Ahmednagar
Ahmednagar, in western Maharashtra, grew out of the late medieval Deccan sultanate politics. In 1490, after the weakening…
State
Maharashtra
Maharashtra’s history stretches from ancient trade routes to a modern industrial powerhouse.
In ancient times, much of present-day Maharashtra lay within the Mauryan realm and later the Satavahana kingdom (c. 2nd century BCE–3rd century CE), which controlled key trade routes and ports on the Konkan coast. Over the next centuries, powerful dynasties such as the Vakatakas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Yadavas of Devagiri ruled different parts of the region, leaving behind cave temples, forts and early Marathi inscriptions.
From the 14th century, large parts of Maharashtra fell under the Delhi Sultanate and then the Bahmani and Deccan sultanates, especially Ahmadnagar and Bijapur. In the 17th century, the region’s history took a dramatic turn with the rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who carved out an independent Maratha kingdom based on swift cavalry warfare and a chain of hill forts. After him, Maratha power expanded across much of India under the Peshwas at Pune.
Defeat in the Anglo–Maratha wars (early 19th century) brought the region under British rule as part of the Bombay Presidency. During the freedom struggle, Maharashtra produced strong social reform and nationalist movements. In 1960, after the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, the bilingual Bombay State was reorganised and Maharashtra was formed, with Mumbai as its capital.
Cities in Maharashtra
Alibaug (Alibag)
Alibaug (Alibag), on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra in today’s Raigad district, began as a cluster of coastal…
Aurangabad
Aurangabad (now officially Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) has a layered history shaped by the Deccan sultanates, the Mughals and the…
Chiplun
Chiplun, in Ratnagiri district of coastal Konkan, Maharashtra, has grown along the banks of the Vashishti River and…
Ganpatipule
Ganpatipule is a small coastal pilgrimage town in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, whose history is closely tied to the…
Kolhapur
Kolhapur, in southern Maharashtra on the banks of the Panchganga River, has been an important centre of power…
Kolhapur
Kolhapur, in southern Maharashtra on the banks of the Panchganga River, has been a centre of power and…
Lavasa
Lavasa is a planned private hill city in the Western Ghats near Pune, Maharashtra, conceived in the early…
Lonavala & Khandala
Lonavala, in the Sahyadri (Western Ghats) between Mumbai and Pune, has a history far older than its modern…
Mahabaleshwar
Mahabaleshwar, in the Sahyadri (Western Ghats) of Maharashtra, has a history that mixes ancient pilgrimage with colonial hill-station…
Malvan, Tarkarli
Malvan and Tarkarli, in the Sindhudurg district of coastal Maharashtra, share a linked history shaped by the Konkan…
Matheran
Matheran, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, is one of India’s smallest hill stations and one of the…
Mumbai
Mumbai, today India’s financial and entertainment capital, began as a scattered group of fishing villages on seven islands…
Nagpur
Nagpur, in eastern Maharashtra, has a long history shaped by trade routes, forests and changing kingdoms. The wider…
Nashik
Nashik’s story stretches from epic legend to modern “Wine Capital of India.” In ancient times the area was…
Pandharpur
Pandharpur, on the banks of the Bhima (locally called Chandrabhaga) in Solapur district, is one of Maharashtra’s most…
Pune
Pune’s history runs from a small riverside settlement to the powerhouse of the Maratha Empire and a modern…
Ratnagiri
Ratnagiri, on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, has a history shaped by the sea, forts and exile. The…
Satara
Satara, in western Maharashtra, sits at the meeting of the Krishna and Venna rivers and has been important…