Latest news with #Peshwa
Time Business News
18-07-2025
- Time Business News
Places to Visit in Pune: A Cultural and Historical Journey
Pune, often called the 'Oxford of the East' for its prestigious educational institutions, is a city that beautifully blends rich history, vibrant culture, and modern urban life and Places to Visit in Pune. Once the seat of the mighty Maratha Empire, Pune boasts grand forts, serene temples, lush gardens, and colonial-era landmarks. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a spiritual seeker, or a nature lover, Pune has something for everyone. You can vsit during Pune darshan One day tour From the majestic Shaniwar Wada, a remnant of Peshwa grandeur, to the tranquil Aga Khan Palace, a symbol of India's freedom struggle, every corner of Pune tells a story. The city also offers spiritual retreats like Parvati Hill and Chaturshringi Temple, where devotees and tourists alike soak in divine energy. For art lovers, the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, while Saras Baug provides a peaceful escape amidst nature. You can read Nearest Tourist Places of Pune Best 20 Places To Visit in Pune Pune's pleasant climate, especially during monsoons and winters, makes it an ideal year-round destination. With excellent connectivity, delicious Maharashtrian cuisine, and a mix of old-world charm and contemporary attractions, Pune promises an unforgettable travel experience. Overview: A historic fort-palace built in 1732, Shaniwar Wada was the seat of the Peshwas. Its majestic gates and ruins reflect Maratha grandeur. How to Reach: Located in central Pune, accessible by auto, taxi, or bus. Significance: A symbol of Maratha power, known for its architectural brilliance. Best Time to Visit: October to February (pleasant weather). Things to Do: Explore the ruins, light and sound show. Travel Tips: Visit in the evening for the best experience. Best 10 One Day Trips from Pune Overview: Built in 1892, this palace is a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, housing his ashes and a museum. How to Reach: 7 km from Pune station; taxis available. One Day Pune Local Sightseeing Tour By Cab Significance: Linked to India's freedom struggle. Best Time to Visit: Monsoon and winter. Things to Do: Visit the museum, stroll in the garden. Travel Tips: Carry water; photography allowed. Overview: A scenic hill with ancient temples offering panoramic city views. One day Pune Local sightseeing By Private cab. How to Reach: Auto or taxi from Swargate. Significance: Religious and historical importance. Best Time to Visit: Early morning or sunset. Things to Do: Temple visit, photography. Travel Tips: Wear comfortable shoes for climbing. Overview: Houses over 20,000 artifacts showcasing Indian heritage. How to Reach: Near Bajirao Road; easily accessible. Significance: Preserves India's cultural legacy. Best Time to Visit: Weekdays (less crowded). Things to Do: Explore sculptures, musical instruments. Travel Tips: Allocate 1-2 hours for the visit. Overview: A memorial dedicated to Mahadji Shinde, with stunning architecture. How to Reach: 6 km from Pune station; auto available. Significance: Honors the Maratha military leader. Best Time to Visit: Morning hours. Things to Do: Admire the intricate carvings. Travel Tips: Check opening hours in advance. Overview: A serene garden with a Ganesh temple and lake. How to Reach: Near Swargate; well-connected. Significance: Popular for religious and leisure visits. Best Time to Visit: Evenings for cool breeze. Things to Do: Boating, temple visit. Travel Tips: Ideal for family outings. Overview: A hilltop temple dedicated to Goddess Chaturshringi. How to Reach: 7 km from Pune station; taxis available. Significance: A major pilgrimage site. Best Time to Visit: Navratri for special festivities. Things to Do: Seek blessings, enjoy the view. Travel Tips: Avoid weekends for a peaceful visit. Use local transport like buses and autos. Carry water and wear comfortable footwear. Visit historical sites early to avoid crowds. Pune's mix of history, spirituality, and nature makes it a must-visit destination! Shaniwar Wada, Aga Khan Palace, and Shinde Chhatri are must-visit historical sites. Pune is well-connected by air (Pune International Airport), rail (Pune Railway Station), and road (via Mumbai-Bangalore Highway). October to February offers pleasant weather, while monsoon (June-September) adds lush greenery. Yes, Sinhagad Fort, Lohagad Fort, and Tikona Fort are popular trekking destinations. Saras Baug, Rajiv Gandhi Zoo, and Empress Garden are great for families. Yes, Pune is generally safe, but standard precautions should be taken. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Mint
12-07-2025
- General
- Mint
Footwear, power, and colonial politics in British India
In 1805, a British official visited the court of the Peshwa in Pune. Writing later, he described his host as 'much the handsomest Hindu I have seen", with a perfect 'gentlemanlike air". His appearance, James Mackintosh added, 'had more elegance than dignity" and didn't quite fit his preconceptions of what a leading prince would look like. The Peshwa was dressed in simple garments, and his 'throne", in an equally unassuming durbar hall, was just a sheet of white, with a few pillows thrown over it. But Mackintosh had another specifically interesting comment to make: 'no lady's hands, fresh from the toilet and the bath," he wrote, 'could be more nicely clean than (the Peshwa's) uncovered feet." The white man's attention to feet need not surprise us, for this part of the human anatomy played a significant role in colonial politics. Mackintosh himself, as he entered the Peshwa's presence, had had to remove his 'splendidly embroidered slippers", and go in with toes (nearly) exposed (he probably kept his stockings on). Across the centuries of their presence in India, issues around shoes and feet would haunt the British repeatedly. For instance, in 1633 when Ralph Cartwright, an English envoy, sought permission to trade from the Mughal governor of Orissa, the latter 'presented his foot to our Merchant to kisse". Twice Cartwright refused to bend, but in the end 'was faine to doe it". The symbolism is obvious: one party was the superior, the other a supplicant. In Mughal court culture this was not necessarily an insult: as the historian Harbans Mukhia observes, imperial foot-kissing was often a privilege, and most had to make do with touching lips on carpets or the ground instead. It is likely that by offering his foot to Cartwright, the Mughal governor was indicating favour. Yet, the same ritual could also, of course, be deployed to humiliate. In 1520, when the Bijapur sultan sued for peace after losing to Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara, the emperor agreed—provided the sultan kiss his feet. Bijapur declined and the war continued. The British, coming from a different culture, saw things decidedly from the insult side of things. It was common courtesy in India, for example, to take off one's shoes when entering any space of importance; white officials, though, saw exposed feet as improper. For generations, therefore, they negotiated for special treatment, success and failure depending on political winds. The second governor-general, Lord Cornwallis, thus, was able to meet a Mughal prince on his own terms: 'his lordship," we read, 'went into the imperial presence with his shoes on". This, when only four years before, Cornwallis's predecessor had to 'yield" to a whole series of 'indignities", such as 'going into the presence with his shoes off, sitting behind the prince on his elephant, and fanning him". What had changed was that the Mughal prince was visibly weaker; he could no longer insist on imperial protocol. In time, the British would assume the right to keep shoes on even inside temples and mosques. It was an uphill battle, though. In Gwalior, for example, an agent took umbrage to how the formidable anti-British queen, Baiza Bai, summoned him 'any day at any hour to dance attendance", making him 'sit on the ground without shoes", on the 'left side instead of the right side" of her throne (the left being less honourable). It would be 12 years—and after Baiza Bai's ouster from power—before the British would succeed, at last, in having the Gwalior durbar modify custom; in 1844, it was reported, 'we all sat on chairs with our boots on." Of course, this was also due to altered political realities, given that the state was now under more thorough British control, and had to, therefore, accept white officials' diktats. The location of the chair upon which British officers sat also mattered—in the 1870s, when the ruler of Baroda sought to have the governor of Bombay sit on his left during a proposed visit, it was stoutly resisted. The maharajah pursued the matter to London—and failed. In Hyderabad, meanwhile, it took until 1869 for the British to be able to wear shoes in the court of the nizam, let alone use chairs. An earlier ruler, when requested by a Company official for a chair, is said to have sneered that he continue to sit on the floor, but with a pit dug 'to dangle his feet in". But in the late 1860s, the reigning nizam was a child, and the British saw a window to force change. So, at the boy's installation in 1869, the white men sat on chairs, with shoes on. This was, however, as The Times of India recalled later, 'met with very considerable opposition". Indeed, according to one account, the British went to the extent of keeping troops ready to 'sack Hyderabad" should there be trouble due to the shoe-and-chair controversy. Interestingly, The Times of India writer ended with a lament that while in Hyderabad things were settled as 'the Europeans desired it", the British in Burma still had to 'leave (their) shoes outside the palace". In 1875, refusal to continue this led to a serious impasse with the Burmese king. Ultimately, though, it was not a question simply of shoes and chairs but the political messages encoded here. Having a British official sit on the right side of the throne, often at the same level, advertised 'native" vassalage and the white man's imperial might. Refusal of British officials to appear barefoot, even though their predecessors once complied, signalled how power equations had tilted in their favour. Ironically, the British were reluctant to let Indians enter their spaces with shoes; that is, the white man defied local tradition, but the brown man was expected to maintain local displays of deference. When once a 'Bengali of rank" is said to have appeared before the notorious Lord Dalhousie with slippers on, he received such a glare that the 'Oriental (sic) gradually sunk down and down until his flowing garments touched the ground, and his feet were completely concealed from sight." Reportedly, Dalhousie kept him 'in this painful position" for a while before moving on. Yet as Indians grew anglicised in dress and etiquette, the British had to modify their stance, not least because leading 'natives" began to boycott imperial events, as in 1857 in Calcutta. Some groups like the Parsis argued, besides, that unlike Hindus, they kept slippers on everywhere; to ask them to display feet was unreasonable. Sir John Lawrence, viceroy in the second half of the 1860s, ultimately decided that if brown visitors to government offices and courts 'conformed to English notions" by wearing 'patent leather shoes", they could be excused from having to remove their footwear. The decision, one commentator wrote, 'caused much grumbling" but 'prevented unpleasant altercations"; why, one group of people even benefited from Lawrence's command—'manufacturers of patent leather". In the end, though, it would take till the close of the 19th century for the issue to fizzle out: this grand, decades-long political headache called the 'Great Shoe Question" of India. Manu S. Pillai is a historian and author, most recently, of Gods, Guns and Missionaries.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Paani', ‘Phullwanti' rule as Filmfare Awards Marathi celebrates a decade of storytelling
Royal grandeur met grounded realism inside the chandelier-lit ballroom of Mumbai's Hotel Sahara Star on Thursday night. 'Phullwanti', a lavish historical drama set in an 18th-century Peshwa court, swept seven trophies, while 'Paani', a stirring tale about an underdog's mission to secure sustainable water for his drought-stricken village, took home six Black Ladies at the Filmfare Awards Marathi 2025. Jointly with Vaidehi Parshurami ('Ek Don Teen Chaar'), Prajaktta Mali won the coveted Black Lady for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) for her understated grace as a sought-after court dancer in 'Phullwanti'. 'Paani' — which was also judged Best Film — saw Addinath Kothare, who was also its lead actor, claiming Best Director. "There's paani for you onstage," quipped host Amey Wagh while coaxing Kothare to the podium. Paithani sarees and cocktail gowns, bandhgalas and bowties dotted the red carpet leading to Ruby, the grand ballroom where the 10-year milestone of Filmfare Awards Marathi served up myriad starters apart from conversation starters. Hosted by actor Siddharth Chandekar and a suitcase-toting Amey Wagh ("It's my fifth year here. I live under the podium"), the evening — preambled by the national anthem and the state anthem — unfolded as a heartfelt tribute to the evolution of Marathi cinema and music. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dubai's Next Icon: Experience Binghatti Aquarise Luxury Binghatti Developers FZE Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The highlight reel of the event — coinciding with Guru Purnima — brimmed with impromptu moments. Viral musician Sanju Rathod surprised the audience with a high-octane performance of 'Shaky', joined by actors spanning Amruta Khanvilkar to Priya Bapat. Hindi film star Tabu earned applause by breaking into Marathi before presenting the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) award. On glancing at the winner's name, she couldn't contain her affection. "Manjrekar!" she called out and embraced her first director and friend Mahesh Manjrekar, who won for his restrained performance in 'Juna Furniture'. A moving highlight of the night was veteran singer Usha Mangeshkar, 89, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. The youngest of the Mangeshkar siblings — Lata and Asha Bhosale — Usha began her musical journey in 1954 with a Hindi song. Later, her versatile voice became a staple in Marathi cinema, contributing memorable numbers like 'Tumhawar Keli Mi Marji Bahal' from 'Pinjra' (1972), and many others across multiple Indian languages. A video montage featuring sister Asha Bhosale, Sudesh Bhonsle, and Suresh Wadkar recalled Usha's journey from 'Apalam Chaplam' to 'Mungda', also revealing her private love for painting. "Why did you hide this talent from the world?" asked Sachin Pilgaonkar. "My paintings were just for me," she smiled. "But later, on my sister's insistence, I made a book out of them." Another standout moment came from Rajshri Deshpande, who won Best Actress (Critics) for her role as Savitribai Phule in 'Satyashodhak', a compelling biopic that chronicles the life of social reformer Jyotirao Phule. "When miscreants razed the walls of one of the schools I'm building in Khedegaon, I asked myself 'what would Savitribai Phule have done'?" she said. Citing the spirit of Guru Purnima, Deshpande dedicated her second Black Lady to zilla parishad teachers working in remote corners of Maharashtra. The event was co-powered by Manforce Epic Condoms, Vivz Fashion School, Kamar Film Factory. Other sponsors are skincare partner Greenleaf Foot Care Cream by Brihans Natural Products, social impact partner Tisser Artisans Trust – Hand to Heart, beauty partner Olivia Beauty, telecast partner Zee Talkies, multiplex partner Khushi Advertising, outdoor hoarding partner Bright Media, radio partner Mirchi, audio partner Gaana, trophy partner The Award Gallery, event partner Straightline Solutions, creative direction Manasi Ingale for Surel Creations, scripted by Vishal Bandal and Amol Patil, and education partner Bennett University. (The awards will be aired at 10pm on Aug 3 on Zee Talkies)
Scroll.in
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
I saw firsthand how callous prison officials and their negligence lead to Stan Swamy's death
Editor's note: Father Stan Swamy and Arun Ferreira were among the 16 members of civil society – lawyers, professors, poets – who had been arrested under anti-terror laws in a case related to caste violence in Bhima Koregaon village outside Pune in 2018. It is also known as the Elgar Parishad case – the name of a meeting held to commemorate the role of Dalit soldiers in a battle in 1818 in defeating the army of the Peshwa, who had the reputation for being casteist. The government claims that the 16 people arrested had conspired to instigate the violence and other acts of terror across the country. But since then, independent researchers have produced technical reports alleging that the evidence being marshalled against them had been planted on electronic devices by hackers. Ferreira was incarcerated along with Swamy in the prison hospital. He has been now released on bail on conditions, one of which disallows him from commenting about the case in the media. 'This is not a natural death, but the institutional murder of a gentle soul,' reads the statement by the family members of the people accused in the Elgar Parishad case that was released immediately after Father Stan Swamy's death on July 5, 2021. Some may consider these words a bit too harsh given Stan's age (he was 84) and health (he had Parkison's disease). However observing and experiencing the callous treatment meted out to Stan at Taloja Prison, I am inclined to endorse their view. On December 5, 2020, on Stan's request, I was allowed by the authorities to stay in his cell at the prison hospital. He wanted to be kept with one of his co-accused so as to have some meaningful conversation. Those were Covid times: no accused were being taken to court, no physical mulakaats with family or friends permitted, no newspapers allowed and restrictions on the movements of all inmates in prison. For Stan, like the rest of us, being in touch and in conversation with our co-accused meant everything. At the time Stan entered the Taloja Prison outside Mumbai, medical care at the prison hospital was supervised by three people with BAMS degrees (they were Bachelors of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) and a pharmacist. This was the situation before and during Covid. Apart from these handful of staff, all other tasks such as administering medicines, intravenous injections, para-medical assistance and help in the wards was undertaken by inmates whose labour was unpaid as it would be improper to have their assistance mentioned anywhere on record. A doctor with expertise in psychiatry would visit the prison once a week. He supervised Stan's medical care, but merely continued with the medication he had been prescribed before he was arrested. The prison authorities made no effort to refer Stan to the City Civil Hospital despite his visible Parkinson's tremors and weak bones. It is not unusual for the authorities to consider such medical conditions unworthy of attention. Stan's health deteriorated considerably after he was jailed in October 2020. Before this, he could manage without any assistance, but was later reduced to depending on the help of others, Eventually, he had to move onto the wheelchair. I distinctively remember that one day early in Stan's incarceration, when he needed no assistance as such, the prison superintendent insisted that he pose for a photograph with seven or eight plastic sippers, a walking stick, a walker, a cot, a wheelchair and a western commode chair. It had taken a court order for Stan to be allowed a sipper, without which he could not drink water by himself because of his tremors. Stan stubbornly resisted, but the superintendent wanted evidence to demonstrate that he had provided facilities for any possible medical emergency, present or future. In retrospect, the jailer probably knew that conditions in prison would eventually reduce Stan to the wheelchair. The deterioration rapidly increased in May 2021. Anticipating a second round of Covid cases, the prison administration decided to empty all the cells on the ground floor of the prison hospital to make space for Covid patients and quarantine facilities. This meant that Stan, myself and the chachha who was our cellmate, would be shifted to the first floor. We had mixed feelings about this. Going to the first floor would allow us to interact more closely with one of our co-accused, Anand Teltumbde, who was on that floor. But Stan would miss his daily evening walks in the hospital quadrangle. However as in all such administrative transfers of prisoners, the choice is never ours. On May 10, we were shifted into a cell on the first floor of the hospital. Anand could now talk to us every day. We also briefly got to meet another co-accused, Hany Babu, before he was taken to a private hospital to treat his eye infection. But for Stan, things had changed for the worse. He immediately developed a severe cough. The Ayurvedic practitioner on duty decided that this should be treated by a strong antibiotic and prescribed a three-day course of Azithromycin. The cough subsided a bit, but then Stan got diarrhoea. As per prison-medical-practice, it was logical that this too had to be treated with another course of antibiotics. So Stan was additionally on dosages of Metronidazole and Ciprofloxacin. All this made Stan extremely weak. He now required to use a walker in the corridor. By the next weekly round of the prison superintendent and the senior-most Ayurvedic practitioner, Stan's weakness was too apparent to ignore. He could not even stand up. The doctor who had earlier prescribed a medical diet of boiled eggs and milk for Stan now advised him to avoid them due to the diarrhoea. On record, the prison was providing Stan with a 'high protein diet' but in reality this was not true. Stan had no other choice but to eat less as a means to control his diarrhoea. He even felt it would not be proper to use more water because the younger inmates in the hospital had to carry bucket-loads of water from almost half a kilometer away to fill the storage drum in our cell. On noticing this stark deterioration, Anand and I insisted with the doctor that Stan needed to be hospitalised. In fact, the oximeter was daily indicating oxygen (SPO2) levels of around 75%. The Ayurvedic doctor claimed that either the oximeter was malfunctioning or that the readings were incorrect because Stan's fingers were wrinkled. But despite him replacing the oximeter or trying several fingers, the readings did not change. Eventually, when Stan was put on oxygen, the doctors realised that the lone oxygen cylinder in the hospital was almost empty. Though still weak and obviously ill, on May 18, 2021, Stan was administered his first dose of the Covid vaccine. The very same day, he was transported to the City Civil Hospital in South Mumbai. We could not understand the urgency of doing both on the same day, but later realised that it was because the High Court was to hear Stan's application for bail on medical grounds on the following day. The prison authorities had to show that they had done their best. Later that evening, when Stan returned to our cell, he was not only visibly tired but also furious. The prison authorities had sent him to the wrong department at the hospital. Instead of taking him to the neurology department, he was taken to the psychiatry department where the interning doctors kept inquiring about his mental health. On the following day, May 19, during the bail hearings before the High Court, the report of the prison authorities was taken on record. Among other things, it stated that Stan was being 'provided high protein diet on daily basis; hot water for bathing daily; he has been provided two attendants (prisoners) at their own willingness for his health and necessary care to avoid fall; he is also provided with mattress, bed sheet, pillow, wheel chair, walker, waking stick, straws, sipper mug, sipper bottle, commode chair and battery cells for his hearing aid' and that he 'is also examined and treated by visiting psychiatrist at regular intervals'. The bench went on to direct the prison authorities to take Stan to the City Civil Hospital in Mumbai the next day for a medical check-up by a panel of specialist doctors such as a neuro physician, ENT specialist, orthopedic surgeon and general surgeon. Stan went to the hospital in the hope that he would be admitted and allowed to rest. But this time too, the visits to the various departments to be administered a battery of tests drained him physically. He returned to his cell in the evening thoroughly exhausted and disheartened. It was in this context that Stan felt it was futile to visit a hospital outside. If his legal plea to be with his own was denied he would prefer to die in prison. He had expressed this online to the High Court bench hearing his bail petition. Nevertheless, on the next date, May 28, the bench allowed Stan to be treated in a private hospital. On reaching the private hospital, the failure of the prison department was exposed. Stan was found to be Covid positive. Explanations were immediate. The prison superintendent and doctor told me that Stan had contacted the virus after leaving the prison gate and before entering the private hospital. It is this callousness and negligence of the prison department and its supervising institutions that are primarily responsible for the death of Father Stan Swamy. Other institutions are equally to blame and are party to his death.
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Op Sindoor an example to show when fight to maintain Swaraj is needed, says HM Shah
Pune: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the responsibility of creating the India of Shivaji Maharaj's dreams rested with 140 crore Indians, and sometimes, there is a need to fight to protect our 'Swaraj'. He cited Operation Sindoor as an example of this. 'When there was a need to fight for Swaraj, we fought. If there is a need to fight to preserve Swaraj, we will fight. Operation Sindoor is an example of this. But alongside Swaraj, the idea of a great India also encompasses the concept of Shivaji Maharaj,' he stated in his speech after unveiling the statue of the great patriot and symbol of Maratha pride, Shriman Bajirao Peshwa, on the premises of the National Defence Academy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol were among others present on the occasion. 'Our goal should be to create an India where we are number one in the entire world. If there is a personality that inspires effort, dedication and sacrifice for this, it is Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa," he noted. 'PM Modi has given the formula of development and heritage. There have been many personalities in our thousand-year-old culture who keep inspiring us. Their history needs to be given to today's youth. Bajirao never fought for himself. He fought for the country and Swarajya. The British distorted history. Despite having so much prowess and power, Bajirao was a lifelong Peshwa. He fought for Swarajya. In his 40 years of life, he wrote an immortal history that no one will be able to write for many centuries,' said the Home Minister. 'The inspiration that will come from installing the statue of Shrimant Bajirao at the National Defence Academy, where the chiefs of all three armed forces train and graduate, will ensure that no one can touch India's borders,' he asserted. 'Some rules of the art of war never become outdated. The importance of strategy in war, the importance of swiftness, the spirit of dedication, the spirit of patriotism, and the spirit of sacrifice are important. These are what lead armies to victory; only the weapons keep changing. The most exemplary embodiment of all these qualities in 500 years of Indian history is found only in Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa,' said HM Shah. He further stated, 'Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa fought 41 battles in 20 years and did not lose a single one, a record no other commander could match. The most fitting place to install the statue of such a brave warrior, who never let defeat come near him until his death, is the National Defence Academy.' He said the land of Pune is the birthplace of the values of Swaraj. In the 17th century, it was from here that the concept of Swaraj spread across the nation. 'When the time came to fight for Swaraj again in the face of the British, it was Tilak Maharaj who first roared like a lion -- 'Swaraj is my birthright'. The example of how much a person can do for their country in their lifetime was also set by Veer Savarkar from this sacred land of Maharashtra,' he added. HM Shah also connected Bajirao's legacy to the broader historical context, crediting the Maratha warrior and the Peshwas for preserving India's cultural and structural identity through their resistance against external forces. He stated, "Had the battle for Independence that was started by Shivaji Maharaj and taken forward by the Peshwas for 100 years not been fought, India's basic structure would have ceased to exist."
