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EMERGENCE OF MAHARASHTRA
Maharashtra or the Great Land has a glorious past which forms a halo for the state. The history of Maharashtra has hidden inside it, great kings, great rulers, and great culture. The colour of the past has made the present equally bright. According to the Archeological evidences the history of Maharashtra dates back to the 3rd century BC. Maharashtra has been the hub of trade and industry since the early days. Satara was the port town which was just north of present day Mumbai. This was the centre of all trade and commerce activities. The historical periods of Maharashtra include the rule of the Vakatakas in the early history, the Islamic influence from the reign of the Delhi sultanates. The Maratha Empire started by the great Shivaji, was like a renaissance for the state and later the rule of the Peshwas added more glitter to the glory. There was a fierce rivalry between the British and the Marathas. The whole state was subdivided into a number of princely states which was reunited after the independence into a single state of Maharashtra. The year 1960 is very important for the history of Maharashtra because it was in this year that the Bombay Re - organization Act was passed and Maharashtra legally became a separate state.
The history of Maharashtra can be divided into the following periods:
The early history :
The early history of the great state includes a short history of the name along with the various kingdoms which have been established in the land. Maharashtra, etymologically derived from the word maharathi meaning the great chariot driver, first appeared as it is in the records of the Chinese traveler Huen Tsang. The early inhabitants of Maharashtra consisted of the great fighters who had even named the state as dandakaranya or the jungle which was ruled by kings.
Islamic Influence :
Just like any other rule, there was a considerable amount of Islamic influence on history of Maharashtra. The first Islamic invasions which reached the south of the Narmada River were made by the Khilji Dynasty, the rulers of Bengal under Mohammad Ghori. Ala - ud - din Khalji invaded the Deccan region in the year 1296 AD. He defeated the last of the Hindu kings of the state, the Yadavas. At first the Islamic rulers invaded the northern part of the country and made Delhi their capital but after this invasion the others followed the trend and extended their kingdoms further south.
After the Khalji Dynasty the next among Islamic invasions to influence the state was made by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq. The Tughlaq Dynasty reigned till 1347 AD and extended the empire till Madurai. After the disintegration of the Tughlaq Dynasty, the Bahmani Sultanate of Bijapur ruled the region for the coming 150 years.
Maratha Empire :
The beginning of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century AD was an important landmark for the state of Maharashtra. The Maratha Empire was started by Shivaji in the year 1674 in the Bijapur Sultanate. Before the establishment of the Maratha Empire the cause of the natives were put forward through the Yadavas. But under the leadership of the able Shivaji the Maratha Power gained a new momentum.
Shivaji unchained the Marathas from the rule of the Muslim ruler of Bijapur. The reign of the Marathas proved dangerous for the Mughal emperors, whose territory was continuously attacked by the army of Shivaji. Successful campaigns against the Mughals included the capturing of the port of Surat. Ten years later Shivaji crowned himself the king of the Marathas or the Chhatrapati. After his death in the year 1680, the two sons of Shivaji, Shambhaji and Rajaram both ruled the empire for a considerable amount of time
Shivaji Empire :
The rise of the Maratha power in Maharashtra received impetus and strength after the great Chhatrapati Shivaji, took the reigns in his hands and founded the Shivaji Empire. In the early 17th century there was a sudden rise in the power of the Marathas. Their causes were upheld by the Yadavas who gradually formed alliance with the Bahmani rulers due to their inability to defend their kingdom from the Bahmani invasions. There were basically two power centres after the bhahmani kingdom was divided into - Bijapur, Ahmednagar and Golconda. They were the southern kingdoms and the Mughal rulers under the rule of the Emperor Shah Jahan.
Battles fought with the Mughals - The battles which Shivaji fought with the Mughal, especially with Shaista Khan, have been engraved in the chapters of history as examples of bravery and intelligence. The Battle of Umberkhind in 1661, the attack on the Mughal camp in Pune and the Battle of Surat were enough to rouse the anger of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Shivaji lost his Purandhar fort which was later reclaimed during the years 1670 to 1674
Peshwa Dynasty :
Peshwa stands for Prime Minister, in Marathi. As the name suggests, the Peshwa of the last ruler of the Shivaji dynasty, Shahu, ascended the throne and established the Peshwa Dynasty. In the year 1712, Balaji Vishwanath laid the foundations of the Peshwa Dynasty. The Peshwa Dynasty prevented the Maratha Empire from disintegration after the death of Shahu in the year 1712.
The Peshwa Dynasty brought the Maratha Kingdom into new heights of glory during the reign from 1712 to 1804. Bajirao 1 made Pune the capital of the Peshwa rule. During his reign the Maratha Kingdom had to suffer a crumbling defeat in the hands of Ahmad Shah Abdali in the Third Battle of Panipat in the year 1761. The defeat reduced the power of the Maratha kingdom and confined it regionally.
British Rule :
The British rule in the states of Maharashtra could be established only after they had fought three Anglo - Maratha wars. The region was governed under the Bombay Presidency which included most parts of northern Deccan. The princely states in the region included the modern cities of Nagpur, Satara and Kolhapur which accepted the British supremacy in return of maintaining local autonomy. These states were annexed to the Bombay presidency in the years 1848 and 1853. However most of the parts of modern Maharashtra known as Marathawada was part of the Nizam's rule. During the later years the minor protests and revolts were subdued by the British. By that time the Mughal power had already crumbled. Therefore the fall of the Maratha power in the hands of the British marked the beginning of the British rule in India
Post Independence (1947) :
After India attained independence from the clutches of the British rule in the year 1947, Maharashtra went through a number of political changes. Post independence period saw the western Maharashtra and present day Gujarat being united under the Bombay state the eastern parts which were a part of the Hyderabad state were later also united with the Bombay state in the year 1956.
The modern state of Maharashtra came into existence in the year 1960.Under the Bombay Reorganization Act the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were legally given the status of separate states on the basis of linguistic differences. The present Bombay city became the capital city of Maharashtra. The modern history of Maharashtra includes the period from attainment of independence to the final separation of the states.
Samyukta Maharashtra Movement
1.Samyukta Maharashtra Movement
2. Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti (Marathi: संयुक्तमहाराष्ट्रसमिति), roughly translated as United Maharashtra Committee, was an organisation that spearheaded the demand in the 1950s for the creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state out of the (then bilingual) State of Bombay in western India, with the city of Bombay (now known as Mumbai) as its capital.
3. The organisation was founded on February 6, 1956, under the leadership of KeshavraoJedhe in Pune. Some prominent activists of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti were AcharyaAtrePrabodhankar Thackeray SenapatiBapatShahirAmarShaikhAcharyaAtrecriticised Jawaharlal Nehru, Morarji Desai (then chief minister of Mumbai) and S.K. Patil (a prominent MP from Mumbai city) through his firebrand editorials in Maratha
4. The Indian National Congress had pledged to introduce linguistic states prior to Independence. However after Independence, Nehru and SardarVallabhai Patel were adamantly opposed to linguistic states. They perceived linguistic states as a threat to the integrity of India. For the first time and perhaps the only time, RSS and its chief MadhavSadashivGolwalkar supported Nehru and Patel against redrawing of the map along linguistic lines.
5. In 1956, the SRC (States Re-organisation Committee) recommended creation of linguistic states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, but recommended a bi-lingual state for Maharashtra-Gujarat, with Mumbai as its capital.Further, they recommended the creation of Vidharbha state to unite the Marathi-speaking people of former Hyderabad State with Marathi speaking areas of Central provinces and Berar state.
6. This led to the creation of the predecessor movement Samyuka Maharashtra Parishad, inaugurated on November 1, 1956, causing a great political stir and, under the leadership of KeshavraoJedhea whole party meeting was held in Pune and Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was founded on February 6, 1956.
7. S.M. Joshi, ShripatAmritDange, N.G. Gore and PrahladKeshavAtre fought relentlessly for Samyukta Maharashtra, even at the cost of sacrificing the lives of several people and finally succeeded in convincing Congress leaders that Maharashtra should form a separate state. The resignation of C. D. Deshmukh, the then Finance Minister of the Nehru Cabinet, had its salutary effect.
8. In January 1956, demonstrators were fired upon by the police at Flora Fountain in Mumbai. Flora Fountain was subsequently renamed HutatmaChowk ("Martyr's Crossroads" ) in their memory. It is estimated that in all, 105people were shot by security forces during the period of agitation and at different places. MorarjiDesai, who was the then chief minister of Bombay state was later removed and replaced by YB Chawan as a result of criticism related to this incident.
9. The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti achieved its goal on May 1, 1960 when the State of Bombay was partitioned into the Marathi-speaking State of Maharashtra and the Gujarati-speaking State of Gujarat. However Goa (then a Portuguese colony), Belgaon, Karwar and adjoining areas, which were also part of the Maharashtra envisaged by the Samiti, were not included in Maharashtra state.
10. Chronology of statehood of Maharashtra(Timeline) 1906: Lokmanya Bal GangadharTilak conceptualizes the state of Maharashtra.1919: Congress Democratic Party includes demand of state of Maharashtra in its manifesto. The manifesto is drafted under leadership of Tilak.Oct 1, 1938: The legislative assembly of Central Province passes the resolution to break away from bi-lingual Bombay presidency and form a separate state of Vidarbha.Oct 15, 1938: A Marathi literary meet, presided over by V. D. Savarkar, passes a resolution for a separate state for Marathi speaking areas including Vidharbha.Jan 28, 1940: The SamyuktaMahasabha organization is formed in Bombay (now Mumbai) to pursue the resolution passed at the literary meet.
11. 1940-45: The demand of Maharashtra takes back seat due to World War and Quit India Movement.May 12, 1946: A resolution of Samyukta Maharashtra (Unified Maharashtra) is passed at the literary meet in Belgaum, which is presided over by GT Madkholkar. A committee comprising Madkholkar, DV Potdar, ShankarraoDeo, KeshavraoJhede and SS Navre is constituted to implement the resolution.Jul 28, 1946: The committee holds a conference, Maharashtra EkikaranParishad, in Bombay, organized by SK Patil and presided by ShankarraoDeo. Around 200 delegates from Maharashtra, south Maharashtra, Vidharbha and Marathwadaare present for the conference and resolution of Samyukta Maharashtra is passed after Acarya Dada Dharmadhikari’s proposal.Dec 1946: People supporting the formation of state on linguistic lines hold a meeting in New Delhi under leadership of PattabhiSitaramaiya.
12. April 13, 1947: The Akola pact is finalized between ShankarraoDeo and MadhavAne. It is decided that the Maharashtra EkikaranParishad will work on formation of Samyukta Maharashtra including MahaVidharba, Marathwada, Bombay and Maharashtra.Jun 17, 1948: The Union government appoints a commission to be headed by the president of the constitutional council, SK Dhar, to study the formation of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.Dec 10, 1948: The Dhar commission submits its report opposing the formation of states on linguistic lines, saying that such move will be against national interest.Dec 1948: The Congress accepts the principle of the formation of the states on linguistic lines at its Jaipur conclave. A committee comprising PittabhiSitaramiya, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhai Patel is formed to reconsider this issue.Oct 1953: The State of Andhra Pradesh is formed.
13. Nov 4, 1953: ShankarraoDeo writes Nehru and demands formation of Samyukta Maharashtra.Dec 29, 1953: Union government constitutes the State Reformation Board under Fazal Ali.Aug 1954: Fazal Ali files report after touring Nagpur, Chanda, Akola, Amravati, Pune, and then BombayOct 10, 1955: Fazal Ali’s report is made public. The report suggests formation of two states, Bombay and Vidharbha. Ali proposes Bombay with two divisions – Gujarat, including Kutch and Saurashtra, and Maharashtra, including Marathwada. However, the Samyukta Maharashtra Parishad opposes this proposal.Oct 19, 1955: Nehru suggests formation of three states: Samyukta Maharashtra, including Vidharba and Marathwada; Maha Gujarat , including Kutch and Saurashtra and Bombay. However, ShankarraoDeo and DhananjayGadgil suggest two states: Samyukta Maharashtra, including Vidharbha, Marathwada and Bombay, and Maha Gujarat, including Kutch and Saurashtra.
14. Nov 8, 1955: Congress working committee accepts Nehru’s tri-state formula.Nov 18, 1955: The Left parties observe the strike in Bombay.Nov 20, 1955: Morarji Desai and SK Patil hold rally at GirgaonChowpatty challenging the supporters of Samyukta Maharashtra.Nov 21, 1955: The Left parties take a morcha (procession) to the state legislature, which the police try to stop. Fifteen people die and 200 are injured as the police open fire on the morcha at Flora Fountain (now known as Hutatmachowk) after some people throw stones. ChimanlalSheth, a reporter from the Gujarati daily Janmabhoomi, is killed while covering the morcha.Nov 1955: Non-Congress political parties form the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti in Pune.Dec 1, 1955: YashwantraoChavan states that if he has to make a choice between Samyukta Maharashtra and Nehru, he will choose Nehru.Jan 16, 1956: Violent agitations follow Nehru’s announcement of making Bombay a union territory.
15. Jan 22, 1956: Union minister C D Deshmukh resigns from the Nehru’s cabinet and alleges that Nehru nurtures ill-will towards Maharashtra.Jun 3, 1956: Nehru declares Bombay a Union territory for five years, but refuses to make the city capital of Maharashtra. He announces a high court and a public service commission for Bombay, Maharashtra and Gujarat.Aug 10, 1956: LokSabha passes a resolution for bigger bilingual state of Bombay. The state includes: Samayukta Maharashtra, including Bombay; and Maha Gujarat including Kutch and Saurashtra.Nov 1956: Samayukta Maharashtra Samiti starts satyagrahaMar 28, 1960: Proposal of division of bigger bilingual state of Bombay is put up in Loksabha.April 21, 1960: Loksabha gives its approval for a divided bigger bilingual state of Bombay.
16. Finally . . . May 1, 1960: Maharashtra is formed with Bombay as its capital
Maharashtra or the Great Land has a glorious past which forms a halo for the state. The history of Maharashtra has hidden inside it, great kings, great rulers, and great culture. The colour of the past has made the present equally bright. According to the Archeological evidences the history of Maharashtra dates back to the 3rd century BC. Maharashtra has been the hub of trade and industry since the early days. Satara was the port town which was just north of present day Mumbai. This was the centre of all trade and commerce activities. The historical periods of Maharashtra include the rule of the Vakatakas in the early history, the Islamic influence from the reign of the Delhi sultanates. The Maratha Empire started by the great Shivaji, was like a renaissance for the state and later the rule of the Peshwas added more glitter to the glory. There was a fierce rivalry between the British and the Marathas. The whole state was subdivided into a number of princely states which was reunited after the independence into a single state of Maharashtra. The year 1960 is very important for the history of Maharashtra because it was in this year that the Bombay Re - organization Act was passed and Maharashtra legally became a separate state.
The history of Maharashtra can be divided into the following periods:
The early history :
The early history of the great state includes a short history of the name along with the various kingdoms which have been established in the land. Maharashtra, etymologically derived from the word maharathi meaning the great chariot driver, first appeared as it is in the records of the Chinese traveler Huen Tsang. The early inhabitants of Maharashtra consisted of the great fighters who had even named the state as dandakaranya or the jungle which was ruled by kings.
Islamic Influence :
Just like any other rule, there was a considerable amount of Islamic influence on history of Maharashtra. The first Islamic invasions which reached the south of the Narmada River were made by the Khilji Dynasty, the rulers of Bengal under Mohammad Ghori. Ala - ud - din Khalji invaded the Deccan region in the year 1296 AD. He defeated the last of the Hindu kings of the state, the Yadavas. At first the Islamic rulers invaded the northern part of the country and made Delhi their capital but after this invasion the others followed the trend and extended their kingdoms further south.
After the Khalji Dynasty the next among Islamic invasions to influence the state was made by Mohammad Bin Tughlaq. The Tughlaq Dynasty reigned till 1347 AD and extended the empire till Madurai. After the disintegration of the Tughlaq Dynasty, the Bahmani Sultanate of Bijapur ruled the region for the coming 150 years.
Maratha Empire :
The beginning of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century AD was an important landmark for the state of Maharashtra. The Maratha Empire was started by Shivaji in the year 1674 in the Bijapur Sultanate. Before the establishment of the Maratha Empire the cause of the natives were put forward through the Yadavas. But under the leadership of the able Shivaji the Maratha Power gained a new momentum.
Shivaji unchained the Marathas from the rule of the Muslim ruler of Bijapur. The reign of the Marathas proved dangerous for the Mughal emperors, whose territory was continuously attacked by the army of Shivaji. Successful campaigns against the Mughals included the capturing of the port of Surat. Ten years later Shivaji crowned himself the king of the Marathas or the Chhatrapati. After his death in the year 1680, the two sons of Shivaji, Shambhaji and Rajaram both ruled the empire for a considerable amount of time
Shivaji Empire :
The rise of the Maratha power in Maharashtra received impetus and strength after the great Chhatrapati Shivaji, took the reigns in his hands and founded the Shivaji Empire. In the early 17th century there was a sudden rise in the power of the Marathas. Their causes were upheld by the Yadavas who gradually formed alliance with the Bahmani rulers due to their inability to defend their kingdom from the Bahmani invasions. There were basically two power centres after the bhahmani kingdom was divided into - Bijapur, Ahmednagar and Golconda. They were the southern kingdoms and the Mughal rulers under the rule of the Emperor Shah Jahan.
Battles fought with the Mughals - The battles which Shivaji fought with the Mughal, especially with Shaista Khan, have been engraved in the chapters of history as examples of bravery and intelligence. The Battle of Umberkhind in 1661, the attack on the Mughal camp in Pune and the Battle of Surat were enough to rouse the anger of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Shivaji lost his Purandhar fort which was later reclaimed during the years 1670 to 1674
Peshwa Dynasty :
Peshwa stands for Prime Minister, in Marathi. As the name suggests, the Peshwa of the last ruler of the Shivaji dynasty, Shahu, ascended the throne and established the Peshwa Dynasty. In the year 1712, Balaji Vishwanath laid the foundations of the Peshwa Dynasty. The Peshwa Dynasty prevented the Maratha Empire from disintegration after the death of Shahu in the year 1712.
The Peshwa Dynasty brought the Maratha Kingdom into new heights of glory during the reign from 1712 to 1804. Bajirao 1 made Pune the capital of the Peshwa rule. During his reign the Maratha Kingdom had to suffer a crumbling defeat in the hands of Ahmad Shah Abdali in the Third Battle of Panipat in the year 1761. The defeat reduced the power of the Maratha kingdom and confined it regionally.
British Rule :
The British rule in the states of Maharashtra could be established only after they had fought three Anglo - Maratha wars. The region was governed under the Bombay Presidency which included most parts of northern Deccan. The princely states in the region included the modern cities of Nagpur, Satara and Kolhapur which accepted the British supremacy in return of maintaining local autonomy. These states were annexed to the Bombay presidency in the years 1848 and 1853. However most of the parts of modern Maharashtra known as Marathawada was part of the Nizam's rule. During the later years the minor protests and revolts were subdued by the British. By that time the Mughal power had already crumbled. Therefore the fall of the Maratha power in the hands of the British marked the beginning of the British rule in India
Post Independence (1947) :
After India attained independence from the clutches of the British rule in the year 1947, Maharashtra went through a number of political changes. Post independence period saw the western Maharashtra and present day Gujarat being united under the Bombay state the eastern parts which were a part of the Hyderabad state were later also united with the Bombay state in the year 1956.
The modern state of Maharashtra came into existence in the year 1960.Under the Bombay Reorganization Act the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were legally given the status of separate states on the basis of linguistic differences. The present Bombay city became the capital city of Maharashtra. The modern history of Maharashtra includes the period from attainment of independence to the final separation of the states.
Samyukta Maharashtra Movement
1.Samyukta Maharashtra Movement
2. Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti (Marathi: संयुक्तमहाराष्ट्रसमिति), roughly translated as United Maharashtra Committee, was an organisation that spearheaded the demand in the 1950s for the creation of a separate Marathi-speaking state out of the (then bilingual) State of Bombay in western India, with the city of Bombay (now known as Mumbai) as its capital.
3. The organisation was founded on February 6, 1956, under the leadership of KeshavraoJedhe in Pune. Some prominent activists of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti were AcharyaAtrePrabodhankar Thackeray SenapatiBapatShahirAmarShaikhAcharyaAtrecriticised Jawaharlal Nehru, Morarji Desai (then chief minister of Mumbai) and S.K. Patil (a prominent MP from Mumbai city) through his firebrand editorials in Maratha
4. The Indian National Congress had pledged to introduce linguistic states prior to Independence. However after Independence, Nehru and SardarVallabhai Patel were adamantly opposed to linguistic states. They perceived linguistic states as a threat to the integrity of India. For the first time and perhaps the only time, RSS and its chief MadhavSadashivGolwalkar supported Nehru and Patel against redrawing of the map along linguistic lines.
5. In 1956, the SRC (States Re-organisation Committee) recommended creation of linguistic states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, but recommended a bi-lingual state for Maharashtra-Gujarat, with Mumbai as its capital.Further, they recommended the creation of Vidharbha state to unite the Marathi-speaking people of former Hyderabad State with Marathi speaking areas of Central provinces and Berar state.
6. This led to the creation of the predecessor movement Samyuka Maharashtra Parishad, inaugurated on November 1, 1956, causing a great political stir and, under the leadership of KeshavraoJedhea whole party meeting was held in Pune and Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti was founded on February 6, 1956.
7. S.M. Joshi, ShripatAmritDange, N.G. Gore and PrahladKeshavAtre fought relentlessly for Samyukta Maharashtra, even at the cost of sacrificing the lives of several people and finally succeeded in convincing Congress leaders that Maharashtra should form a separate state. The resignation of C. D. Deshmukh, the then Finance Minister of the Nehru Cabinet, had its salutary effect.
8. In January 1956, demonstrators were fired upon by the police at Flora Fountain in Mumbai. Flora Fountain was subsequently renamed HutatmaChowk ("Martyr's Crossroads" ) in their memory. It is estimated that in all, 105people were shot by security forces during the period of agitation and at different places. MorarjiDesai, who was the then chief minister of Bombay state was later removed and replaced by YB Chawan as a result of criticism related to this incident.
9. The Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti achieved its goal on May 1, 1960 when the State of Bombay was partitioned into the Marathi-speaking State of Maharashtra and the Gujarati-speaking State of Gujarat. However Goa (then a Portuguese colony), Belgaon, Karwar and adjoining areas, which were also part of the Maharashtra envisaged by the Samiti, were not included in Maharashtra state.
10. Chronology of statehood of Maharashtra(Timeline) 1906: Lokmanya Bal GangadharTilak conceptualizes the state of Maharashtra.1919: Congress Democratic Party includes demand of state of Maharashtra in its manifesto. The manifesto is drafted under leadership of Tilak.Oct 1, 1938: The legislative assembly of Central Province passes the resolution to break away from bi-lingual Bombay presidency and form a separate state of Vidarbha.Oct 15, 1938: A Marathi literary meet, presided over by V. D. Savarkar, passes a resolution for a separate state for Marathi speaking areas including Vidharbha.Jan 28, 1940: The SamyuktaMahasabha organization is formed in Bombay (now Mumbai) to pursue the resolution passed at the literary meet.
11. 1940-45: The demand of Maharashtra takes back seat due to World War and Quit India Movement.May 12, 1946: A resolution of Samyukta Maharashtra (Unified Maharashtra) is passed at the literary meet in Belgaum, which is presided over by GT Madkholkar. A committee comprising Madkholkar, DV Potdar, ShankarraoDeo, KeshavraoJhede and SS Navre is constituted to implement the resolution.Jul 28, 1946: The committee holds a conference, Maharashtra EkikaranParishad, in Bombay, organized by SK Patil and presided by ShankarraoDeo. Around 200 delegates from Maharashtra, south Maharashtra, Vidharbha and Marathwadaare present for the conference and resolution of Samyukta Maharashtra is passed after Acarya Dada Dharmadhikari’s proposal.Dec 1946: People supporting the formation of state on linguistic lines hold a meeting in New Delhi under leadership of PattabhiSitaramaiya.
12. April 13, 1947: The Akola pact is finalized between ShankarraoDeo and MadhavAne. It is decided that the Maharashtra EkikaranParishad will work on formation of Samyukta Maharashtra including MahaVidharba, Marathwada, Bombay and Maharashtra.Jun 17, 1948: The Union government appoints a commission to be headed by the president of the constitutional council, SK Dhar, to study the formation of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.Dec 10, 1948: The Dhar commission submits its report opposing the formation of states on linguistic lines, saying that such move will be against national interest.Dec 1948: The Congress accepts the principle of the formation of the states on linguistic lines at its Jaipur conclave. A committee comprising PittabhiSitaramiya, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhai Patel is formed to reconsider this issue.Oct 1953: The State of Andhra Pradesh is formed.
13. Nov 4, 1953: ShankarraoDeo writes Nehru and demands formation of Samyukta Maharashtra.Dec 29, 1953: Union government constitutes the State Reformation Board under Fazal Ali.Aug 1954: Fazal Ali files report after touring Nagpur, Chanda, Akola, Amravati, Pune, and then BombayOct 10, 1955: Fazal Ali’s report is made public. The report suggests formation of two states, Bombay and Vidharbha. Ali proposes Bombay with two divisions – Gujarat, including Kutch and Saurashtra, and Maharashtra, including Marathwada. However, the Samyukta Maharashtra Parishad opposes this proposal.Oct 19, 1955: Nehru suggests formation of three states: Samyukta Maharashtra, including Vidharba and Marathwada; Maha Gujarat , including Kutch and Saurashtra and Bombay. However, ShankarraoDeo and DhananjayGadgil suggest two states: Samyukta Maharashtra, including Vidharbha, Marathwada and Bombay, and Maha Gujarat, including Kutch and Saurashtra.
14. Nov 8, 1955: Congress working committee accepts Nehru’s tri-state formula.Nov 18, 1955: The Left parties observe the strike in Bombay.Nov 20, 1955: Morarji Desai and SK Patil hold rally at GirgaonChowpatty challenging the supporters of Samyukta Maharashtra.Nov 21, 1955: The Left parties take a morcha (procession) to the state legislature, which the police try to stop. Fifteen people die and 200 are injured as the police open fire on the morcha at Flora Fountain (now known as Hutatmachowk) after some people throw stones. ChimanlalSheth, a reporter from the Gujarati daily Janmabhoomi, is killed while covering the morcha.Nov 1955: Non-Congress political parties form the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti in Pune.Dec 1, 1955: YashwantraoChavan states that if he has to make a choice between Samyukta Maharashtra and Nehru, he will choose Nehru.Jan 16, 1956: Violent agitations follow Nehru’s announcement of making Bombay a union territory.
15. Jan 22, 1956: Union minister C D Deshmukh resigns from the Nehru’s cabinet and alleges that Nehru nurtures ill-will towards Maharashtra.Jun 3, 1956: Nehru declares Bombay a Union territory for five years, but refuses to make the city capital of Maharashtra. He announces a high court and a public service commission for Bombay, Maharashtra and Gujarat.Aug 10, 1956: LokSabha passes a resolution for bigger bilingual state of Bombay. The state includes: Samayukta Maharashtra, including Bombay; and Maha Gujarat including Kutch and Saurashtra.Nov 1956: Samayukta Maharashtra Samiti starts satyagrahaMar 28, 1960: Proposal of division of bigger bilingual state of Bombay is put up in Loksabha.April 21, 1960: Loksabha gives its approval for a divided bigger bilingual state of Bombay.
16. Finally . . . May 1, 1960: Maharashtra is formed with Bombay as its capital