Western India in the nineteenth century : a study of the social history of Maharashtra

Abstract

The downfall of Baji Rao Peshwa and the acquisition by the Government of Bombay of the districts around Poona marked the emergence of the Britisli as the dominant power in India. Hinduism flourished in this region to a far greater extent than in the rest of the country, hence the problems facing the British administrators of Maharashtra were quite different from those confronting them in other parts of India. The solutions which they proposed and the policies which emerged determined the social changes which took place in the Maharashtra in the nineteenth century. Dr Kumar analyses these changes by focussing on the rise of new social groups and the dissemination of new values. He shows how these social groups and values interacted with the traditional order in Maharashtra to create a stable regional society. Show more