Bhor State was one of the 9-
gun salute
A gun salute or cannon salute is the use of a piece of artillery to fire shots, often 21 in number (''21-gun salute''), with the aim of marking an honor or celebrating a joyful event. It is a tradition in many countries around the world.
Histo ...
Maratha
The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...
princely states of
Deccan States Agency. It was the only state belonging to the
Poona Agency under the
Bombay Presidency, which became later part of the
Deccan States Agency. Along with
Akkalkot State,
Aundh State
Aundh State was a Maratha princely state during the British Raj, in the Deccan States Agency division of the Bombay Presidency.
The Principality of Aundh covered an area of 1298 square kilometers with a population of 88,762 in 1941.
The capi ...
,
Phaltan State and
Jath State
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 Pre ...
, it was one of the
Satara Jagirs.
The state merged with the newly independent Indian union in 1948.
Situated among the eastern slopes of the
Western Ghats, the state covered an area of 2,396 square kilometres, and had a population of 137,268 in 1901.
The town of
Bhor
Bhor () is a town and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Geography
Bhor is located at . It has an average elevation of 588 metres (1929 feet).
Demographics
India census, Bhor had a populat ...
, once the capital of the state, is located in the state of
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
, about 51 kilometres south of
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
, adjacent to
Bhatghar Dam
Bhatghar Dam is a gravity dam on the Velvandi (वेळवंडी) river near Bhor, in the Pune district of the state of Maharashtra in India.
It is one of the oldest dams in Maharashtra
constructed by the British during the time of the Briti ...
. Lord
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
is the family deity of the
Gandekars, the former rulers of the state. The seal of the state had images of
Sita
Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...
,
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
and
Lakshmana
Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...
. Every year
Ramanavami is celebrated with pomp and grandeur at
Bhor Rajwada, the palace of the royal family.
History
The
Jagir
A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...
(
fiefdom
A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
), which was the forerunner of the state, was granted to
Shankaraji Narayan Gandekar for his services as the ''Pant Sachiv'', one of the eight hereditary Maratha ministers, by
Rajaram Chhatrapati
Rajaram I (Rajaram Bhonsale, ; 24 February 1670 – 3 March 1700), also known as Ram Raaje, was the third king (Chhatrapati) of the Maratha Kingdom, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of Shivaji, the founder of the ...
in 1697.The jagir remained part of the
Maratha empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
until the 1818 when Peshwa rule came to an end. The jagir then became part of the shortly lived
Satara state
The Satara State was a Maratha rump state in India created after the fall of the Maratha Confederacy in 1818 following the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and annexed by the British in 1849 using the Doctrine of lapse. The state was ruled by the Bhon ...
with an agreement signed with the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
in 1820. In 1838–39, the state experienced uprising by the
Ramoshi against the British.It is believed that personalities associated with the deposed
Bajirao II instigated the troubles.
Akalkot,
Aundh, Bhor,
Daphlapur,
Jath, and
Phaltan, which were
Jagir
A jagir (), ( Hindustani: जागीर/جاگیر, ''Jāgīr''), ( Marathi: जहागीर, ''Jahāgīrá'') also spelled as jageer, was a type of feudal land grant in the Indian subcontinent at the foundation of its Jagirdar ( Zamindar ...
s of
Satara State
The Satara State was a Maratha rump state in India created after the fall of the Maratha Confederacy in 1818 following the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and annexed by the British in 1849 using the Doctrine of lapse. The state was ruled by the Bhon ...
, became tributaries to the British when Satara state was abolished in 1849.
Gandekar, the ruling family of Bhor belonged to a
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
caste of
Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin community. They used the Maratha title ''Pant Sachiv'' until 1935 when the ruler was granted a 9 gun salute and the title of Raja by the British The family deity of the rulers was Lord
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
. Every year the family celebrated the festival of
Ramanavami with pomp and grandeur at the
Bhor Rajwada (palace). The seal of the state also had images of
Sita
Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...
,
Rama
Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...
and
Lakshmana
Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...
with two swords and a bell at the bottom. The state also controlled other historic forts such as
Rajgad,
Rohida and
Sarasgad.
Raghunathrao Shankarrao Gandekar was the last Raja of the state. During his reign, he implemented many reforms such as abolition of untouchability, freedom of association and introduction of representative government. He signed the
accession to the Indian Union on 8 March 1948 which ended the separate existence of Bhor state.
Rulers
Bhor
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
rulers used the titles of "Pant Sachiv" and "Raja".
Pant Sachivs
* 1697 – death 1707:
Shankaraji Narayan Sacheev
* 1707 – death March 1737:
Naro Shankaraji
* 1737 – death 1757: Chimnaji I
* 1757 – death 1787: Sadasiv Rao
* 1787 – death 1791: Raghunath Rao
* 1797 – death 1798: Shankr Rao I
* 1798 – death 1827: Pantsachiv Chimnaji Rao II
* 1827 – death 1837: Pantsachiv Raghunath Rao I Chimnaji Rao
* 1837 – death 12 February 1871: Pantsachiv Chimnaji Rao III Raghunath Rao
Rajas
* (12 February 1871 - 17 July 1922) -
His Highness Raja Shrimant Shankarrao Chimnajirao Pandit Pant Sachiv
*(18 July 1922 -15 August 1947) -
Raja Shrimant Sir Raghunathrao Shankarrao Babasaheb Pandit Pantsachiv "Baba Sahib"; (died 1951), last ruler
Gallery
File:Laxmi Vilas Bungalow, Pune.jpg, 1930s Portrait of Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
of Gandekar Royal family.
See also
*
List of Maratha dynasties and states
This is a list of Maratha dynasties and Maratha princely states in the Indian subcontinent.
Maratha States
The Maratha Salute state and Head of State by precedence
* Baroda, title Maharaja Gaikwad, Hereditary salute of 21-guns
* Gwalior, tit ...
*
List of Brahmin dynasties and states
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
Pant Sachiv family
*
Political integration of India
Before it gained independence in 1947, India (also called the Indian Empire) was divided into two sets of territories, one under direct British rule (British India), and the other consisting of princely states under the suzerainty of the Briti ...
References
Sources
*
*
{{Coord, 18, 10, N, 73, 51, E, region:IN-MH_type:city_source:kolossus-cawiki, display=title
Salute states
Princely states of Maharashtra
History of Pune district
1697 establishments in India
1948 disestablishments in India
Gun salute princely states