Pratap Singh, Raja of Satara

Pratap Singh Bhosale
Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire
Pratap Singh
8th Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire
Reign	3 May 1808 - 5 September 1839
Predecessor	Shahu II
Successor	Shahaji
Born	18 January 1793 Ajinkyatara Fort, Satara, Maratha Empire
Died	14 October 1847(aged 54) Benares, Benares State
House	Bhosale
Father	Shahu II of Satara
Mother	Girjabai Raje Bhosle
Religion	Hinduism

Pratap Singh Bhosle (18 January 1793 - 14 October 1847) was the nominal emperor of the Maratha Empire, Satara from 1808 to 1819 but the main control was under the hands of Peshwas and Raja of Satara until 1839 when he was deposed by the British.^[1]

Pratap Singh was the eldest son of Shahu II of Satara, whom he succeeded, and a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle, the founder of the Maratha Empire.^[1]

Pratap Singh has build Pune-Satara Road, Build New Palace called Rajwada which was used as a court last 150 years,(Now in possession of current vanshaj of Chh Udayan Maharaj) In that Rajwada a school started around 1851 , named Pratapsinh High School in which Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar learned till 4th standard,his date of birth 14th April 1891 record we can see in that school record, Pratapsinh started a Private Library in Satara town which was in 1851 given to common public of Satara by his wife, The library now known as Nagar Vachanalaya and now renamed as Chhatrapati Pratap Sinh Maharaj (Thorle) Nagar Vachanalay Satara. He built Satara-Medha-Mahabaleshwar Road. In Mahabaleshwar (a hill station for Britishers he established Malcom Peth in name of that times Governor of Bombay (Now Mumbai) 48 km from Satara) State. Rajpath 2 ways from Rajwada to Powai Naka were also built by him. He started 2 schools for English, Perisan, Marathi, and Sanskrit in satara.Modern Satara is his creation as Chh Shahu's RangMahal was burned in a fire, So Jal Mandir Palace he built a residence for him and his family where now Chh Udayan Raje Bhosale lives. He was dethroned and stripped of his powers and personal possessions in 1839. He was exiled to Benares and granted an allowance for his maintenance. Rango Bapuji Gupte a loyal Sardar to him fight a lot in legal battles up to London but invain to give justice to his beloved king.

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.^[1]

References

Further reading

• Naregal, Veena (2013). "The Mutiny in Western India: The 'Marginal' as Regional Dynamic". In Bates, Crispin. Mutiny at the Margins: New Perspectives on the Indian Uprising of 1857. 1. SAGE Publications India. pp. 169–188. ISBN 978-8-13211-336-2.