The British rule in the states of Maharashtra could be established only after they had fought three Anglo – Maratha wars. The region was governed under the Bombay Presidency which included most parts of northern Deccan. The princely states in the region included the modern cities of Nagpur, Satara and Kolhapur which accepted the British supremacy in return of maintaining local autonomy. These states were annexed to the Bombay presidency in the years 1848 and 1853. However most of the parts of modern Maharashtra known as Marathawada was part of the Nizam’s rule. During the later years the minor protests and revolts were subdued by the British. By that time the Mughal power had already crumbled. Therefore the fall of the Maratha power in the hands of the British marked the beginning of the British rule in India.
There were many steps taken to modernize the capital city of Pune. A municipal government was established in the city in the year 1856. There were also many measures taken for social reformation by the British. The revolt of 1857 was the first protest against the British domination. With the dawn of the 20th century political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi started mass movements to get rid of the British rule in India. Finally Independence was attained in the year 1947, after which the state of Maharashtra underwent several changes.
