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Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) Shirol
Encyclopedia
Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh was a Maratha
dynasty and one of the oldest existing Maratha Sur-Deshmukhs of Nimsod in Satara
District. The family is Agnivanshi Kshatriya
, one of the most ancient in India
and traces its roots back to Mahabharata
and are direct descendents of King Yashowarden.
Ratansingh Alias Ranoji Royal from Rajputana
(Rajasthan
) and ancestor of the family received the Sur-Deshmukhi of Nimsod along with 72 villages from the Delhi
Emperor Muhammad bin Tughluq
in 1342 during his peninsular campaign and in 1536 family received Various assets from the Ibrahim Adil Shah I
ruler of Bijapur Sultanate in the Shirol area,and in 1615 by Ibrahim Adil Shah II
in Raibaj and Kittur and remained as one of the Largest Deshmukh of Adil Shahi
.
During the Maratha
rule, the family served as the important milestone of Maratha Empire
with blood relationship with various ruling families of those days, were in forefront in continuous War of 27 years
between 1682 to 1707 that resulted in the end of the Mughal Empire
in India and brought most of the sub-continent under Maratha control. In 1732, Abbasaheb Alias Yashwantrao Gharge- Desai-Deshmukh received Saranjam of 12 more villages and noble title of Saranjamdar
-Deshmukh from Maratha King Chattrapati Shahu of Satara for lieu of military service rendered to the state and total Vatan of 84 villages in Nimsod Pargana was made hereditary.
From time to time, Deshmukhs of Nimsod supplied quality horses to the Maratha Army. In 1761, Son of Abbasaheb, Sardar Sidoji Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh along with his 2000 cavalry participated as part of Maratha Army in one of the largest battles fought in 18th century, the Third Battle of Panipat
and was brutally killed by the Afghan
Ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali. He was also part of the Maratha
army which defeated the first Afghan invasion of India in 1751, and falged Maratha
flag on Attock Khurd
,and brought present day North West Frontier province of Pakistan under Maratha Control.
After the Third Anglo-Maratha War
in 1818, Nimsod become the Part of British Territory and lost its importance. Deshmukhs of Nimsod were entitled for a nominal annual pension of Rs 6000/ by British. At that time, some families of Gharge Dehmukh's moved to Shirol to earn livelihood because Nimsod was an arid region with very scanty rainfall. Sardar Sidoji's Grandson Yashoji (Shirol Branch) acknowledged the changing circumstances and introduced the family to business. The Shirol branch of Gharge-Deshmukh's acquired the surname Desai which was prevalent amongst the landlords of South Maharashtra & Karnataka. Deshmukh title was almost dropped except for its occasional use in marriage invitation cards. So much so that people in Shirol are not even aware of this Deshmukh title now. They got into the business of money lending (Sahukari) and through this profession, the Shirol branch of Gharge-Deshmukh's acquired wealth, name and fame in Kolhapur District.
During the British Raj, Shrimat Bhausahaeb Desai held huge loans to various landlords (Zamindars) of those days and constructed the Vithal temple as memorial of Shrimant Abbashaeb in Shirol which is masterpiece of Maratha architecture.
During the Indian independence movement, [Sardar Dinkarrao Gharge-Desai(Deshmukh)] served as the close associate of Mahatma Ghandhi and one of the National Leaders of Indian National Congress
and was sent for four years rigorous imprisonment in Katewar in Gujarat in 1930 for participating in Dandi Salt Satyagraha
with Mahatma Ghandhi and again for 4 years in yerawada in Pune During Quit India Movement
in 1942 for removing Union Jack flag and putting Indian Tri-Colour on Shaniwar Wada
in Pune. He remained as one of the highly respected leaders of Indian freedom Movement.Mahatma Ghandhi used to call him as "Dinkarbhai". He was awarded with special Galantry bronze medal by Prime Minister Indira Ghandhi in 1971 for his contribution to Indian freedom movement.
Number of land extracts (or records) from Shirol tehsil has Gharge-Desai family names on it though the property now belongs to different people. Family has agricultural land and properties in a couple of villages in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur District running into a few hundred acres. The Vithal temple is managed by a trust.
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
dynasty and one of the oldest existing Maratha Sur-Deshmukhs of Nimsod in Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
District. The family is Agnivanshi Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
, one of the most ancient in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and traces its roots back to Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
and are direct descendents of King Yashowarden.
History
RanaRana (title)
Rana is a Princely title of Royalty in Sanskrit. Rana is used by the Jats and Rajput of South Asia. The name is usually interpreted to mean "Prince".Compound titles Rana Sahib, Rana Bahadur, and Maharana.-Royal title in India:...
Ratansingh Alias Ranoji Royal from Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
(Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
) and ancestor of the family received the Sur-Deshmukhi of Nimsod along with 72 villages from the Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
Emperor Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq was the Turkic Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351. He was the eldest son of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq.He was born in Kotla Tolay Khan in Multan. His wife was daughter of the raja of Dipalpur...
in 1342 during his peninsular campaign and in 1536 family received Various assets from the Ibrahim Adil Shah I
Ibrahim Adil Shah I
Ibrahim Adil Shah I was a sultan and later shah of the Indian kingdom of Bijapur. He succeeded his elder brother, Mallu Adil Shah, through the machinations of the afaqi faction at the court...
ruler of Bijapur Sultanate in the Shirol area,and in 1615 by Ibrahim Adil Shah II
Ibrahim Adil Shah II
Ibrahim Adil Shah II , of the Adil Shahi dynasty, was the king of Bijapur Sultanate.-Early life:Ali Adil Shah's father, Ibrahim Adil Shah I's had divided power between the Sunni nobles, the Habshis and the Deccanis...
in Raibaj and Kittur and remained as one of the Largest Deshmukh of Adil Shahi
Adil Shahi
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi dynasty ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur in the Western area of the Deccan region of Southern India from 1490 to 1686. Bijapur had been a province of the Bahmani Sultanate , before its political decline in the last quarter of the 15th century and eventual break-up in 1518...
.
During the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
rule, the family served as the important milestone of Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
with blood relationship with various ruling families of those days, were in forefront in continuous War of 27 years
War of 27 years
The Maratha War of Independence The Maratha War of Independence The Maratha War of Independence (also termed the War of 27 yegfuyfyuffygement in the history of India. The Maratha Empire eventually emerged victorious.-Background:...
between 1682 to 1707 that resulted in the end of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
in India and brought most of the sub-continent under Maratha control. In 1732, Abbasaheb Alias Yashwantrao Gharge- Desai-Deshmukh received Saranjam of 12 more villages and noble title of Saranjamdar
Saranjamdar
Saranjamdar is One the royal and honourable title found among the Royal Maratha Family.The actual Meaning of Saranjam is that Watan/Jahagir/ land or villages given by the Kings,regional government to any one for his legendary deeds,i.e...
-Deshmukh from Maratha King Chattrapati Shahu of Satara for lieu of military service rendered to the state and total Vatan of 84 villages in Nimsod Pargana was made hereditary.
From time to time, Deshmukhs of Nimsod supplied quality horses to the Maratha Army. In 1761, Son of Abbasaheb, Sardar Sidoji Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh along with his 2000 cavalry participated as part of Maratha Army in one of the largest battles fought in 18th century, the Third Battle of Panipat
Third battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat , about 60 miles north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Confederacy and a coalition of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali with 2 Indian Muslim allies—the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and the...
and was brutally killed by the Afghan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
Ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali. He was also part of the Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
army which defeated the first Afghan invasion of India in 1751, and falged Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
flag on Attock Khurd
Attock Khurd
Attock Khurd is a small town located on the River Indus in the Attock District of Punjab, Pakistan. Historically and strategically, Attock Khurd is considered the gateway to Central Asia since it is near Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa border....
,and brought present day North West Frontier province of Pakistan under Maratha Control.
After the Third Anglo-Maratha War
Third Anglo-Maratha War
The Third Anglo-Maratha War was the final and decisive conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha territory by 110,400 British East India Company troops, the largest...
in 1818, Nimsod become the Part of British Territory and lost its importance. Deshmukhs of Nimsod were entitled for a nominal annual pension of Rs 6000/ by British. At that time, some families of Gharge Dehmukh's moved to Shirol to earn livelihood because Nimsod was an arid region with very scanty rainfall. Sardar Sidoji's Grandson Yashoji (Shirol Branch) acknowledged the changing circumstances and introduced the family to business. The Shirol branch of Gharge-Deshmukh's acquired the surname Desai which was prevalent amongst the landlords of South Maharashtra & Karnataka. Deshmukh title was almost dropped except for its occasional use in marriage invitation cards. So much so that people in Shirol are not even aware of this Deshmukh title now. They got into the business of money lending (Sahukari) and through this profession, the Shirol branch of Gharge-Deshmukh's acquired wealth, name and fame in Kolhapur District.
During the British Raj, Shrimat Bhausahaeb Desai held huge loans to various landlords (Zamindars) of those days and constructed the Vithal temple as memorial of Shrimant Abbashaeb in Shirol which is masterpiece of Maratha architecture.
During the Indian independence movement, [Sardar Dinkarrao Gharge-Desai(Deshmukh)] served as the close associate of Mahatma Ghandhi and one of the National Leaders of Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
and was sent for four years rigorous imprisonment in Katewar in Gujarat in 1930 for participating in Dandi Salt Satyagraha
Salt Satyagraha
The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagrahah began with the Dandi March on March 12, 1930, and was an important part of the Indian independence movement. It was a campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly in colonial India, and triggered the wider...
with Mahatma Ghandhi and again for 4 years in yerawada in Pune During Quit India Movement
Quit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
in 1942 for removing Union Jack flag and putting Indian Tri-Colour on Shaniwar Wada
Shaniwar Wada
Shaniwarwada is a palace fort in the city of Pune in Maharashtra, India. Built in 1736, it was the seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire until 1818 when the Peshwas surrendered to the British...
in Pune. He remained as one of the highly respected leaders of Indian freedom Movement.Mahatma Ghandhi used to call him as "Dinkarbhai". He was awarded with special Galantry bronze medal by Prime Minister Indira Ghandhi in 1971 for his contribution to Indian freedom movement.
Number of land extracts (or records) from Shirol tehsil has Gharge-Desai family names on it though the property now belongs to different people. Family has agricultural land and properties in a couple of villages in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur District running into a few hundred acres. The Vithal temple is managed by a trust.
Source/References
- Barani, Zia-ud-Din. Tarikh-I-firuz Shahi.
- Rafiuddin Shirazi, Tazkiratul Mulk.
- Nooruddin Mohammad Jahangir, Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri.
- Shivkalin Maharashtra by Setumadhavrao Pagadi Part Volume 1,2&3.
- Marathi Riyasat By Riyasatkar Desai
- Alamgir Bakar
- Panipatchi Bakar(Marathi)
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online
- Sanad and records Held with Shirol Branch & Kolhapur
- Records of Indian Princely states From 1750 to 1947
- Maratha documents British Library London
- Waring's Maratha's Page 244