Pratap Singh of Satara
Chhatrapati of the Marathas (r. 1808–1818) and Raja of Satara (r. 1818–1839)
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Pratap Singh Bhonsle[b] (18 January 1793 – 14 October 1847) was the last Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire from 1808 until the empire's overthrow and his abdication in 1818, following the Third Anglo-Maratha War. He was later made the Raja of Satara State until 1839 in his retire. Pratap Singh was a Marathi poet and scholar but was also a patron of Hindi.[3]
| Pratap Singh | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A potrait of Pratap Singh in 1808 | |||||
| Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire | |||||
| Reign | 3 May 1808 – 3 June 1818 | ||||
| Coronation | 12 April 1808 | ||||
| Predecessor | Shahu II | ||||
| Successor | Monarchy abolished | ||||
| Regent | Baji Rao II | ||||
| Raja of the Satara State | |||||
| Reign | 3 June 1818 – 5 September 1839 | ||||
| Coronation | 9 April 1818 | ||||
| Predecessor | Position established[a] | ||||
| Successor | Shahaji I | ||||
| Head of the Bhonsle family | |||||
| Predecessor | Shahu II | ||||
| Successor | Shahaji I | ||||
| Born | 18 January 1793 Ajinkyatara Fort, Satara, Maratha Empire | ||||
| Died | 14 October 1847 (aged 54) Varanasi, Company Raj | ||||
Cause of death | Injuries due to a hunting incident | ||||
| Burial | 15 October 1847 | ||||
| Spouse |
Sagunabai Singh Bhonsle
(m. 1809; died 1862) | ||||
| Issue | Sardar Venkata Bhonsle Sardar Fateh Shahu | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Bhonsle | ||||
| Father | Shahu II | ||||
| Mother | Girijabai Raje Bhonsle | ||||
| Religion | Deccan Shaivite Hinduism | ||||
| Imperial Seal |  | ||||
| Military career | |||||
Conflicts | Third Anglo-Maratha War | ||||
Pratap Singh was the son and successor of Shahu II, who died in 1808 and Singh was crowned as the new Maratha emperor. He was recognized as the Emperor of Hindustan (India) by the time Bahadur Shah's sovereignty was limited within the Old Delhi, who was later declared as the Emperor of Hindustan, following Maratha Empire's overthrow.[4] He was the Chhatrapati of India during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the last war fought for the succession of power in India by Marathas and the East India Company. After the empire was overthrown by the Company, Pratap Singh was ultimately dethroned and exiled to Varanasi where he spent rest of his life there. However as he was already crowned as the Raja of Satara on 3 June 1818, the East India Company allowed him to be the ruler of Satara but he would've to rule the state from Varanasi. By 1839 at the age of 43, Pratap Singh retired and passed his reign to his younger brother, Shahaji I which the Company was also satisfied with. Pratap Singh died in 1847 due to injuries from a hunting incident, in his exile in Varanasi.
Descent
Early life
Pratap Sinh, India. was the eldest son of Shahu II of Satara, whom he succeeded, and a descendant of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj , the founder of the Maratha Empire.[4]
Raja
Pratap Sinh was dethroned and stripped of his powers and personal possessions by the British in 1839. He was exiled to Benares and granted an allowance for his maintenance. Rango Bapuji Gupte, a loyal Sardar to him, long fought unsuccessful legal battles in London on his behalf.
He was succeeded by his brother, Appa Saheb, under the title Shreemant Maharaj Shaji Raja Chhatrapati of Satara. Appa Saheb then became known as Raja Shahaji.[4]
Reign
During his reign, Pratap Sinh undertook significant administrative, infrastructural, and educational reforms that contributed to the development of modern Satara.
One of his major contributions was the construction of the Pune–Satara Road, improving connectivity between Satara and Pune. He also built the Satara–Medha–Mahabaleshwar Road, facilitating access to Mahabaleshwar, which later became a prominent hill station during British rule. At Mahabaleshwar, he established Malcolm Peth (now part of Mahabaleshwar), named in honour of the contemporary Governor of Bombay.
In Satara, Pratap Singh constructed the ‘Rajwada’ palace, which functioned as the royal court for approximately 150 years. The palace is presently in the possession of his descendants. He also developed the Rajpath, a two-way road connecting the Rajwada to Powai Naka, contributing to the planned urban layout of the city.
Following the destruction of the Rang Mahal of Shahu I in a fire, Pratap Singh built the Jal Mandir Palace as a new royal residence for himself and his family. Much of modern Satara’s foundational urban structure is attributed to his initiatives.
In the field of education, he established two schools in Satara offering instruction in English, Persian, Marathi, and Sanskrit. Around 1851, Pratap Singh High School was founded; notably, B. R. Ambedkar studied there until the fourth standard.
In the same year, his wife founded a private library in Satara that was open to the public. This institution later became known as the Nagar Vachanalaya and was formerly called Chhatrapati Pratap Singh Maharaj (Thorle) Nagar Vachanalaya, Satara.
Notes
- Satara State was formed after the overthrow of the Maratha Empire in 1818
- Hindustani (Hindi): प्रतापसिंह भोंसले, Pratāpasingh Bhonsle; Marathi: प्रतापसिंह भोसले, Pratāpasinh Bhosale; also known as Pratap Singh of India.
