Pratap Singh of Satara

For other people named Pratap Singh, see Pratap Singh.

Pratap Singh Bhonsale (18 January 1793 – 14 October 1847) was the eighth and last Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire from 1808 to 1818, when Maratha forces under Peshwa Bajirao II lost to the British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War. He was also the Raja of Satara until 1839, when he was replaced with Shahaji of Satara by the British.^[1][2]

Pratap Singh
8th Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire
Reign	3 May 1808 – April 1818
Predecessor	Shahu II
Successor	Position abolished
Peshwa	Baji Rao II
1st Raja Chhatrapati of Satara
Reign	1818 – 5 September 1839
Predecessor	Position established
Successor	Shahaji
Born	(1793-01-18)18 January 1793 Ajinkyatara Fort, Satara, Maratha Empire (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Died	14 October 1847(1847-10-14) (aged 54) Benares, Benares State, British India (present-day Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India)
House	Bhosale
Father	Shahu II
Mother	Girjabai Raje Bhosle
Religion	Hinduism

Descent

He was born in the Bhonsle clan of Maratha caste.^[3]

Early life

Pratap Singh was the eldest son of Shahu II of Satara, whom he succeeded, and a descendant of Chatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire.^[2]

Raja

Pratap Singh was dethroned and stripped of his powers and personal possessions by the British in 1839. He was exiled to Benares and granted an allowance for his maintenance. Rango Bapuji Gupte, a loyal Sardar to him, long fought unsuccessful legal battles in London on his behalf.

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.^[2]

Reign

Pratap Singh built Pune-Satara Road, a palace called 'Rajwada' that was used as a court for 150 years. It is now in possession of the vanshaj of Udayan Maharaj). Pratap Singh High School was started around 1851. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was a pupil of this school until 4th standard.

Pratap Singh's wife started a Private Library in Satara town in 1851 that was open to the public of Satara. The library now known as Nagar Vachanalaya, was once Chhatrapati Pratap Singh Maharaj (Thorle) Nagar Vachanalay Satara.

He built the Satara-Medha-Mahabaleshwar Road in Mahabaleshwar (a hill station for Britishers he established Malcom Peth named for the contemporary Governor of Bombay (Now Mumbai) 48 km from Satara) State.

Rajpath 2 ways from Rajwada to Powai Naka was built by him.

He started two schools for English, Persian, Marathi, and Sanskrit in Satara. Modern Satara is his creation as Chhatrapati Shahu I's RangMahal was burned in a fire, following which he built Jal Mandir Palace as a residence for him and his family where now Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale live.