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89-507: In Sanskrit, Deśa means land, country and mukha means head or chief; thus, deshmukh means "the head" of a district. Deshmukh was a historical title given to a person who was granted a territory of land, in Maharashtra , Karnataka , Telangana , Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh . The granted territory was usually referred to as the Dēśamukhi . The Deshmukh was in effect the ruler of

178-552: A Marathi speaking state with Mumbai as its capital. In the Gujarati speaking areas of the state, a similar Mahagujarat Movement demanded a separate Gujarat state comprising majority Gujarati areas. After many years of protests, which saw 106 deaths amongst the protestors, and electoral success of the samiti in 1957 elections, the central government led by Prime minister Nehru split Bombay State into two new states of Maharashtra and Gujarat on 1 May 1960. The state continues to have

267-477: A cool dry spell occurs, with clear skies, gentle air breeze, and pleasant weather that prevails from October to February, although the eastern Vidarbha region receives rainfall from the north-east monsoon. The state has three crucial biogeographic zones, namely Western Ghats , Deccan Plateau , and the West coast . The Ghats nurture endemic species, Deccan Plateau provides for vast mountain ranges and grasslands while

356-460: A dispute with Karnataka regarding the region of Belgaum and Karwar . The Government of Maharashtra was unhappy with the border demarcation of 1957 and filed a petition to the Ministry of Home affairs of India. Maharashtra claimed 814 villages, and 3 urban settlements of Belagon, Karwar and Nippani , all part of then Bombay Presidency before freedom of the country. A petition by Maharashtra in

445-511: A large army.Ambar is said to have introduced the concept of guerrilla warfare in the Deccan region. Malik Ambar assisted Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in Delhi against his stepmother, Nur Jahan , who wanted to enthrone her son-in-law. Both Shivaji 's grandfather, Maloji and father Shahaji served under Ambar. In the early 17th century, Shahaji Bhosale , an ambitious local general who had served

534-486: A substantial number of migrants from other states of India. Uttar Pradesh , Gujarat, and Karnataka account for the largest percentage of migrants to the Mumbai metropolitan area. The 2011 census reported the human sex ratio is 929 females per 1000 males, which were below the national average of 943. The density of Maharashtra was 365 inhabitants per km which was lower than the national average of 382 per km . Since 1921,

623-480: A suitable administrative center for the state, and the most populous urban area in India, with Nagpur serving as the winter capital. The Godavari and Krishna are the state's two major rivers, and forests cover 16.47% of the state's geographical area. The state is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites : Ajanta Caves , Ellora Caves , Elephanta Caves , Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus),

712-582: Is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau . It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu to

801-645: Is an international standard on the romanization of many Brahmic scripts , which was agreed upon in 2001 by a network of the national standards institutes of 157 countries. However, the Hunterian transliteration system is the "national system of romanization in India " and a United Nations expert group noted about ISO 15919 that "there is no evidence of the use of the system either in India or in international cartographic products." Another standard, United Nations Romanization Systems for Geographical Names (UNRSGN),

890-738: Is appointed by the President of India for a five-year term. The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the chief minister by the governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the governor on the advice of the chief minister. The governor remains a ceremonial head of the state, while the chief minister and his council are responsible for day-to-day government functions. The council of ministers consists of Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State (MoS). The Secretariat headed by

979-649: Is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy , a feature the state shares with other Indian states. Maharashtra is one of the six states in India where the state legislature is bicameral, comprising the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). The legislature, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, consists of elected members and special office bearers such as

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1068-419: Is headed by a District Magistrate , who is an IAS officer and is assisted by several officers belonging to state services. Urban areas in the state are governed by Municipal Corporations , Municipal Councils , Nagar Panchayats , and seven Cantonment Boards . The Maharashtra Police is headed by an IPS officer of the rank of Director general of police . A Superintendent of Police, an IPS officer assisted by

1157-519: Is located in the city, as is the National Stock Exchange , which is the second-largest stock exchange in India and one of world's largest derivatives exchanges . The state has played a significant role in the country's social and political life and is widely considered a leader in terms of agricultural and industrial production , trade and transport, and education. Maharashtra is the ninth-highest ranking among Indian states in

1246-646: Is most concentrated in the forests of Gadchiroli and the Telangana border. Marathi is the first language of a majority or plurality of the people in all districts of Maharashtra except Nandurbar , where Bhili is spoken by 45% of its population. The highest percentage of Khandeshi speakers are Dhule district (29%) and the highest percentage of Gondi speakers are in Gadchiroli district (24%). The highest percentages of mother-tongue Hindi speakers are in urban areas, especially Mumbai and its suburbs, where it

1335-628: Is mother tongue to over a quarter of the population. Pune and Nagpur are also spots for Hindi-speakers. Gujarati and Urdu are also major languages in Mumbai, both are spoken by around 10% of the population. Urdu and its dialect, the Dakhni are spoken by the Muslim population of the state. The Mumbai metropolitan area is home to migrants from all over India. In Mumbai, a wide range of languages are spoken, including Telugu, Tamil, Konkani, Kannada, Sindhi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tulu, and many more. The state

1424-417: Is spoken along the southern Konkan coast. Telugu and Kannada are spoken along the border areas of Telangana and Karnataka, respectively. At the junction of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh a variety of Hindi dialects are spoken such as Lodhi and Powari . Lambadi is spoken through a wide area of eastern Marathwada and western Vidarbha. Gondi is spoken by diminishing minorities throughout Vidarbha but

1513-694: Is usually the warmest and January the coldest month of the year. The winter season lasts until February with lower temperatures occurring in December and January. On the Deccan plateau that lies on eastern side of the Sahyadri mountains, the climate is drier, however, dew and hail often occur, depending on seasonal weather. The rainfall patterns in the state vary by the topography of different regions. The state can be divided into four meteorological regions, namely coastal Konkan, Western Maharashtra, Marathwada, and Vidarbha. The southwest monsoon usually arrives in

1602-779: The Ahmadnagar Sultanate , the Mughals and Adil Shah of Bijapur at different periods throughout his career, attempted to establish his independent rule. This attempt was unsuccessful, but his son Shivaji succeeded in establishing the Maratha Empire . Shortly after Shivaji's death in 1680, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb launched a campaign to conquer Maratha territories as well as the Adilshahi and Govalkonda kingdoms. This campaign, better known as Mughal–Maratha Wars ,

1691-690: The Bombay Presidency , which spanned an area from Karachi in Pakistan to northern Deccan. A number of the Maratha states persisted as princely states , retaining autonomy in return for acknowledging British suzerainty . The largest princely states in the territory were Nagpur , Satara and Kolhapur State ; Satara was annexed to the Bombay Presidency in 1848, and Nagpur was annexed in 1853 to become Nagpur Province , later part of

1780-699: The Central Provinces . Berar , which had been part of the Nizam of Hyderabad's kingdom, was occupied by the British in 1853 and annexed to the Central Provinces in 1903. However, a large region called Marathwada remained part of the Nizam's Hyderabad State throughout the British period. The British ruled Maharashtra region from 1818 to 1947 and influenced every aspect of life for the people of

1869-414: The Central Provinces and Berar . The southernmost part of Bombay State was ceded to Mysore . In the 1950s, Marathi people strongly protested against bilingual Bombay state under the banner of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti . The notable leaders of the samiti included Keshavrao Jedhe , S.M. Joshi , Shripad Amrit Dange , Pralhad Keshav Atre and Gopalrao Khedkar . The key demand of the samiti called for

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1958-632: The Champion and Seth classification , Maharashtra has five types of forests: The most common animal species present in the state are monkeys, wild pigs, tiger , leopard , gaur , sloth bear , sambar , four-horned antelope , chital , barking deer , mouse deer , small Indian civet , golden jackal , jungle cat , and hare . Other animals found in this state include reptiles such as lizards , scorpions and snake species such as cobras and kraits . The state provides legal protection to its tiger population through six dedicated tiger reserves under

2047-987: The Delhi Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khalji . Later, Muhammad bin Tughluq conquered parts of the Deccan, and temporarily shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad in Maharashtra. After the collapse of the Tughluqs in 1347, the local Bahmani Sultanate of Gulbarga took over, governing the region for the next 150 years. After the break-up of the Bahamani sultanate in 1518, Maharashtra split into five Deccan Sultanates : Nizamshah of Ahmednagar , Adilshah of Bijapur , Qutubshah of Golkonda , Bidarshah of Bidar and Imadshah of Elichpur. These kingdoms often fought with each other. United, they decisively defeated

2136-527: The Jorwe culture ( c.  1300 –700 BCE) have been discovered throughout the state. The largest settlement discovered of the culture is at Daimabad , which had a mud fortification during this period, as well as an elliptical temple with fire pits. In the Late Harappan period there was a large migration of people from Gujarat to northern Maharashtra. Maharashtra was ruled by Maurya Empire in

2225-685: The Konkan coastal plains, 50–80 km (31–50 mi) in width. To the east of the Ghats lies the flat Deccan Plateau . The main rivers of the state are the Krishna , and its tributary, Bhima , the Godavari, and its main tributaries, Manjara , and Wardha - Wainganga and the Tapi , and its tributary Purna . Maharashtra is divided into five geographic regions. Konkan is the western coastal region, between

2314-662: The Lok Sabha , or the lower chamber of the Indian Parliament with 48 seats which is next only to Uttar Pradesh which has the highest number of seats than any other Indian state with 80 seats. Maharashtra also has 19 seats in the Rajya Sabha , or the upper chamber of the Indian Parliament. The government of Maharashtra is a democratically elected body in India with the Governor as its constitutional head who

2403-992: The Mughals . In the early nineteenth century, the region was divided between the Dominions of the Peshwa in the Maratha Confederacy and the Nizamate of Hyderabad . After two wars and the proclamation of the Indian Empire, the region became a part of the Bombay Province , the Berar Province and the Central Provinces of India under direct British rule and the Deccan States Agency under Crown suzerainty. Between 1950 and 1956,

2492-633: The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai and the Western Ghats , a heritage site made up of 39 individual properties of which 4 are in Maharashtra. The economy of Maharashtra is the largest in India, with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of ₹ 42.5 trillion (US$ 510 billion) and GSDP per capita of ₹ 335,247 (US$ 4,000); it is the single-largest contributor to India's economy , being accountable for 14% of all-India nominal GDP . The service sector dominates

2581-800: The Vijayanagara Empire of the south in 1565. The present area of Mumbai was ruled by the Sultanate of Gujarat before its capture by Portugal in 1535 and the Faruqi dynasty ruled the Khandesh region between 1382 and 1601 before finally getting annexed in the Mughal Empire . Malik Ambar , the regent of the Nizamshahi dynasty of Ahmednagar from 1607 to 1626, increased the strength and power of Murtaza Nizam Shah II and raised

2670-487: The Zilla Parishad (district councils) at the district level and gram panchayat (village councils) at the lower level. Out of the total population of Maharashtra, 45.22% of people live in urban regions. The total figure of the population living in urban areas is 50.8 million. There are 27 Municipal Corporations in Maharashtra. According to the provisional results of the 2011 national census, Maharashtra

2759-1156: The human development index . The region that encompasses the modern state has a history going back many millennia. Notable dynasties that ruled the region include the Asmakas , the Mauryas , the Satavahanas , the Western Satraps , the Abhiras , the Vakatakas , the Chalukyas , the Rashtrakutas , the Western Chalukyas , the Seuna Yadavas , the Khaljis , the Tughlaqs , the Bahamanis and

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2848-401: The transliteration of Sanskrit rather than the transcription of Brahmic scripts. As a notable difference, both international standards, ISO 15919 and UNRSGN transliterate anusvara as ṁ , while ALA-LC and IAST use ṃ for it. However, ISO 15919 provides guidance towards disambiguating between various anusvara situations (such as labial versus dental nasalizations), which is described in

2937-484: The 1940s, the layer of the very large landowners in Telangana. They owned from 2,000-3,000 acres at the lower end to 160,000 acres (650 km) at the upper scale. The reforms abandoned the previous practice, of auctioning off the revenue collection in the government-administered areas to farmers, in favour of direct revenue collection by the State. The 'revenue farmers' were given land in compensation. Most of them availed of

3026-596: The 19th century. His social work was continued by Shahu, Raja of Kolhapur and later by B. R. Ambedkar . After the partial autonomy given to the states by the Government of India Act 1935 , B. G. Kher became the first chief minister of the Congress party-led government of tri-lingual Bombay Presidency. The ultimatum to the British during the Quit India Movement was given in Mumbai and culminated in

3115-631: The 2011 Census, are listed in the following table. Each district is governed by a district collector or district magistrate, appointed either by the Indian Administrative Service or the Maharashtra Civil Service. Districts are subdivided into sub-divisions ( Taluka ) governed by sub-divisional magistrates, and again into blocks . A block consists of panchayats (village councils) and town municipalities. Talukas are intermediate level panchayat between

3204-795: The Bombay Province became the Bombay State in the Indian Union, and Berar, the Deccan states and the Gujarat states were merged into the Bombay State. Aspirations of a separate state for Marathi-speaking peoples were pursued by the United Maharashtra Movement ; their advocacy eventually borne fruit on 1 May 1960, when the State of Bombay was bifurcated into the states of Maharasthra and Gujarat. The modern Marathi language evolved from Maharashtri Prakrit , and

3293-405: The Chief Secretary assists the council of ministers. The Chief Secretary is also the administrative head of the government. Each government department is headed by a Minister, who is assisted by an Additional Chief Secretary or a Principal Secretary, who is usually an officer of the Indian Administrative Service , the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary serves as the administrative head of

3382-415: The Directorate of Social Forestry (SFD). The Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, constituted by the Government of Maharashtra in January 2012 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, is the nodal body for the conservation of biodiversity within and outside forest areas in the State. Maharashtra is ranked second among the Indian states in terms of the recorded forest area. Recorded Forest Area (RFA) in

3471-407: The Mughals to city of Delhi. After their defeat at the hand of Ahmad Shah Abdali 's Afghan forces in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, the Maratha suffered a setback. However, they soon reclaimed the lost territories and ruled central and north India including Delhi until the end of the eighteenth century. The Marathas also developed a potent Navy circa in the 1660s, which at its peak under

3560-412: The Satavahana and Vakataka styles. The caves were possibly excavated during this period. The Chalukya dynasty ruled the region from the sixth to the eighth centuries CE, and the two prominent rulers were Pulakeshin II , who defeated the north Indian Emperor Harsha , and Vikramaditya II , who defeated the Arab invaders in the eighth century. The Rashtrakuta dynasty ruled Maharashtra from the eighth to

3649-466: The Saurastras, probably after the Rattas (Rastras) akin to the Rastrikas of Asoka's rock Edicts, now known as Maharastra and the Marattas . An alternative theory states that the term derives from the word mahā ("great") and rāṣṭra ("nation/dominion"). However, this theory is somewhat controversial among modern scholars who believe it to be the Sanskritised interpretation of later writers. Numerous Late Harappan or Chalcolithic sites belonging to

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3738-422: The Speaker and Deputy Speaker, who are elected by the members. The Legislative Assembly consists of 288 members who are elected for five-year terms unless the Assembly is dissolved before to the completion of the term. The Legislative Council is a permanent body of 78 members with one-third (33 members) retiring every two years. Maharashtra is the second most important state in terms of political representation in

3827-411: The Supreme Court of India, staking a claim over Belagon, is currently pending. Maharashtra with a total area of 307,713 km (118,809 sq mi), is the third-largest state by area in terms of land area and constitutes 9.36% of India's total geographical area. The State lies between 15°35' N to 22°02' N latitude and 72°36' E to 80°54' E longitude. It occupies the western and central part of

3916-404: The Western Ghats and the sea. Khandesh is the north region lying in the valley of the Tapti, Purna river. Nashik , Malegaon Jalgaon , Dhule and Bhusawal are the major cities of this region. Desh is in the centre of the state. Marathwada , which was a part of the princely state of Hyderabad until 1956, is located in the southeastern part of the state. Aurangabad and Nanded are

4005-437: The above advantages, on the tenure of collecting and being responsible for the revenue , for superintending the cultivation and police of their districts, and carrying into effect all orders of Government. They were, in fact, to a district what a Patil is to a village; in short, were charged with its whole Government. Maharashtra Maharashtra ( ISO : Mahārāṣṭra , Marathi: [məɦaːˈɾaːʂʈɾə] )

4094-519: The basis of annual rainfall soil types, vegetation and cropping pattern. Maharashtra experiences a tropical wet and dry climate with hot, rainy, and cold weather seasons. Some areas more inland experience a hot semi arid climate, due to a rain shadow effect caused by the Western Ghats. The month of March marks the beginning of the summer and the temperature rises steadily until June. In the central plains, summer temperatures rise to between 40 °C or 104.0 °F and 45 °C or 113.0 °F. May

4183-417: The battles mainly took place in northern India. The modern struggle for independence started taking shape in the late 1800s with leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak , Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade , Gopal Krishna Gokhale , Pherozeshah Mehta and Dadabhai Naoroji evaluating the company rule and its consequences. Jyotirao Phule was the pioneer of social reform in the Maharashtra region in the second half of

4272-439: The census. Powari , Lodhi , and Varhadi are spoken in the Vidarbha region, Dangi is spoken near the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, Bhil languages are spoken throughout the northwest part of the state, Khandeshi (locally known as Ahirani) is spoken in Khandesh region. In the Desh and Marathwada regions, Dakhini Urdu is widely spoken, although Dakhini speakers are usually bilingual in Marathi. Konkani, and its dialect Malvani,

4361-488: The city of Mumbai, is home to two tiny religious communities. This includes 5000 Jews , mainly belonging to the Bene Israel , and Baghdadi Jewish communities. Parsi is the other community who follow Zoroastrianism . The 2011 census recorded around 44,000 parsis in Maharashtra. Languages of Maharashtra (2011) Marathi is the official language although different regions have their own dialects. Most people speak regional languages classified as dialects of Marathi in

4450-444: The coast is home to littoral and swamp forests. Flora of Maharashtra is heterogeneous in composition. In 2012 the recorded thick forest area in the state was 61,939 km (23,915 sq mi) which was about 20.13% of the state's geographical area. There are three main Public Forestry Institutions (PFIs) in the Maharashtra state: the Maharashtra Forest Department (MFD), the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) and

4539-435: The command of Kanhoji Angre , dominated the territorial waters of the western coast of India from Mumbai to Savantwadi . It resisted the British , Portuguese , Dutch , and Siddi naval ships and kept a check on their naval ambitions. Charles Metcalfe, British Civil servant and later Acting Governor-General, said in 1806: India contains no more than two great powers, British and Maratha, and every other state acknowledges

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4628-460: The country and has a coastline stretching 840 kilometres (520 mi) along the Arabian Sea . The dominant physical feature of the state is its plateau character, which is separated from the Konkan coastline by the mountain range of the Western Ghats, which runs parallel to the coast from north to south. The Western Ghats , also known as the Sahyadri Range, has an average elevation of 1,200 metres (3,900 ft); its slopes gently descending towards

4717-439: The department they are assigned to. Each department also has officers of the rank of Secretary, Special Secretary, Joint Secretary, etc. assisting the Minister and the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary. For purpose of administration, the state is divided into 6 divisions and 36 districts . Divisional Commissioner, an IAS officer is the head of administration at the divisional level. The administration in each district

4806-401: The district courts are categorised into two divisions: the Maharashtra civil judicial services and higher judicial service. While the Maharashtra civil judicial services comprises the Civil Judges (Junior Division)/Judicial Magistrates and civil judges (Senior Division)/Chief Judicial Magistrate, the higher judicial service comprises civil and sessions judges. The Subordinate judicial service of

4895-403: The east and southeast. The Western Ghats (or the Sahyadri Mountain range) provide a physical barrier to the state on the west, while the Satpura Hills along the north and Bhamragad-Chiroli-Gaikhuri ranges on the east serve as its natural borders. This state's expansion from North to South is 720 km (450 mi) and East to West is 800 km (500 mi). To the west of these hills lie

4984-439: The east, in the rain shadow of the mountain range, only 500–700 mm/year will fall, and long dry spells leading to drought are a common occurrence. Maharashtra has many of the 99 Indian districts identified by the Indian Central water commission as prone to drought. The average annual rainfall in the state is 1,181 mm (46.5 in) and 75% of it is received during the southwest monsoon from June–to September. However, under

5073-452: The fourth and third centuries BCE. Around 230 BCE, Maharashtra came under the rule of the Satavahana dynasty which ruled it for the next 400 years. The rule of Satavahanas was followed by that of Western Satraps , Gupta Empire , Gurjara-Pratihara , Vakataka , Kadambas , Chalukya Empire , Rashtrakuta Dynasty , and Western Chalukya and the Yadava Dynasty . The Buddhist Ajanta Caves in present-day Aurangabad display influences from

5162-503: The government confiscated most of the land of the Deshmukhs. Some families, however, maintain their status as real estate barons , most notably in Mumbai, with holdover properties that were not taken away. It was similar in many respects to the Zamindar and Jagir systems in India, and can be considered as a feudal system. Typically taxes collected were to be distributed fairly, and occasionally Deshmukhs participated in Vedic rituals in which they redistributed all material possessions to

5251-491: The influence of one or the other. Every inch that we recede will be occupied by them. The British East India Company slowly expanded areas under its rule during the 18th century. The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) led to the end of the Maratha Empire and the East India Company took over the empire. The Maratha Navy dominated till around the 1730s, was in a state of decline by the 1770s and ceased to exist by 1818. The British governed western Maharashtra as part of

5340-552: The influence of the Bay of Bengal, eastern Vidarbha receives good rainfall in July, August, and September. Thane, Raigad , Ratnagiri , and Sindhudurg districts receive heavy rains of an average of 2,000 to 2,500 mm or 80 to 100 in and the hill stations of Matheran and Mahabaleshwar over 5,000 mm (200 in). Contrariwise, the rain shadow districts of Nashik , Pune , Ahmednagar , Dhule , Jalgaon , Satara , Sangli , Solapur , and parts of Kolhapur receive less than 1,000 mm (39 in) annually. In winter,

5429-401: The judiciary is controlled by the District Judge. ISO 15919 ISO 15919 (Transliteration of Devanagari and related Indic scripts into Latin characters ) is an international standard for the romanization of Brahmic and Nastaliq scripts. Published in 2001, it is part of a series of international standards by the International Organization for Standardization . ISO 15919

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5518-400: The largest caste cluster with around 32% of the population. Maharashtra has a large Other Backward Class population constituting 41% of the population. The scheduled tribes include Adivasis such as Thakar , Warli , Konkana and Halba . The 2011 census found scheduled castes and scheduled tribes to account for 11.8% and 8.9% of the population, respectively. The state also includes

5607-523: The last week of June and lasts till mid-September. Pre-monsoon showers begin towards the middle of June and post-monsoon rains occasionally occur in October. The highest average monthly rainfall is during July and August. In the winter season, there may be a little rainfall associated with western winds over the region. The Konkan coastal area, west of the Sahyadri Mountains receives very heavy monsoon rains with an annual average of more than 3,000 millimetres (120 in). However, just 150 km (93 mi) to

5696-448: The main cities of the region. Vidarbha is the easternmost region of the state, formerly part of the Central Provinces and Berar. The state has limited area under irrigation, low natural fertility of soils, and large areas prone to recurrent drought. Due to this the agricultural productivity of Maharashtra is generally low as compared to the national averages of various crops. Maharashtra has been divided in to nine agro-climatic zones on

5785-492: The name of a tribe or dynasty of chiefs ruling in the Deccan region. An alternate theory states that the term is derived from mahā ("great") and ratha / rathi (" chariot "/"charioteer"), which refers to a skilful northern fighting force that migrated southward into the area. In the Harivamsa , the Yadava kingdom called Anaratta is described as mostly inhabited by the Abhiras (Abhira-praya-manusyam). The Anartta country and its inhabitants were called Surastra and

5874-476: The northwest. Maharashtra is the second-most populous state in India and the fourth-most populous country subdivision in the world. The state is divided into 6 divisions and 36 districts , Mumbai , is the capital of Maharashtra due to its historical significance as a major trading port and its status as India's financial hub , housing key institutions and a diverse economy . Additionally, its well-developed infrastructure and cultural diversity make it

5963-417: The officers of the Maharashtra Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district. The Divisional Forest Officer, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service , manages the forests, environment, and wildlife of the district, assisted by the officers of Maharashtra Forest Service and Maharashtra Forest Subordinate Service. The judiciary in

6052-466: The opportunity to seize as much of the best land as they could. They also received a pension. The Deshmukhs were thus given a dominant position in the rural economy which they proceeded resolutely to strengthen during the succeeding decades. Writing in the nineteenth century, Major W. H. Skyes, the statistical reporter to the Government of Bombay, described the Deshmukh: The Desmukhs were, no doubt, originally appointed by Government, and they possessed all

6141-501: The people. However, the title Deshmukh should not be associated to a particular religion or caste. Deshmukhis were granted by the Deccan sultanates , Mughal emperors , Nizams of Hyderabad and other Muslim rulers and by Maratha emperors ( Chhatrapatis ) to Reddys , Velamas , Deshastha Brahmins , Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhus , Chitpavan Brahmins , Marathas , Lingayats , Hatkar - Dhangars , Jains , Kolis and Muslims . amindars. Inukonda Thirumali of Telangana describes

6230-403: The populations of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg shrank by −4.96% and −2.30%, respectively, while the population of Thane grew by 35.9%, followed by Pune at 30.3%. The literacy rate is 83.2%, higher than the national rate at 74.04%. Of this, male literacy stood at 89.82% and female literacy 75.48%. Religion in Maharashtra (2011) According to the 2011 census, Hinduism was the principal religion in

6319-716: The precincts of the National Tiger Conservation Authority . The state's 720 km (450 mi) of sea coastline of the Arabian Sea marks the presence of various types of fish and marine animals. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) found 1527 marine animal species, including molluscs with 581 species, many crustacean species including crabs, shrimps, and lobsters, 289 fish species, and 141 species types of annelids (sea worms). Maharashtra has following geographical regions: It consists of six administrative divisions: The state's six divisions are further divided into 36 districts , 109 sub-divisions, and 358 talukas . Maharashtra's top five districts by population, as ranked by

6408-690: The region. The President of India appoints the chief justice of the High Court of the Maharashtra judiciary on the advice of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India as well as the Governor of Maharashtra. Other judges are appointed by the chief justice of the high court of the judiciary on the advice of the Chief Justice. Subordinate Judicial Service is another vital part of the judiciary of Maharashtra. The subordinate judiciary or

6497-589: The region. They brought several changes to the legal system, built modern means of transport including roads and Railways, took various steps to provide mass education, including that for previously marginalised classes and women, established universities based on western system and imparting education in science, technology, and western medicine, standardised the Marathi language, and introduced mass media by utilising modern printing technologies. The 1857 war of independence had many Marathi leaders, though

6586-485: The role of Deshmukhs: They were primarily revenue collectors; and when (magisterial and judicial) responsibilities were added to their function they became Deshmukhs, chiefs of the parganas . Gradually, each of these assignments tended to become a watan i.e., hereditary lease. Despite changes in the political authority at the top, this institution survived, since no ruler from above wished to risk disturbing local administration, headed by village officials. This institution

6675-460: The state at 79.8% of the total population. Muslims constituted 11.5% of the total population. Maharashtra has the highest number of followers of Buddhism in India, accounting for 5.8% of Maharashtra's total population with 6,531,200 followers. Marathi Buddhists account for 77.36% of all Buddhists in India . Sikhs , Christians , and Jains constituted 0.2%, 1%, and 1.2% of the Maharashtra population respectively. Maharashtra, and particularly

6764-625: The state consists of the Maharashtra High Court ( The High Court of Bombay ), district and session courts in each district and lower courts and judges at the taluka level. The High Court has regional branches at Nagpur and Aurangabad in Maharashtra and Panaji which is the capital of Goa. The state cabinet on 13 May 2015 passed a resolution favouring the setting up of one more bench of the Bombay high court in Kolhapur , covering

6853-615: The state is 61,579 sq mi (159,489 km ) of which 49,546 sq mi (128,324 km ) is reserved forests, 6,733 sq mi (17,438 km ) is protected forest and 5,300 sq mi (13,727 km ) is unclassed forests. Based on the interpretation of IRS Resourcesat-2 LISS III satellite data of the period Oct 2017 to Jan 2018, the State has 8,720.53 sq mi (22,586 km ) under Very Dense Forest(VDF), 20,572.35 sq mi (53,282 km ) under Moderately Dense Forest (MDF) and 21,484.68 sq mi (55,645 km ) under Open Forest (OF). According to

6942-469: The state's economy, accounting for 69.3% of the value of the output of the country. Although agriculture accounts for 12% of the state GDP, it employs nearly half the population of the state. Maharashtra is one of the most industrialised states in India. The state's capital, Mumbai, is India's financial and commercial capital. The Bombay Stock Exchange , India's largest stock exchange and the oldest in Asia,

7031-643: The table below. The table below shows the differences between ISO 15919, UNRSGN and IAST for Devanagari transliteration. Only certain fonts support all Latin Unicode characters for the transliteration of Indic scripts according to this standard. For example, Tahoma supports almost all the characters needed. Arial and Times New Roman font packages that come with Microsoft Office 2007 and later also support most Latin Extended Additional characters like ḍ, ḥ, ḷ, ḻ, ṁ, ṅ, ṇ, ṛ, ṣ and ṭ. There

7120-544: The tenth century. The Arab traveller Sulaiman al Mahri described the ruler of the Rashtrakuta dynasty Amoghavarsha as "one of the four great kings of the world". Shilahara dynasty began as vassals of the Rashtrakuta dynasty which ruled the Deccan plateau between the eighth and tenth centuries. From the early 11th century to the 12th century, the Deccan Plateau, which includes a significant part of Maharashtra,

7209-422: The territory, as he was entitled to a portion of the collected taxes. It was also his duty to maintain the basic services in the territory, such as police and judicial duties. It was typically a hereditary system. The title of Deshmukh provided the titled family with revenues from the area and the responsibilities to keep the orders. The Deshmukh system was abolished after the independence of India in 1947, when

7298-607: The transfer of power and independence in 1947. After Indian independence, princely states and Jagirs of the Deccan States Agency were merged into Bombay State , which was created from the former Bombay Presidency in 1950. In 1956, the States Reorganisation Act reorganised the Indian states along linguistic lines, and Bombay Presidency State was enlarged by the addition of the predominantly Marathi -speaking regions of Marathwada ( Aurangabad Division ) from erstwhile Hyderabad state and Vidarbha region from

7387-546: The word Marhatta (later used for the Marathas ) is found in the Jain Maharashtrian literature. The term Maharashtra along with Maharashtrian, Marathi, and Maratha may have derived from the same root. However, their exact etymology is uncertain. The most widely accepted theory among the linguistic scholars is that the words Maratha and Maharashtra ultimately derived from a combination of Mahā and Rāṣṭrikā ,

7476-473: The year 1971) than the national average. However, in the year 2011, it was found to be lower than the national average. The 2011 census for the state found 55% of the population to be rural with 45% being urban-based. Although, India hasn't conducted a caste-wise census since Independence, based on the British era census of 1931, it is estimated that the Maratha and the Maratha-kunbi numerically form

7565-440: Was a strategic defeat for Mughals. Aurangzeb failed to fully conquer Maratha territories, and this campaign had a ruinous effect on Mughal Treasury and Army. Shortly after Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Marathas under Peshwa Bajirao I and the generals that he had promoted such as Ranoji Shinde and Malharrao Holkar started conquering Mughal Territories in the north and western India, and by 1750s they or their successors had confined

7654-415: Was at that time the richest state in India and the second-most populous state in India with a population of 112,374,333. Contributing to 9.28% of India's population, males and females are 58,243,056 and 54,131,277, respectively. The total population growth in 2011 was 15.99%, while in the previous decade it was 22.57%. Since independence, the decadal growth rate of population has remained higher (except in

7743-441: Was deeply entrenched in the region with local support and structured in organized 'community' life. The Deshmukh presided over meetings of the pargana community known as 'got sahba' [ sic ] which decided and confirmed claims over inheritance, purchase, and transfer of waters. The Deshmukh by virtue of local sanction and consensus could not be easily displaced from above. Barry Pavier describes Deshmukhs: These were, in

7832-666: Was developed by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) and covers many Brahmic scripts. The ALA-LC romanization was approved by the Library of Congress and the American Library Association and is a US standard. The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is not a standard (as no specification exists for it) but a convention developed in Europe for

7921-718: Was dominated by the Western Chalukya Empire and the Chola dynasty . Several battles were fought between the Western Chalukya Empire and the Chola dynasty in the Deccan Plateau during the reigns of Raja Raja Chola I , Rajendra Chola I , Jayasimha II , Someshvara I , and Vikramaditya VI . In the early 14th century, the Yadava dynasty , which ruled most of present-day Maharashtra, was overthrown by

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