Savantvadi State | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1554–1948 | |||||||||
 Flag  Coat of arms | |||||||||
 Sawantwadi 1896 | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established by Mang Sawant | 1554 | ||||||||
| 1948 | |||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
| 1931 | 2,396 km2 (925 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1931 | 250,589 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Maharashtra,India | ||||||||
Savantvadi State, also speltSawantwadi ruled by the SawantBhonsale dynasty was one of the non-saluteMarathaprincely states during theBritish Raj. It was the only state belonging to theKolaba Agency under theBombay Presidency, which became later part of theDeccan States Agency.[1] Its capital was atSawantwadi, in the present-daySindhudurg district ofMaharashtra.
Sawantvadi State measured 438 square kilometers in area. According to the 1931 census, the population was 250,589. The official language of the inhabitants of the state wasMarathi, while the local language is Malvani[2]
The coast line of Sawantwadi was strategically important especially for the Europeans. The political boundaries of Sawantwadi fluctuated between the northern latitudes of 17°N and 15 °S and 73° E and the sea-coast from Masure till the mouth of the river Kolwal. The northern boundary of Sawantwadi is formed by the river Gadnadi which rises near the Ghotge ghat and meets the sea near Sarjekot.
The Sawant's, in the early seventeenth century, were the feudal holders of the hereditary right Deshmukh under the rule of Adil Shahi. The Marathas under the legendaryChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Portuguese at Goa were the other two important powers which came into contact with Sawantwadi.[3]
Mang Sawant was founder of Sawant Bhonsle dynasty.He was followed by Khem Sawant I in 1627. He was rewarded Jagir from the Bijapur's Adilshah and later made himself independent, followed by Lakham Sawant the first. It was only during the period of Lakham Sawant I that the Sawant family, withHodawade as the headquarters, came into political prominence.[4]
After his demise, Khem Sawant II succeeded him.[5]
Khem Sawant II established his capital at Sundarwadi (now Sawantwadi), a hamlet of the village Charathe which later came to be known as Sawantwadi as the rulers were known as Sawants. He helped Mughals againstChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and in return got more territory from them.Khem Savant was succeeded by his son Som Savant and ruled for only 18 months and later his brother, Lakham Savant succeeded him.[6]
Lakham Sawant din't abide by the terms of the treaty (1659),betrayedChhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by joining Bijapur Sultanate. In 1660, Shivaji sent one of his earliest followers, Baji Phasalkar. He fought a drawn battle with Lakham's commander Kay Savant. In 1662, Shivaji Maharaj defeated Lakham.[7] In the later history, Lakham Sawant was slain in battle with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Pancham Khemraj alias Bapusaheb Maharaj was crowned on 29 October 1924.In his small tenure from 1924 to 1937.He surrendered to the British Empire and betrayed the independence revolutionaries.
He was succeeded by his incapable son Shivramraje Bhonsale, but he being a minor at the time, Bapusaheb’s wife Parvatidevi looked after the State as a Regent. Shivramraje Bhonsale converted the 18th century royal palace of Sawantwadi Royal family, into a art boutique hotel, working as a chef and receptionist there.[8]
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