Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of chhatra and pati (master/lord/ruler). This title was used by the House of Bhonsle,between 1674 and 1818,as the heads of state of the Maratha Confederacy.
Shahu I was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Confederacy founded by his grandfather,Shivaji I. He was born into the Bhonsle family,and was the son of Sambhaji I and Yesubai. At a young age,he was taken into custody at the Siege of Raigad by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb,and held captive. He was released from captivity after the death of Aurangzeb in the hope of engineering an internecine struggle among the Maratha factions of Tarabai and Shahu. Shahu emerged victorious in the bloody Battle of Khed and was crowned as Chhatrapati.
Shahu of the Bhonsle dynasty of Marathas was a Raja and the first Maharaja (1900–1922) of the Indian princely state of Kolhapur. Rajarshi Shahu was considered a true democrat and social reformer. Shahu Maharaj was an able ruler who was associated with many progressive policies during his rule. From his coronation in 1894 till his demise in 1922,he worked for the cause of the lower caste subjects in his state. Primary education to all regardless of caste and creed was one of his most significant priorities.
Rajaram I was the third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom,who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,the founder of the empire and younger brother of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj whom he succeeded. His eleven-year reign was marked with a constant struggle against the Mughals. He was succeeded by his infant son Shivaji II under the regentship of his dowager Maharani Tarabai.
Maharani Tarabai Bhosale (née Mohite) was the regent of the Maratha Empire from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram I,and daughter-in-law of the kingdom's founder Shivaji I. She is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal rule in Konkan,and acting as the regent of the Maratha Empire during the minority of her son,Shivaji II. She defeated Mughal forces of Aurangzeb in several battles and expanded the Maratha Empire.
Kagal is a town in Kolhapur district of the Indian state of Maharashtra.
Soyarabai Bhosale née Mohite was second wife of Shivaji Maharaj,the founder of Maratha empire in western India. She was mother of Shivaji Maharaj's second son,Rajaram. She was the younger sister of Maratha army chief Hambirrao Mohite.
Shahu II is the 12th descendant of Shivaji and the great-grandson of Shahu I of Kolhapur and the son and heir to Shahaji II of Kolhapur. He is the current Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha from Kolhapur constituency and is a member Indian National Congress. He studied at the Bishop Cotton School,Bangalore and later on graduated from the Indore Christian College in 1967 with History,Economics and English literature. He became the ceremonial Maharaja of Kolhapur in 1962.
Ramchandra Neelkanth Bawadekar (1650–1716),also known as Ramchandra Pant Amatya,served on the Council of 8 as the Finance Minister (Amatya) to Emperor (Chhatrapati) Shivaji,dating from 1674 to 1680. He then served as the Imperial Regent to four later emperors,namely Sambhaji,Rajaram,Shivaji II and Sambhaji II. He authored the Adnyapatra,a famous code of civil and military administration,and is renowned as one of the greatest civil administrators,political thinkers,diplomats and military strategists of the Maratha Empire.
Panhala fort,is located in Panhala,20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra,India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a major trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to the coastal areas. Due to its strategic location,it was the centre of several skirmishes in the Deccan involving the Marathas,the Mughals and the British the grand son's of chhatrapati shivaji maharaj East India Company,the most notable being the Battle of Pavan Khind. Here,the queen regent of Kolhapur,Tarabai Ranisaheb,spent her formative years. Several parts of the fort and the structures within are still intact. It is also called as the 'Fort of Snakes' as it is zigzagged in shape.
Pant Pratinidhi family is a prominent aristocratic noble family of India,who served as Pratinidhis to Chhatrapatis of Maratha Empire and later became rulers of the Princely states of Aundh and Vishalgad.
New Palace,Kolhapur is a palace situated in Kolhapur,in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The Palace took 7 years to complete,from 1877 to 1884,costing about seven lakhs of rupees. Being an excellent specimen of Indian architecture built in black polished stone,it has been an attraction for tourists. It has extensive premises with a garden,fountain and wrestling ground. The whole building is eight-angled and has a tower in the middle. The clock on it was fixed in 1877. At separate distances there are small towers. On every glass are painted the events of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's life,the founder of Maratha Empire. There is a zoo and a ground lake. Even today,it is the residence of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaja,the direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja.
Jath State,was one of the non-salute Maratha princely states of Deccan States Agency,one of the former Southern Maratha Jagirs. Jath State and Daphlapur State were the only two states belonging to the Bijapur Agency under the Bombay Presidency,which later became part of the Deccan States Agency.
The following list includes a brief about the titles of nobility or orders of chivalry used by the Marathas of India and by the Marathis/Konkanis in general.
Shivaji II was the fourth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom. He was the son of the Maratha Chhatrapati Rajaram I,and his wife Tarabai. He later became the first Raja of Kolhapur assuming the title as Shivaji Bhonsle I of Kolhapur.
Sambhaji II or Sambhaji I of Kolhapur was a Raja of Kolhapur from Bhonsle dynasty. He was a grandson of Shivaji and the second son of Chhatrapati Rajaram with his second wife,Rajasbai. After defeat by Shahu,Sambhaji's stepmother,Tarabai then set up a rival court in Kolhapur with her son Shivaji II as Raja of Kolhapur in 1710,who then ruled as Shivaji I of Kolhapur line. However,in 1714,Rajasbai instigated a coup against Tarabai and installed her own son,Sambhaji II on the Kolhapur throne. Sambhaji ruled from 1714 to 1760.
Rajaram III of the Bhonsle dynasty,was Maharaja of Kolhapur from 1922–1940,succeeding his father Maharaja Shahu. A benevolent ruler,he was instrumental in the uplifting of the dalits and depressed castes in his state. He also established the Kolhapur High Court,modern housing developments,an updated water-supply system,free primary education and higher-level female education.
Shivaji VII was a Maharaja of Kolhapur from the Bhonsle dynasty,reigning from 1941 to 1946. He was from the Satara branch of the Bhonsle dynasty,and had been appointed to the vacant Kolhapur throne from birth,as Rajaram III had only left a daughter. Being so very young,he took no position in ruling the state,which was administered under a regency during his lifetime. He died at the age of 4 in 1946,and was succeeded by Shahaji II.
The Bhonsle dynasty is an Indian Marathi royal house of the Bhonsle clan. The Bhonsles claimed descent from the Rajput Sisodia dynasty,but were likely Kunbi Marathas.
