HISTORY OF MAHARASHTRA

   

                      HISTORY OF MAHARASHTRA

Maharashtra or the Great Land has a glorious past which forms a halo for the state. The history of Maharashtra has hidden inside it, great kings, great rulers, and great culture. The colour of the past has made the present equally bright. According to Archaeological evidences the history of Maharashtra dates back to the 3rd century BC. Maharashtra has been the hub of trade and industry since the early days. Satara was the port town which was located in north of present day Mumbai. This was the centre of all trade and commerce activities. Archaeological site of Daimabad in Srirampur taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra was discovered in 1958 and dates back to the late Harrappan period. The historical periods of Maharashtra include the rule of the Vakatakas in the mid 3rd century CE, the Islamic influence from the reign of the Delhi sultanate, the Maratha Empire started by the great Shivaji, which was like renaissance for the state and later the rule of the Peshwas added more glitter to the glory. There was a fierce rivalry between the British and the Marathas. The whole state was subdivided into a number of princely states which was reunited after the independence into a single state of Maharashtra. The year 1960 is very important for the history of Maharashtra because it was in this year that the Bombay Re - organization Act was passed and Maharashtra legally became a separate state. Maharashtra or the Great Land has a glorious past which forms a halo for the state. The history of Maharashtra has hidden inside it, great kings, great rulers, and great culture. The colour of the past has made the present equally bright. According to Archaeological evidences the history of Maharashtra dates back to the 3rd century BC. Maharashtra has been the hub of trade and industry since the early days. Satara was the port town which was located in north of present day Mumbai. This was the centre of all trade and commerce activities. Archaeological site of Daimabad in Srirampur taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra was discovered in 1958 and dates back to the late Harrappan period. The historical periods of Maharashtra include the rule of the Vakatakas in the mid 3rd century CE, the Islamic influence from the reign of the Delhi sultanate, the Maratha Empire started by the great Shivaji, which was like renaissance for the state and later the rule of  the Peshwas added more glitter to the glory. There was a fierce rivalry between the British and the Marathas. The whole state was subdivided into a number of princely states which was reunited after the independence into a single state of Maharashtra. The year 1960 is very important for the history of Maharashtra because it was in this year that the Bombay Re - organization Act was passed and Maharashtra legally became a separate state. 

SHIVAJI MAHARAJ

CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ

The rise of the Maratha power in Maharashtra received impetus and strength after the great Chhatrapati Shivaji, took the reign in his hands and founded the Shivaji Empire. In the early 17th century there was a sudden rise in the power of the Marathas who constantly fought the Mughals and the muslim rulers of Bijapur. Their causes were upheld by the Yadavas who gradually formed alliance with the Bahmani rulers due to their inability to defend their kingdom from the Bahmani invasions. There were basically two power centres after the Bhahmani kingdom was divided into - Bijapur, Ahmednagar and Golconda. They were the southern kingdoms and the Mughal rulers under the rule of the Emperor Shah Jahan. 

Battles were fought with the Mughals. The battle which Shivaji fought with Shaista Khan, has been engraved in the chapters of history as example of bravery and intelligence. The Battle of Umberkhind in 1661, the attack on the Mughal camp in Pune and the Battle of Surat were enough to rouse the anger of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Shivaji lost his Purandhar fort which was later reclaimed during the years 1670 to 1674.