36.255.234.78 at 07:30, 7 December 2020

2020-12-07T07:30:23Z

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{{Orphan|date=June 2019}}
{{Unreferenced|date=April 2018}}

'''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]

[[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|175px|thumb|right| Flag of [[Maratha Empire]]]]
[[Image:Chatri1.JPG|175px|thumb|right| Chatri of Abbasaheb (Yashwantrao)in Shirol]]

==History==
[[Rana (title)|Rana]] 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 the 18th century, the [[Third Battle of Panipat]] and was brutally killed by the [[Afghanistan|Afghan]] Ruler [[Ahmad Shah Abdali]]. He was also part of the [[Maratha]] army which defeated the first Afghan invasion of India in 1751, and brought the 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.

==See also==
* [[Maratha Empire]]
* [[List of Maratha dynasties and states]]
* [[Maratha War of Independence]]
* [[Maratha clan system]]

==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

[[Category:Maratha Empire]]

Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) - Revision history

36.255.234.78 at 07:30, 7 December 2020