in Ahmednagar. Thus, began a sequence of attacks on the Adilshahi.He slowly started capturing forts in the region, Purandar, Rajgad, Torna being most notable of his first achievements.
Disturbed by his continuing success, Adilshahi sent a famous Sardar, 'Afzalkhan' to destroy Shivaji. Afzalkhan knew that Shivaji's army, which was much smaller than his huge force would be unable to fight him on open land. He tried all the tricks in the book to make him fight on plains, but Shivaji was no less clever. He convinced Khan that he was very much afraid of him and requested him for a meeting at a place near Vai ( 100 miles south of Pune) which was densely wooded, mountainous region, and ideal for his army to fight. Khan still had plans to kill him in the meeting and Shivaji knew it well. Ultimately it was Khan who was killed and his unsuspecting army was completed washed out by Shivaji. After this, Shivaji went on a winning spree and spread his reach till Panhala near Kolhapur.
Meanwhile, Aurangzeb got concerned by Shivaji's rise to power. It was now clear that local Muslim Powers were unable to stop him. So he sent a huge Army, led by Mirzaraje Jaisingh to defeat Shivaji(1666). Jaising's army was much stronger than Shivaji and soon he lost most of his important forts. Realising that he was fighting a losing battle, he signed a treaty with Mirza and agreed to serve Aurangzeb, his young son, Sambhaji being made a sardar. He went to Delhi with Mirza to meet Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb gave a humiliating treatment to Shivaji and soon put him under house imprisonment under some excuse. It looked certain that Shivaji will be killed sooner or later by Aurangzeb. But this was not to happen, fortunately, for Maratha kingdom. Shivaji made a clever plot to escape and escaped with Sambhaji to south.
After this turning point, Shivaji never looked back and slowly regained his lost glory. By 1673, he had control over most of western Maharashtra and had made 'Raigad' ( Dist. Raigad , 150 miles southwest of Pune) his capital. He was ceremeniously enthroned as a sovereign king in 1673. By 1680, the year of Shivaji's death, nearly whole of the Deccan belonged to his kingdom. He had developed an efficient administration and a powerful army. He also encouraged a spirit of independence among the Marathas that enabled them to withstand for 150 years all attempts to conquer them. Shivaji's achievements amongst monumental difficulties were really spectacular and that is why he holds the highest place in Maratha history.
The Period of Unstability - 1680 to 1707
Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji. He showed the same vigor as his father, but was taken prisoner and executed by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, in 1689. Rajaram, Sambhaji's younger brother then took the throne, since Sambhaji's son, Shahu was still a minor. The death of Rajaram in 1700 seemed to end the power of the Marathas, but Tarabai, the elder widow of Rajaram, put her young son Shahu on the throne, at the tender age of ten, and continued the struggle against Aurangzeb who had come to south with the sole purpose of destroying Maratha kingdom. Between 1700 and 1703, Aurangzeb captured the fort of Sinhagad, near Pune. During the siege, his son prince Muhuil-Mulk died; so Aurangzeb changed Pune's name to Muhiabad, in the prince's honor. Shahu continued to fight against the Mughals and captured Rajgad, the former capital of the Maratha territory. The fight against the Mughals ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 which was another turning point in Maratha history. After Aurangzeb, Mughal power never regained its status as main power in India and Balance of power shifted towards Marathas, which was soon to be controlled by Peshwas.
The Peshwe Dynasty - 1712 to 1818
Balaji Vishwanath - 1712 to 1721
In 1712, Shahu died of smallpox and his minister or peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath took over the throne.
Negotiations between the Mughal court of Delhi and Balaji Vishwanath enabled him to send a large Maratha delegation to Delhi to assist the Mughals. The year 1718 marked the beginning of the Maratha influence in Delhi, to which they remained closely acquainted, till 1803. Balaji Vishwanath's health had suffered considerably, and he died in 1721.
Bajirao Peshwa ( Pahila Bajirao ) - 1721 to 1740
Bajirao, his elder son was awarded the title of peshwa after the death of his father . It was Bajirao's dream to extend the Maratha empire to North India. By this time, Pune had regained its status as capital of Maratha Kingdom from Rajgad. Rajgad was made capital by Shivaji beacuse it was a safe place, high in the moutainous, wooded area. As Pune was in plains, it always had a threat. By 1720's, Maratha power was spreading in large areas and the threat of local battles fought over forts did not exist much. Pune remained the capital till the end of Maratha empire in 1818.
In 1734, Bajirao captured the Malwa territory in the north, and in 1739, his brother Chimnaji drove out the Portuguese from almost all their possessions in the northern Western Ghats. Bajirao diedi in 1740 and left three sons behind him. It was Bajirao who built the 'Shanivarwada', the residence and ruling place for the Peshwas.
Nanasaheb Peshwa - 1740 to 1761
Nanasaheb succeeded Bajirao as Peshwa in 1740. He had two brothers, Raghunathrao, who later betrayed the Marathas and joined hands with the British, and Janardan, who died in his early youth.
Nanasaheb was ambitious and a multifaceted person.In 1741, when his uncle Chimnaji died, he returned from the northern districts and spent nearly a year improving the civil administration of Pune. The period between 1741 and 1745 was of comparative calm in the Deccan. Nanasaheb encouraged agriculture, protected the villagers and brought about a marked improvement in the state of the territory.
The scene changed in 1751, when the Mughals, supported by the French, advanced towards Pune, totally destroying every village in their way. The Marathas fought with great determination, and nothing but the French artillery saved them from total defeat. In 1754, Raghunathrao, Nanasaheb's brother started on an expedition to conquer Gujarat, the state north of Bombay. In 1756, Nanasaheb marched south to attack Karnatak. In the meantime, news spread that the war had broken out between the English and the French, in Europe.
In 1756, the fall of the formidable navy formed by Shivaji gave British their chance to regain importance in the region. The navy was headed by Kanhoji Angre and its destruction was a cruical blow to Maratha sea power. It was a sad outcome of neglect of navy by Marathas which turned out to be a horrible mistake. Marathas never regained control of the sea after that.
In 1761, the Marathas were defeated at the third Battle of Panipat against Ahmadshah Abdali , a great warrior from Afganistan. Marathas were fighting to save Delhi Sultanat and consequently their power in the north. NajibUddowla was the person responsible for calling Abdali. 14th January, 1761 was the D-Day. This was a cruical blow to the rising Maratha power from which they never recovered. They lost more than 100,000 men and dozens of important Sardars in the battle. Nanasaheb Peshwe ( Balaji Bajirao ) lost his brother, Sadashivrao ( After whom the Sadashiv Peth in Pune is named ), and also his first son, Vishwasrao, in this battle. This news shattered Balaji Bajirao, who died shortly afterwards, in the temple on Parvati hill in Pune. The Maratha power was at the zenith of its glory during Balaji Bajirao's (also called Nana Saheb Peshwa) reign. It never fully recovered from the crushing defeat at Panipat.
'Thorale' Madhaorao Peshwa - 1761 to 1772
Madhavrao, his second son then took over, but had to constantly face administrative disputes with his uncle, Raghunathrao. Despite of this, he achieved many remarkable victories and restored the shattred Maratha kingdom to a large extent. His outstanding achievements included defeat of Nizam (Hyderabad), Hyder (Karnataka) and Bhosle of Nagpur. He also had to fight wars with Raghunathrao whose greed for power never waned. Ultimately, Madhavrao took Raghunathrao prisoner in 1768; the same year when the Nizam attacked Pune.He was eventually defeated. Madhavrao, also called 'Thorale'or Greatest Madhavrao, is entitled to special praise for supporting the poor and for his sense of justice. Ramshastri Prabhune, the chief justice, has become a legend for his work. The people who rose to power in his rule were Mahadji Shinde, Nana Phadnis and Haribhau Phadke who became the key figures in the power structure after his death. He took ill in 1771 and died in 1772 at an early age of 27, causing yet another blow to recovering Maratha power.
Narayanrao Peshwa - 1772 to 1773
Narayanrao, Balaji Bajirao's third son succeeded the throne at Shaniwarwada as the next Peshwa. He neither had the courage to take any bold decisions nor administrative skills and soon became very unpopular among the people. In 1773, Raghunathrao, who had been imprisoned by Madhavrao, in a room in the palace in Pune, escaped with the help of the Gardi people . Narayanrao was murdered at the Shaniwar wada , owing to a conspiracy by Anandibai, Raghunathrao's wife.
'Sawai' Madhaorao Peshwa - 1774 to 1795
Raghunathrao was proclaimed the next peshwa, although he was not heir to the title. Narayanrao's widow gave birth to a son, Sawai Madhavrao, who was legally the next peshwa. Raghunathrao tried to maintain his kingdom by signing treaties with the English , and relied on them for manpower in exchange for money and territory. However his plans did not succeed. Raghoba was displaced from power by a clever plot by the 12 Maratha sardar's " Barambhainche karasthaan" ( Plot by 12 people ) including Nana, Holkar, Phadke Shinde . Sawai Madhavrao was then declared the next Peshwa. As he was only one year old at that time, Nana Phadnis became the main administrator with Phadke,Shinde,Holkar taking care of Military duties. These people handled the Peshwai well and with great unity till the premature death of Sawai Madhaorao in 1795. They defeated the rising British Power in 1784, near Pune and halted their advancements, temporarily. Sawai Madhaorao's death was the last blow to the Maratha empire and all the unity among its leaders vanished after his death causing a downfall of Peshwai in a short time.
'Second' Bajirao Peshwa - 1795 to 1802
Raghunathrao died in 1782, leaving behind him, two sons; Bajirao, who in 1817 confronted the British at the Battle of Kirkee, in Pune; and the younger, Chimnaji Appa. Bajirao became the next Peshwa after Madhaorao's death. Nana was still the administrator and the Peshwai remained in stable condition till his death owing to his superb administrative skills. Nana died in 1800 and Pune fell into the hands of the Sindia's ( Shinde) ; the former chiefs of Nana's army. They remained in power for a short while and in 1802, Bajirao reestablished himself in Pune, by signing the treaty of Bassein with the British. This essentially ended Peshwai , establishing British supremacy in the region. The capturing of the Ahmednagar fort in 1803, proved British supremacy in the Deccan. In 1804, General Wellesly proclaimed the Deccan in a state of chaos, established military rule and the Peshwas remained rulers for name's sake.
The British Raj - 1818 to 1947
Towards the end of 1805 Sir James Mackintosh, the Chief Justice of Bombay (1804-1811), came from Bombay to visit Colonel Close, the Resident at Pune. The Residency on the 'Sangam'(confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers) Mackintosh describes as a set of bungalows, fitted conveniently and luxuriously. Pune city had its principal streets paved with stone, and was reckoned one of the best built native towns in India. The Peshwa's residence, that is the Shaniwar wada, added to Pune's glory. Between 1805 and 1811, under Colonel Close and for a short while under Mr. Russel, affairs went smoothly in Pune.
In 1811, Mr. Russel was succeeded by Lord Mountstuart Elphinstone. Bajirao was very disloyal to the British, and in November of 1817, he declared war against them. This battle was fought at Kirkee, that is the Cantonment area, in the east of Pune. The Peshwa fled and the power of the country passed from the Peshwas to the British by 1819. The rest of the nineteenth century witnessed a few minor uprisings in and around Pune, but the British established their supremacy. As the Maratha's were the key power in India at this time, their fall clearly marked the begining of British Rule in India.
The first step towards establishing a municipal government in the city of Pune, was taken in 1856, when the Pune Municipality came into existence under the Act of 1850. The fact that Pune is not recognized as a major tourist center, is probably because it cannot boast of outstanding artistic specimens of architecture, like those of Delhi or Agra. Yet, it is rich in its associations with the past.
In the early 20th century, the whole of India was in revolt against the British; yearning for freedom. Mahatma Gandhi launched his movement of nonviolence, and people participated by the thousands in the 'Chale Jao' ('go away') struggle. Paradoxically, Pune witnessed violence when the Chaphekar brothers killed a British police officer by the name of Mr. Rand. On one hand, as the violence overrode the city, improvements were made in the education of women and the abolition of child labor. Independence was attained in 1947, but that was not the end of violence.
Modern Maharashtra - 1947 to Present
At Indian Independence in 1947, western Maharashtra and present-day Gujarat were joined as Bombay state. The eastern districts were then part of Hyderabad State, but were later added to Bombay in 1956. The present state was formed in 1960 when the Marathi and Gujarati linguistic areas of former Bombay state were separated. Bombay city became the capital of the new state.
Although some Paleolithic remains have been discovered, Maharashtra enters recorded history in the second century BC, with the construction of its first Buddhist caves. These lay, and still lie, in peaceful places of great natural beauty, but could never have been created without the wealth generated by the nearby caravan trade routes between north and south India.
Origins
The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in a Chinese traveler's account. Its name may have originated from rathi, meaning "chariot driver" and referring to builders and drivers of chariots who formed a maharathis, a "fighting force." This region seems to have attained prominence as early as 90 A.D., when king Vedishri made Junnar the capital of his kingdom, thirty miles north of Pune. For the 900 years ending in the early fourteenth century, with the overthrow of the Devgiri Yadavs by the northern Muslim powers, no historical information in this region is available. In 1526, first Mughal king, Babar, established his prominanace in Delhi and soon the Mughal power spread to the southern India. The Mughals were to dominate India till the early eighteenth century.
Poet-Saints
The regions's first Hindu rulers, based in Badami, appeared during the sixth century, but the eighth-century Rashtrakutas achieved a greater authority. Buddhism was almost entirely supplanted throughout the entire country by the twelfth century, in what has been characterized as a peaceful popular revolution attributable largely to the popular poet-saints. Maharashtra was one of the main channels that helped the emotional and emotional bhakti school of Hinduism spread from southern to northern India, thanks here to work of Jnanesvara (1271-1296) whose commentary on the Bhagwad Gita, the Jnanesvari, was significantly written in the day-to-day spoken language, Marathi, as opposed to classical Sanskrit. The most famous of his contemporary poet-saints was the tailor Namdev (1270-1350), whose passionate devotional hymns caught the popular imagination. The tradition they established continued to flourish, even when forced underground by Islam, reaching its zenith in the simple faith of the anguished Tukaram (1598-1650), whose wife and son died in a famine, and Ramdas, the "Servant of Rama" (1608-1681). Ramdas, both ascetic and political activist, provided the philosophical underpinning behind the campaigns of Maharashtra's greatest warrior, Shivaji.
The Maratha Reign
In the sixteenth century, regional Muslim powers like Nizamshahi, Adilshahi, and Qutubshahi established their prominence in the Deccan region. They basically served the Mughal empire but were autonomous to an extent. One of them, Nizamshahi was located in Ahmednagar, a town 95 miles east of Pune. Maloji Bhosle, Grandfather of Shivaji served for the Nizam as a Sardar. In 1595, Bahadur Nizam II honored him as 'Raja' for his courage in a battle with Mughals and gave him the estates of Pune and the fort of Chakan, near Pune. This is generally considered as the starting point of the Maratha history.
The Reign of Shivaji (1627 - 1680)
Shivaji Bhosle, founder of the Maratha empire, was born in 1627, in the fort of Shivneri, 40 miles north of Pune. In 1629, Shivaji's father Shahaji, who had succeeded his father Maloji, in Pune and Chakan, disengaged himself from the service of the Nizamshahi. Consequently, in 1635 the Nizam's army attacked Pune. Shahaji surrendered and his estates were returned to him. Soon, Shahaji put Dadaji Kondadev in charge of Pune,and as a caretaker for the Shivaji while he joined the Adilshahi in Vijapur, aprox. 400 miles south of Pune, which was soon to emerge as the most important power in the region as the other local powers slowly diminished.
In Pune, Dadoji built a palace 'Lal Mahal', for Shivaji and his mother Jijabai. At the age of sixteen (1643 AD), Shivaji took great delight in stirring up his friends' hopes and nursed the thought of becoming independent. He took the oath to make the land free at the fort Torna at the age of sixteen. This was the start of his lifelong struggle against Mughals and other Muslim powers. By 1647, Shivaji had captured two forts and had the complete charge of Pune. In 1657, he committed his first act of hostility against the Adilshahi by plundering a large booty in Ahmednagar. Thus, began a sequence of attacks on the Adilshahi.He slowly started capturing forts in the region, Purandar, Rajgad, Torna being most notable of his first achievements.
Disturbed by his continuing success, Adilshahi sent a famous Sardar, 'Afzalkhan' to destroy Shivaji. Afzalkhan knew that Shivaji's army, which was much smaller than his huge force would be unable to fight him on open land. He tried all the tricks in the book to make him fight on plains, but Shivaji was no less clever. He convinced Khan that he was very much afraid of him and requested him for a meeting at a place near Vai ( 100 miles south of Pune) which was densely wooded, mountainous region, and ideal for his army to fight. Khan still had plans to kill him in the meeting and Shivaji knew it well. Ultimately it was Khan who was killed and his unsuspecting army was completed washed out by Shivaji. After this, Shivaji went on a winning spree and spread his reach till Panhala near Kolhapur.
Meanwhile, Aurangzeb got concerned by Shivaji's rise to power. It was now clear that local Muslim Powers were unable to stop him. So he sent a huge Army, led by Mirzaraje Jaisingh to defeat Shivaji(1666). Jaising's army was much stronger than Shivaji and soon he lost most of his important forts. Realising that he was fighting a losing battle, he signed a treaty with Mirza and agreed to serve Aurangzeb, his young son, Sambhaji being made a sardar. He went to Delhi with Mirza to meet Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb gave a humiliating treatment to Shivaji and soon put him under house imprisonment under some excuse. It looked certain that Shivaji will be killed sooner or later by Aurangzeb. But this was not to happen, fortunately, for Maratha kingdom. Shivaji made a clever plot to escape and escaped with Sambhaji to south.
After this turning point, Shivaji never looked back and slowly regained his lost glory. By 1673, he had control over most of western Maharashtra and had made 'Raigad' ( Dist. Raigad , 150 miles southwest of Pune) his capital. He was ceremeniously enthroned as a sovereign king in 1673. By 1680, the year of Shivaji's death, nearly whole of the Deccan belonged to his kingdom. He had developed an efficient administration and a powerful army. He also encouraged a spirit of independence among the Marathas that enabled them to withstand for 150 years all attempts to conquer them. Shivaji's achievements amongst monumental difficulties were really spectacular and that is why he holds the highest place in Maratha history.
The Period of Unstability - 1680 to 1707
Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji. He showed the same vigor as his father, but was taken prisoner and executed by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, in 1689. Rajaram, Sambhaji's younger brother then took the throne, since Sambhaji's son, Shahu was still a minor. The death of Rajaram in 1700 seemed to end the power of the Marathas, but Tarabai, the elder widow of Rajaram, put her young son Shahu on the throne, at the tender age of ten, and continued the struggle against Aurangzeb who had come to south with the sole purpose of destroying Maratha kingdom. Between 1700 and 1703, Aurangzeb captured the fort of Sinhagad, near Pune. During the siege, his son prince Muhuil-Mulk died; so Aurangzeb changed Pune's name to Muhiabad, in the prince's honor. Shahu continued to fight against the Mughals and captured Rajgad, the former capital of the Maratha territory. The fight against the Mughals ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 which was another turning point in Maratha history. After Aurangzeb, Mughal power never regained its status as main power in India and Balance of power shifted towards Marathas, which was soon to be controlled by Peshwas.
The Peshwe Dynasty - 1712 to 1818
Balaji Vishwanath - 1712 to 1721
In 1712, Shahu died of smallpox and his minister or peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath took over the throne.
Negotiations between the Mughal court of Delhi and Balaji Vishwanath enabled him to send a large Maratha delegation to Delhi to assist the Mughals. The year 1718 marked the beginning of the Maratha influence in Delhi, to which they remained closely acquainted, till 1803. Balaji Vishwanath's health had suffered considerably, and he died in 1721.
Bajirao Peshwa ( Pahila Bajirao ) - 1721 to 1740
Bajirao, his elder son was awarded the title of peshwa after the death of his father . It was Bajirao's dream to extend the Maratha empire to North India. By this time, Pune had regained its status as capital of Maratha Kingdom from Rajgad. Rajgad was made capital by Shivaji beacuse it was a safe place, high in the moutainous, wooded area. As Pune was in plains, it always had a threat. By 1720's, Maratha power was spreading in large areas and the threat of local battles fought over forts did not exist much. Pune remained the capital till the end of Maratha empire in 1818.
In 1734, Bajirao captured the Malwa territory in the north, and in 1739, his brother Chimnaji drove out the Portuguese from almost all their possessions in the northern Western Ghats. Bajirao diedi in 1740 and left three sons behind him. It was Bajirao who built the 'Shanivarwada', the residence and ruling place for the Peshwas.
Nanasaheb Peshwa - 1740 to 1761
Nanasaheb succeeded Bajirao as Peshwa in 1740. He had two brothers, Raghunathrao, who later betrayed the Marathas and joined hands with the British, and Janardan, who died in his early youth.
Nanasaheb was ambitious and a multifaceted person.In 1741, when his uncle Chimnaji died, he returned from the northern districts and spent nearly a year improving the civil administration of Pune. The period between 1741 and 1745 was of comparative calm in the Deccan. Nanasaheb encouraged agriculture, protected the villagers and brought about a marked improvement in the state of the territory.
The scene changed in 1751, when the Mughals, supported by the French, advanced towards Pune, totally destroying every village in their way. The Marathas fought with great determination, and nothing but the French artillery saved them from total defeat. In 1754, Raghunathrao, Nanasaheb's brother started on an expedition to conquer Gujarat, the state north of Bombay. In 1756, Nanasaheb marched south to attack Karnatak. In the meantime, news spread that the war had broken out between the English and the French, in Europe.
In 1756, the fall of the formidable navy formed by Shivaji gave British their chance to regain importance in the region. The navy was headed by Kanhoji Angre and its destruction was a cruical blow to Maratha sea power. It was a sad outcome of neglect of navy by Marathas which turned out to be a horrible mistake. Marathas never regained control of the sea after that.
In 1761, the Marathas were defeated at the third Battle of Panipat against Ahmadshah Abdali , a great warrior from Afganistan. Marathas were fighting to save Delhi Sultanat and consequently their power in the north. NajibUddowla was the person responsible for calling Abdali. 14th January, 1761 was the D-Day. This was a cruical blow to the rising Maratha power from which they never recovered. They lost more than 100,000 men and dozens of important Sardars in the battle. Nanasaheb Peshwe ( Balaji Bajirao ) lost his brother, Sadashivrao ( After whom the Sadashiv Peth in Pune is named ), and also his first son, Vishwasrao, in this battle. This news shattered Balaji Bajirao, who died shortly afterwards, in the temple on Parvati hill in Pune. The Maratha power was at the zenith of its glory during Balaji Bajirao's (also called Nana Saheb Peshwa) reign. It never fully recovered from the crushing defeat at Panipat.
'Thorale' Madhaorao Peshwa - 1761 to 1772
Madhavrao, his second son then took over, but had to constantly face administrative disputes with his uncle, Raghunathrao. Despite of this, he achieved many remarkable victories and restored the shattred Maratha kingdom to a large extent. His outstanding achievements included defeat of Nizam (Hyderabad), Hyder (Karnataka) and Bhosle of Nagpur. He also had to fight wars with Raghunathrao whose greed for power never waned. Ultimately, Madhavrao took Raghunathrao prisoner in 1768; the same year when the Nizam attacked Pune.He was eventually defeated. Madhavrao, also called 'Thorale'or Greatest Madhavrao, is entitled to special praise for supporting the poor and for his sense of justice. Ramshastri Prabhune, the chief justice, has become a legend for his work. The people who rose to power in his rule were Mahadji Shinde, Nana Phadnis and Haribhau Phadke who became the key figures in the power structure after his death. He took ill in 1771 and died in 1772 at an early age of 27, causing yet another blow to recovering Maratha power.
Narayanrao Peshwa - 1772 to 1773
Narayanrao, Balaji Bajirao's third son succeeded the throne at Shaniwarwada as the next Peshwa. He neither had the courage to take any bold decisions nor administrative skills and soon became very unpopular among the people. In 1773, Raghunathrao, who had been imprisoned by Madhavrao, in a room in the palace in Pune, escaped with the help of the Gardi people . Narayanrao was murdered at the Shaniwar wada , owing to a conspiracy by Anandibai, Raghunathrao's wife.
'Sawai' Madhaorao Peshwa - 1774 to 1795
Raghunathrao was proclaimed the next peshwa, although he was not heir to the title. Narayanrao's widow gave birth to a son, Sawai Madhavrao, who was legally the next peshwa. Raghunathrao tried to maintain his kingdom by signing treaties with the English , and relied on them for manpower in exchange for money and territory. However his plans did not succeed. Raghoba was displaced from power by a clever plot by the 12 Maratha sardar's " Barambhainche karasthaan" ( Plot by 12 people ) including Nana, Holkar, Phadke Shinde . Sawai Madhavrao was then declared the next Peshwa. As he was only one year old at that time, Nana Phadnis became the main administrator with Phadke,Shinde,Holkar taking care of Military duties. These people handled the Peshwai well and with great unity till the premature death of Sawai Madhaorao in 1795. They defeated the rising British Power in 1784, near Pune and halted their advancements, temporarily. Sawai Madhaorao's death was the last blow to the Maratha empire and all the unity among its leaders vanished after his death causing a downfall of Peshwai in a short time.
'Second' Bajirao Peshwa - 1795 to 1802
Raghunathrao died in 1782, leaving behind him, two sons; Bajirao, who in 1817 confronted the British at the Battle of Kirkee, in Pune; and the younger, Chimnaji Appa. Bajirao became the next Peshwa after Madhaorao's death. Nana was still the administrator and the Peshwai remained in stable condition till his death owing to his superb administrative skills. Nana died in 1800 and Pune fell into the hands of the Sindia's ( Shinde) ; the former chiefs of Nana's army. They remained in power for a short while and in 1802, Bajirao reestablished himself in Pune, by signing the treaty of Bassein with the British. This essentially ended Peshwai , establishing British supremacy in the region. The capturing of the Ahmednagar fort in 1803, proved British supremacy in the Deccan. In 1804, General Wellesly proclaimed the Deccan in a state of chaos, established military rule and the Peshwas remained rulers for name's sake.
The British Raj - 1818 to 1947
Towards the end of 1805 Sir James Mackintosh, the Chief Justice of Bombay (1804-1811), came from Bombay to visit Colonel Close, the Resident at Pune. The Residency on the 'Sangam'(confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers) Mackintosh describes as a set of bungalows, fitted conveniently and luxuriously. Pune city had its principal streets paved with stone, and was reckoned one of the best built native towns in India. The Peshwa's residence, that is the Shaniwar wada, added to Pune's glory. Between 1805 and 1811, under Colonel Close and for a short while under Mr. Russel, affairs went smoothly in Pune.
In 1811, Mr. Russel was succeeded by Lord Mountstuart Elphinstone. Bajirao was very disloyal to the British, and in November of 1817, he declared war against them. This battle was fought at Kirkee, that is the Cantonment area, in the east of Pune. The Peshwa fled and the power of the country passed from the Peshwas to the British by 1819. The rest of the nineteenth century witnessed a few minor uprisings in and around Pune, but the British established their supremacy. As the Maratha's were the key power in India at this time, their fall clearly marked the begining of British Rule in India.
The first step towards establishing a municipal government in the city of Pune, was taken in 1856, when the Pune Municipality came into existence under the Act of 1850. The fact that Pune is not recognized as a major tourist center, is probably because it cannot boast of outstanding artistic specimens of architecture, like those of Delhi or Agra. Yet, it is rich in its associations with the past.
In the early 20th century, the whole of India was in revolt against the British; yearning for freedom. Mahatma Gandhi launched his movement of nonviolence, and people participated by the thousands in the 'Chale Jao' ('go away') struggle. Paradoxically, Pune witnessed violence when the Chaphekar brothers killed a British police officer by the name of Mr. Rand. On one hand, as the violence overrode the city, improvements were made in the education of women and the abolition of child labor. Independence was attained in 1947, but that was not the end of violence.
Modern Maharashtra - 1947 to Present
At Indian Independence in 1947, western Maharashtra and present-day Gujarat were joined as Bombay state. The eastern districts were then part of Hyderabad State, but were later added to Bombay in 1956. The present state was formed in 1960 when the Marathi and Gujarati linguistic areas of former Bombay state were separated. Bombay city became the capital of the new state.
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