Satara Raj, 1818-48: A Study in History, Administration and Culture

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The establishment of the British rule in Maharashtra in 1818 was an event of cataclysmic proportions. Politically it spelled the end of the Maratha supremacy in India. Socio- culturally. It signified the end of the old order of things in Maharashtra, where new order was yet to strike roots. The period was one when the traditional Marathi society was trying to adjust Itself to a new-and an allen -structure of administration. It was a dichotomous position sometimes leading to a clash of values.

The State of Satara, which was allowed to continue its existence, albelt on much reduced scale, could not escape this turmoil. The Raja of Satara was expected by his subjects to uphold the traditions of a medieval society, while the English rulers expected him to introduce reforms which must necessarily lead to the destruction of these very traditions. Caught between these opposing pulls, the Chhatrapatu tried to perform balancing acts, which sooner or later were bound to lead to some kind of confrontation. A gradual .modernization of administration without the modernization of social structure was likely to lead to - as it actually did - a crisis of values.

of the State of Satara was continuation of a historic tradition, the British administration was a new historic force. A clash between them was Inevitable. In 1839 the British deposed Raja. Pratapsinha, the descendant of the senior branch of the Chhatrapatti Shivaji. The final act was performed in 1848 when the State of Satara was abolished altogether. The administrative history of Satara during the period 1818-1848, is in reality a story of an enterprising sovereign who wanted to modernize his state without disturbing the essentially traditional fabric of the society.

Dr. (Mrs.) Sumitra Arvind Kulkarni (b. 1955), obtained her Masters degree with distinction in History from the University of Poona in 1978 and her Ph.D. in 1986. She is a well known scholar of the early modern period of the history of Maharashtra. A noted Modi Scholar, Mrs. Kulkarni has the distinction of having read almost every Modi document pertaining to the State of Satara.

She has written extensively about the Diaries of Raja Pratapsinha. As a social historian, she has also written about the gramanyas, the caste disputes, during the early 19th century. She was awarded a fellowship by the University Grants Commission. Later she taught at St. Meera's College, Pune and the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune. Currently, she is a Lecturer in the Department of History of the University of Poona, Pune.

The history of the Satara State created by the British in 1818 and annexed by them in 1849 deserves the attention of the scholars for many reasons.

One of the most important reasons would be that it exhibits the changing attitude of the British towards the people of India. The British, in the formative period of their rule were keen on seeking support of the people, but once they struck roots, and became confident of their continuance as rulers, they became indiffer nt to the people and started enlarging their territorial authority. The history of Satara affords the best example in this respect. When one goes through the contempo- rary records and particularly the papers dealing with the deposition of the Raja, one finds division of opinion even among the British statesmen, but ultimately the lust for power pushed back the wisdom of the statesmen.

The story of Satara cannot be treated in isolation; it has to be linked up with the general policy of the British in India. Lord Hastings (1813-23), the Governor General of India can be aptly described as the real founder of the British Empire in India, whose policy resulted in the universal establishment of the British influence throughout India. He declared the object of his policy as 'to render the British Government paramount in effect, if not declaredly so.' The princely states were to be held 'as vassals in substance, though not in name. This clearly shows that the seeds of destructions of Satara State were sown right at the time of its birth. Thus the struggle between the British and the Raja, though dormant in the initial stages was inevitable in the course of time.

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