Pune12मराठी

History of Pune

From "Punya Vishaya" on copper plates to the Pune of today: more than twelve centuries of kingdoms, wadas, battles, reformers and, now, a Metro.

How Pune got its nameTimelinePeshwa family treeBhosale family tree

How Pune got its name

Nine names for one city, oldest first.

  1. Rashtrakuta periodPunnaka, PunyapurNames used for the city under the Rashtrakuta dynasty.[2]
  2. 758 and 768 CEPuny Vishaya, Punaka VishayaTwo copper plates issued by the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I. "Vishaya" means land; "Punaka" and "Punya" mean holy.[1][2]⚖️ One source credits these plates to the Rashtrakutas, another says they show the Yadavas renaming the city.
  3. 937 CEPunya-vishayaA Rashtrakuta copper plate inscription that one source calls the earliest reference to Pune.[2]⚖️ Which plate is the earliest reference is disputed: the 758 plates are older.
  4. Yadava periodPunekavadi, PunevadiNames used when Pune was part of the Yadava kingdom of Devagiri.[1]
  5. By the 13th centuryPunawadiThe name by which the settlement had come to be known.[2]
  6. About 1400 to the early 1600sKasbe PuneA kasba (market town) under the Bahamani and Deccan sultanates, and in Shahaji's time.[1][2]
  7. Between 1703 and 1705MuhiyabadAurangzeb renamed a neighbourhood in the old city; the name was dropped soon after his death.[2]
  8. 1857 to 1978PoonaThe English spelling under British rule, and the official name until 1978.[2]
  9. Since 1978PuneThe official name of the city.[2]

Timeline

  1. 758 & 768Early kingdoms

    Copper plates of the Rashtrakuta ruler Krishna I name the area "Puny Vishaya" and "Punaka Vishaya".[1]

    ⚖️ Another source links these plates to the Yadavas.

  2. Rashtrakuta eraEarly kingdoms

    The Pataleshwar rock-cut cave temple is carved.[1]

  3. 937Early kingdoms

    A Rashtrakuta copper plate calls the town "Punya-vishaya".[2]

  4. Yadava eraEarly kingdoms

    Pune is part of the Yadava kingdom of Devagiri, known as Punekavadi and Punevadi.[1]

  5. 1317Sultanates

    The Khaljis overthrow the Yadavas, beginning about a century of Delhi Sultanate control.[1]

  6. 1400 – early 1600sSultanates

    The Bahamani and later Deccan sultanates rule; Pune is a village called Kasabe Pune and, by the late 1400s, a centre of Sanskrit learning.[1]

  7. 1595 or 1599The Bhosales

    Maloji Bhosale is made a raja and granted the jagir of Pune and Supe.[1]

    ⚖️ The source gives both years.

    Read more →
  8. 1630–31The Bhosales

    Murar Jagdeo, an Adil Shahi general, razes Pune.[1]

  9. 1637The Bhosales

    Shahaji regains the family's Pune jagir and appoints Dadoji Konddeo to run it.[1]

  10. 1640The Bhosales

    The Lal Mahal is completed. Jijabai and the young Shivaji live here.[1]

  11. 1703–1705The Bhosales

    Aurangzeb renames a neighbourhood "Muhiyabad"; the name fades after his death.[2]

  12. 1714The Peshwas

    Chhatrapati Shahu grants Pune and the area around it to Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath.[1]

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  13. 1720The Peshwas

    Baji Rao I succeeds his father as Peshwa.[1][3]

  14. 1728The Peshwas

    Bajirao moves his administration from Saswad to Pune.[1]

  15. 1730–1732The Peshwas

    Shaniwar Wada rises on the bank of the Mutha; the Peshwas live there from 1732 to 1818.[1][3]

    Read more →
  16. 1761The Peshwas

    After the Battle of Panipat, Maratha power is curtailed and the Nizam of Hyderabad loots the city.[1]

  17. 1773The Peshwas

    The young Peshwa Narayanrao is murdered inside Shaniwar Wada.[3][1]

    ⚖️ One source dates this to 1775.

  18. 1782The Peshwas

    The city gets an underground sewage system draining into the river.[1]

  19. 1802The Peshwas

    Yashwantrao Holkar captures Pune in the Battle of Poona.[1]

  20. 1811The Peshwas

    Vishrambag Wada is built as a residence for Bajirao II.[1]

  21. 1818British rule

    The East India Company defeats Bajirao II, who surrenders on 3 June; Peshwa rule ends. The British build a large cantonment east of the city.[1][3]

  22. 1857British rule

    The English spelling "Poona" comes into use.[2]

  23. 1858British rule

    Pune becomes a municipality, the year the Crown takes over from the Company.[2][1]

  24. 1890sBritish rule

    Lokmanya Tilak promotes the public Ganesh festival as a way to bring people together politically.[1]

  25. 1949Modern Pune

    The University of Poona, now Savitribai Phule Pune University, is founded.[1]

  26. 1950Modern Pune

    The municipality becomes the Pune Municipal Corporation.[1]

  27. 1954Modern Pune

    Hindustan Antibiotics is set up in Pimpri.[1]

  28. 1955Modern Pune

    The National Defence Academy is established.[1]

  29. 1961Modern Pune

    The Panshet flood destroys many homes along the river.[1]

  30. Early 1960sModern Pune

    MIDC sets up the Bhosari industrial area.[1]

  31. 1978Modern Pune

    The official name changes from Poona to Pune.[2]

    Read more →
  32. 1990sModern Pune

    Pune emerges as a major information technology hub.[1]

  33. 2022Modern Pune

    Pune Metro begins running on 6 March.[7]

    Read more →
  34. 2026Modern Pune

    Metro Line 3, Hinjawadi to the District Court, starts carrying passengers on 4 November.[7]

    Read more →

The Peshwas

From Balaji Vishwanath to Baji Rao II, as a family tree.

The Bhosales and Pune

Maloji, Shahaji, Jijabai and Shivaji Maharaj: the Pune jagir.

Sources

  1. History of Pune, Wikipedia
  2. Pune, Wikipedia
  3. Peshwa, Wikipedia
  4. Bhonsle dynasty, Wikipedia
  5. Shahaji, Wikipedia
  6. Jijabai, Wikipedia
  7. Pune Metro, Wikipedia

Where sources disagree, you will see ⚖️. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.