Mahad Town, 1908
Mahad Town
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Head-quarters of the Taluka of the same name in Kolaba District, Bombay, situated in 18° 5' N. and 73" 21' E., on the right or north bank of the Savitrl, 53 miles south-by-east of Allbag. Population (1901), 7,738. At high water during spring-tides vessels drawing up to 9 feet, and canoes at all times of the tide, can pass a mile above the town.
The Buddhist caves of Pale, Ptolemy's Balipatna (dating from A.D. 100), are 2 miles north-west of Mahad, and two other groups of caves are situated at Kol, a mile to the south. In 1538 De Castro mentions the place as having a large trade in wheat. It is not far from Raigarh, SivajI's capital, and was often visited by the Maratha chief. In 1771 James Forbes found Mahad a fortified and well-peopled town. At Mahad was concluded, in 1 796, the treaty between Bajl Rao, Nana Farnavis, and the English, which placed Baji Rao as Peshwa on the throne at Poona, Nana becoming minister. In 1802 the Peshwa took refuge in Mahad, when Holkar seized his capital. During the last Maratha War (1818) a force under Colonel Prother occupied Mahad without opposition.
Mahad has still a large sea-borne trade. The imports consist of salted and fresh fish from Malabar, Goa, and the Southern Konkan ; ai^ dates, sugar, iron, kerosene oil, and piece-goods from Bombay. The exports, most of them sent to Bombay, are onions, garlic, potatoes, sugar, and myrabolams. Rice is carried east through the Varandha pass to the Deccan. In fine weather steamers run up the Savitrl to Dasgaon, 5 miles below Mahad. Land communication is by the main Konkan road. Mahad has been a municipality since 1866, and had an average income during the decade ending 1901 of Rs. 12,000. In 1903-4 the income was Rs. 15,000. The town con- tained a dispensary, a Subordinate Judge's court, a middle school, and four other schools.
