Vishnubhat Godse
Encyclopedia
Vishnubhat Godse commonly known as Godse Bhataji was an Indian traveller and a Marathi
writer. Godse is best known for his travelogue Majha Pravas
(My Travels), which is notable for the description of his "true and unique" experiences of the Indian mutiny of 1857 during his travel in North India. It is one of the earliest travelogues written in Marathi language.
in Bombay Presidency
. He was a priest by his ancestral profession. His ancestors worked as priests during the reign of the Peshwa
s. But the fall of Peshwas in 1818 by the East India Company
, a few years before his birth, brought an end to the good old days for the family and they had to struggle hard for livelihood. Vishnubhat therefore decided to visit North India in search of livelihood.
Vishnubhat started his journey to North India on March 30, 1857 with his uncle. On July 1, 1857, he reached to Mhow Cantonment where he heard the first new of the revolt. After that he visited, Gwalior, Dhar
, and Ujjain
, but he could not found good means for living because of the changed conditions due the revolt.
Vishnubhat subsequently went to Jhansi
, where he was later appointed as the court priest by the queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai. He was present in Jhansi when General Hugh Rose
attacked on Jhansi on April 3-4, 1858. He later went to Kalpi
as the queen had already escaped to Kalpi from the fort of Jhansi during the attack of East India Company army. He was also present at the battle of Kalpi in May 1858. Later, he paid visits to Bramhavarta
, Chitrakuta
, Kanpur, Lucknow
, and Ayodhya. He was in Ayodhya on the day of Ram Navami i.e. April 11, 1859.
Throughout his journey, he encountered with death a several times, sometimes arrested by the mutineers, sometimes by the company soldiers, sometimes by robbers, and robbed of almost everything whatever money he earned during his travel. In the beginning of 1860, he returned to Varsai via Sagar, Hoshangabad
, Indore
, and Nashik.
of Marathi
language. The travelogue was not published until the death of Vishnubhat. It was first published in the golden jubilee year of the mutiny in 1907 by the name Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat
(My Travels: the Story of the 1857 Mutiny).. This edition was edited by Chintamani Vaidya, who made some changes in the original manuscript, but handed over the original manuscript to Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal
in Pune
. The original manuscript was published by Datto Vaman Potdar
in 1966, which was more faithful to the original account of Vishnubhat.
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
writer. Godse is best known for his travelogue Majha Pravas
Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat
Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat :This Marathi travelogue was written by Vishnubhat Godse, who travelled on foot from Varsai, a village near Pen , to the central and northern parts of India during 1857-1858, and witnessed several...
(My Travels), which is notable for the description of his "true and unique" experiences of the Indian mutiny of 1857 during his travel in North India. It is one of the earliest travelogues written in Marathi language.
Journey
Vishnubhat was a priest from village Varsai near PenPen, India
Pen is a town and taluka in Raigad district of Indian state of Maharashtra. It is famous for world class Ganesh idols. It is geographical and cultural center of Raigad district.-History:...
in Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
. He was a priest by his ancestral profession. His ancestors worked as priests during the reign of the Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
s. But the fall of Peshwas in 1818 by the East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, a few years before his birth, brought an end to the good old days for the family and they had to struggle hard for livelihood. Vishnubhat therefore decided to visit North India in search of livelihood.
Vishnubhat started his journey to North India on March 30, 1857 with his uncle. On July 1, 1857, he reached to Mhow Cantonment where he heard the first new of the revolt. After that he visited, Gwalior, Dhar
Dhar
Dhār is located in the Malwa region of western Madhya Pradesh state in central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dhar District. The town is located west of Mhow, above sea level...
, and Ujjain
Ujjain
Ujjain , is an ancient city of Malwa region in central India, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River , today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the administrative centre of Ujjain District and Ujjain Division.In ancient times the city was called Ujjayini...
, but he could not found good means for living because of the changed conditions due the revolt.
Vishnubhat subsequently went to Jhansi
Jhansi
Jhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
, where he was later appointed as the court priest by the queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai. He was present in Jhansi when General Hugh Rose
Hugh Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn
Field Marshal Hugh Henry Rose, 1st Baron Strathnairn GCB, GCSI, PC was a British Army field-marshal.-Early life:...
attacked on Jhansi on April 3-4, 1858. He later went to Kalpi
Kalpi
Kalpi is a city and a municipal board in Jalaun district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna.-History:...
as the queen had already escaped to Kalpi from the fort of Jhansi during the attack of East India Company army. He was also present at the battle of Kalpi in May 1858. Later, he paid visits to Bramhavarta
Bithoor
Bithoor is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage in Kanpur District near Kanpur city, in Uttar Pradesh, India.-Location:Bithoor is situated on the Kannauj Road, 27 km from center of Kanpur. Situated on the banks of the Ganges. It is a tourist place....
, Chitrakuta
Chitrakuta
Chitrakuta is a town and a nagar panchayat in Satna district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India....
, Kanpur, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, and Ayodhya. He was in Ayodhya on the day of Ram Navami i.e. April 11, 1859.
Throughout his journey, he encountered with death a several times, sometimes arrested by the mutineers, sometimes by the company soldiers, sometimes by robbers, and robbed of almost everything whatever money he earned during his travel. In the beginning of 1860, he returned to Varsai via Sagar, Hoshangabad
Hoshangabad
Hoshangabad is a city and a municipality in Hoshangabad district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is a city in the central india region, located on the south bank of the Narmada River, and is the administrative center of Hoshangabad District.-History:mohammed bharmal & abdeali batawalaThe...
, Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
, and Nashik.
Travelogue
Vishnubhat returned to Varsai in early 1860. His dreadful experiences during the journey made him much more stubborn, but so deep was the fear of the atrocities that he experienced during his travel, he could not start his travelogue for about 24 years. He started writing it in 1883. It was a handwritten manuscript in Modi scriptModi script
' is one of the scripts used to write the Marathi language& Rajasthani language, which is the primary language spoken in the state of Maharashtra & Rajasthan in western India respectively. MoDiis also known as MuDiya, MuDi & VañiyāvaTi...
of Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
language. The travelogue was not published until the death of Vishnubhat. It was first published in the golden jubilee year of the mutiny in 1907 by the name Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat
Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat
Maza Pravas: 1857 cya Bandaci Hakikat :This Marathi travelogue was written by Vishnubhat Godse, who travelled on foot from Varsai, a village near Pen , to the central and northern parts of India during 1857-1858, and witnessed several...
(My Travels: the Story of the 1857 Mutiny).. This edition was edited by Chintamani Vaidya, who made some changes in the original manuscript, but handed over the original manuscript to Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal
Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal
Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, popularly known as Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal or just ‘Mandal’, is an Indian institute providing resources and training for historical researchers. It is located at Pune in Maharashtra state. The institute was founded in 1910 by the veteran Indian historian V.K....
in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. The original manuscript was published by Datto Vaman Potdar
Datto Vaman Potdar
Dattatray Vaman Potdar , better known as Datto Vaman Potdar, was an eminent Indian historian, writer, and orator. He was the Vice-Chancellor of University of Pune during 1961 - 1964....
in 1966, which was more faithful to the original account of Vishnubhat.