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.GIFT OF
HORACE W. CARPENTIER
n
SHIVAJI, THE FOUNDER OF THE. MARATIIA EMPIRE.
_
POONA
IN BYGONE DAYS
BY
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BOMBAY
THE TIMES PRESS
1921
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Ca^pt^fi
THIS BOOK
is
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
TO
HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON'bLE
GOVERNOR OF EOMBAY,
WITH HIS GRACIOUS PERMISSION,
498023
CONTENTS
Chapter. Page.
I. SlIANWAR WADA 1
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha
Empire . . . . . . . . Frontispiece.
in 1790 1
Ganpati Procession 9
Poona in 1800 29
Nuruddin Husseinkhan 55
Mahadji Sindia 65
Nana Phadnavis 87
Happy Vale,)
Sataea.
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FOREWORD.
When I was asked by my old and valued friend
Rao Bahadur Parasnis to write a short foreword
to his book " Poona in bygone days " I gladly
consented. Of all towns in Western India, Poona
is the most interesting and of all men in Western
India Rao Bahadur Parasnis is probably the
best qualified to write about it. Poona is associat-
C. A. KINCAID.
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Poona in Bygone Days.
I.
SHANWAR WADA.
The Shanwar Wada was most magnificent
the
and stately mansion that was ever built in Poona
by the Peshwas in the 18th century. The founda-
tion stone of the building was laid by Bajirao I
2. Ganesh Darwaja — as
it was near the
famous Ganpati Mahal.
Jambul.
1.
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.... The room in which the
Peshwa thus sits in state, has nothing of
beauty or elegance to recommend it on one :
16
19
'Ganesh Darvvaja.
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The old Palace is surrounded with a wall
and circular bastions, having an open space
in its front. The walls of an inner court are
miserably daubed with the Hindoo mythology,
elephants, and horsemen. His Highness made
25
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29
30
3. Ganpati of stone.
4. Parvati —the original idol of the hill god-
34
Es.
Year A. D. 1737 . . . 49,073
55 55 1749 .. .. 1,23,530
35
—
36
'
Parvati, generally called Parbaty, is a
hill of considerable height at the southern
end of the city of Poona ; on the summit of
37
39
'
At this gate, where we heard the opera-
tion of weighing and moving money, stood a
cauldron of red liquid from which a man, dip-
ping his hand in, marked every candidate on
some part of his garment, or, in default of gar-
ment, on his skin with its expanded impres-
sion, and admitted him. It was now six in
in 1821 :
"
The Dakshina was expressly designed
to encourage learning. It formerly amounted to
*
Bahiro Pandit ' in the English correspon-
dence was a trusted officer of the Peshwa's Court,
who acted as Nana's vakil with the Resident and
discussed state matters on behalf of his master
as long as Malet was at Poona. He possessed
attractive manners and unusual tact and culti-
50
51
letters :
—"
doubt whether such an assembly
I
SINDIA'S CHHATRI.
66
"
On the way to the camp we visited a
monument which had been begun to be
erected to Mahadji Scindia, but which was
suspended by the civil war, and is probably
now relinquished The masonry
for ever.
68
works.
72
73
77
85
the city was not large, but fairly built and some
of the houses were elegant. There were large
markets full of English articles, looking glasses,
globes, lamps and other finery. Moor remarks that
the Police was particularly well regulated.
Ghashiram Kotwal.
97
submitted to Government.
98
99
Es.
300 Janardan Hari, Daroga or Kotwal.
200 Bhikaji Narayan Kolhatkar, Phadnis.
150 Naro Shankar Sathe, Daftardar.
500 Four Karkuns, each Es. 125.
2,114 Policemen
3,618
102
103
CJiabutras :
3. Vetal „ „
4. Aditwar „ „
5. Narayan Peith „ „
6. Shanwar „ „
104
2 Concealing an offence.
3 Possessing intestate property without in-
forming Government.
2 Disobeying Government orders knowingly.
2 Killing goats without permission.
1 Interring an unclaimed body without Kot-
wal's permission.
was 40 only).
5 Abortion.
1 Mischief.
4 Hurt.
—
106
20 Theft.
145 Adultery.
ed by so deplorable an event."
109
116
Rs.
117
120
'
Such a scene I never witnessed in my life.
122
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123
124
128
" The
Peshwa informed me, that seven
months had been employed to bring the
antelopes to this degree of familiarity, without
the smallest constraint, as thev wandered at
their pleasure, during the whole time, amongst
large herds of deer in the rumna ; which,
although I have mentioned as a park, is not
enclosed, nor has it any kind of fence. I
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131
1. Hira Bag.
2. Saras Bag.
3. Vasant Bag.
4. Moti Bag.
5. Bag Parvati.
6. Bag Bungalow.
7. Bag Wanavdi.
8. Bag Hingne.
9. Bag Eamana.
10. Bag Wadgaon.
11. Bag Manik.
12. Bag Pashan.
13. Bag Katraj.
Out of these the most noted was the Hira Bag
where Balaji Bajirao in 1755 built a pleasure house
for himself. Here the Peshwa and his descendants
often used to come for recreation and the fetes in
—
132
vines.
" We soon had notice to move upstairs ;
134
Es. a.
135
Rs. a. p.
136
silver.
JUL 17
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