Feb 5, 2014
Satara History
In 1663 Shivaji conquered Parali and won Satara fort. After the death of Shivaji,Aurangjeb In 1708 Chattrapati Shahu was crowned within the Satara fort. When this prince died without a male heir in 1848, Satara was annexed by the British government and added to Bombay Presidency.Historical inscriptions as old as 200 BCE indicate the oldest known place in Satara district in Maharashtra is Karad (mentioned as Karhakada). It is also believed that the Pandavas stayed in Wai, then known as 'Viratnagari', in the 13th year of exile.
The Sahyadri range, or main range of the Western Ghats, runs north and south along the western edge of the district, separating it from Ratnagiri district. The Mahadeo range starts about 10 m. north of Mahabaleshwar and stretches east and south-east across the whole of the district. The Mahadeo hills are bold, presenting bare scarps of black rock like fortresses. The Satara district is part of two main watersheds. The Bhima River watershed, which is a tributary of the Krishna, includes the north and northeast of the district, north of the Mahadeo hills. The rest of the district is drained by the upper Krishna and its tributaries. The hill forests have a large store of timber and firewood. The whole of Satara district falls within the Deccan Traps area; the hills consist of trap intersected by strata of basalt and topped with laterite, while, of the different soils on the plains, the commonest is the black loamy clay containing carbonate of lime. This soil, when well watered, is capable of yielding heavy crops. Satara contains some important irrigation works, including the Krishna canal. In some of the western parts of the district the average annual rainfall exceeds 5 m.; but on the eastern side water is scanty, the rainfall varying from 1 m in Satara town to less than 30 cm in some places farther east. The district is traversed from north to south by a railway line, which passes 15 km east Satara town.
Satara District can be proud of the oldest Rashtrakuta history. The oldest Rashtrakutas are believed to be from ancient Kuntala in the valley of river Krishna. Manank ruled from 350 - 375 C.E. and had built his capital in Manpur (now Maan in Satara district). The Vakatakas of Vidarbha, another Rashtrakuta rulers[clarification needed] were in conflict with Manank. Subsequently the Rashtrakutas became feudatories to the Chalukyas and came into prominence under Dantidurga around 753 CE.
The empire of Chandragupta II, known as Mahendraditya Kumargupta I, extended as far as Satara district in Deccan when he ruled between 451 AD to 455 AD. The Mauryan empire in the Deccan was followed by the rule of the "Satvahanas" for about two centuries between 550 A.D. to 750 AD.
The first Muslim invasion of the Deccan took place in 1296. In 1636 the Nizam Shahi dynasty came to an end. In 1663 Shivaji conquered Parali and won Satara fort. After the death of Shivaji, Aurangjeb conquered Satara fort, later won by Parshuram Pratinidhi in 1706. In 1708 Chattrapati Shahu was crowned within the Satara fort. The direct descendents of Shivaji continue to live in Satara.
After their victory in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the British Empire annexed most of the Maratha territory to Bombay Presidency, but restored the titular Raja Pratap Singh, and assigned to him the principality of Satara, an area much larger than the present district. As a result of political intrigues, Pratap Singh was deposed in 1839, and his brother Shahji Raja was placed on the throne. When this prince died without a male heir in 1848, Satara was annexed by the British government and added to Bombay Presidency.
British
After their victory in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the British Empire annexed most of the Maratha territory to Bombay Presidency, but restored the titular Raja Pratap Singh, and assigned to him the principality of Satara, an area much larger than the present district. As a result of political intrigues, he was deposed in 1839, and his brother Shahji Raja was placed on the throne. This prince died without any male heirs, and as a result Satara was eventually annexed by the British government, and added to Bombay Presidency.
In 1930 several young leaders Yashwantrao Chavan, Dhulappa Navale, Swami Ramanand Bharti, V.S. Page and Gaurihar Sihasane took part in the Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. In 1940 individual sathyagraha was limited, symbolic and non-violent in nature and it was let to Mahatma Gandhi to choose the satyagrahis. Acharya Vinoba Bhave was the first individual satyagrahi of Mahatma Gandhi and in Satara District region Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale was the first individual satyagrahi. He made his satyagraha in Bhilawadi.
During the independence struggle, a type of parallel government known as Prati Sarkar came into existence. The people of Satara, under the leadership of Krantisinha Nana Patil, ousted the British officials and took power into their hands. During Quit India Movement of 1942, this parallel government replaced British government for 4.5 years from August 1943 to May 1946. Similar ousters of British power in other areas, lead to the formation of similar Parallel Governments in Midnapore in West Bengal and Purnia in Uttar Pradesh.