Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) Shirol

Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh (once rendered as Sur-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 decendends of King Yashowarden.

History

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 A.D 1342 during his peninsular campaign and in A.D 1536 family received Various assets from the Ibrahim Adil Shah I ruler of Bijapur Sultanatein the Shirol area,and in A.D 1615 by Ibrahim Adil Shah IIin 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 continious War of 27 years between A.D 1682 to A.D 1707 that resulted in the End of Mughal Empirein India and brought most of the sub-continent under Maratha Control.In A.D 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, Shirol, Raibag & Kittur was made hereditary. Maharani Tarabai of Kolhapur was a close relative of Abbasaheb(Yashwantro). Abbasaheb is the ancestor of the Shirol branch of the family.

From time to time, Deshmukhs of Nimsod supplied quality horses to the Maratha Army. In A.D. 1761, Son of Abbasaheb, Sardar Sidoji Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh along with his 2000 calvary 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 Afgan Ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali. He was also part of the Maratha army which defeated the first Afgan invasion of India in A.D. 1751, and falged Maratha flag on Attock, the present day North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan)

After the Third Anglo-Maratha War in A.D 1818, Nimsod become the Part of British Teritory and lost its importance. Deshmukhs of Nimsod were entitled for a nominal annual pension of Rs 6000/ by British, so the main branch of the family moved to Shirol to look after its Southern Properties, which was the part of newly from Princeley state of Kolhapur in British India, which has greater freedom and Sovereignty compared to teritories directly under control of British and known as 'Desai's of Shirol' in Princley State of Kolhapur. Sardar Sidoji's Grandson Yashoji (Shirol Branch) acknowledged the changing circumstances and introduced the family to business.

The Shirol branch of the family holds the traditional right to issue coins on behalf of the Delhi Emperor. During the British Raj, Shrimat Bhausahaeb Desai emerged as the prominent Termaric and Diamond Merchant in India and hold huge loans to various Princeley states of those days and constructed the Vithal temple as memorial of Shrimant Abbashaeb in Shirol which is masterpeice of Maratha architecture .

During The INDIAN independence movement Sardar Dinkarrao Desai servered as the close associate of Mahatma Ghandhi and one of the National Leaders of Indian National Congress and was send for 4 years rigorous imprisonment in Katewar in Gujarat in AD 1930 for participating in Dandi Salt Satyagraha with Mahatma Ghandhi and again for 4 years in yerawada in Pune During Quit India Movement in A.D 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 also among the rare people whose Rolls Royce car become the part of independence movement. He was awarded with special Galantry medal and Tambra Padahak by Prime Minister Indira Ghandhi in 1971 for his contibution to Indian freedom movement.

Number of 7' 12's from Shirol till Raibag and Kittur has family names on it though Property now belongs to different people. Family has assets (Agricultural Land and Properties) in following towns and villages in shirol area till date,properties of family temple are looked by Trust. .

  • Shirol (Taluka place and seat of Family)
  • Jaysingpur
  • Arjunwad
  • Ghalwad
  • Kutwad (land for Temple)
  • Kanwad
  • Shiriti
  • Hassur
  • Agar
  • Tamadalage
  • Nimshirgaon
  • Dharanguti

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Source/References

See Also

List of Anglo-Maratha Wars

The Anglo-Maratha Wars were a series of wars in the 18th century, fought in India, between the...