Miraj (Pronunciation: [miɾəd͡z]; ) is a city that is part of the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad metropolitan region in the Sangli district, Maharashtra, India. Founded in the early 10th century, Miraj was an important jagir of the Bijapur Sultanate.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, stayed in Miraj for two months during his south India campaign. It was the capital of Miraj Senior and a vital junction on the central railway network. The Patwardhan family were the hereditary rulers of Miraj until independence.

Miraj is known for medical tourism.

History

Shilahara (1000 to 1216)

At the end of the 9th century, the Shilaharas of Kolhapur gained control of Miraj. In 1024, the city was ruled by Narasimha of the Shilahar dynasty. Jatiga II (), the fourth Shilahar ruler, appears in the records of his son, Narasimha (c. 1050–1075). Jatiga II was succeeded by his son Gonka, who has been described in inscriptions as the conqueror of Karahata (Karad), Miraj, and Konkan. The Shilaharas were able to retain control of Miraj despite nearby military action by Chavan-raja, a general of Western Chalukya King Jayasimha II.

Yadavas and Bahmanis (1216 to 1347)

In 1216, Miraj, along with other Shilahara territory, was conquered by the Yadavas of Devagiri. In 1318, the Bahmanis gained control. The historian Tazkirat-ul-Mulk reported that Hasan Gangu, the founder of the Bahmani dynasty, was in the employ of the Shaikh Muhammad Junaidi at Gangi near Miraj. Hasan found a treasure with which he raised an army, and marched on Miraj. He defeated and imprisoned Rani Durgavati, the subedar of Miraj, and captured the town's fort. At the behest of Shaikh Muhammad, the name of the town was changed to Mubarakabad in 1347 (748 AH). In 1395, the Bahmanis conquered Miraj.

|source 2 = Government of Maharashtra

|date = June 2012

Demographics

Marathi is the official language, while Kannada is also a widely spoken language of the city. A form of Hindustani, Hyderabadi Deccani is also spoken.

Musicians

  • Vishnu Digambar Paluskar
  • Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande
  • Hirabai Badodekar
  • Vinayakrao Patwardhan
  • Bal Gandharva made his debut performance at the city's Hans Prabha Theatre. In the same location, the Balgandharva Natyagruha was named for him.
  • Abdul Karim Khan, a performer of Kirana gharana, lies interred within the Hadrat Khwaja Shamna Mira RH and Hadrat Mira Saheb RH Dargah. An annual music festival at the dargah takes place in his memory.
  • Ram Kadam, a Marathi film composer and musician

String instruments

Miraj supplies Indian string instruments such as the sitar, sarod, and tanpura. These are made of wood and specially treated gourds. The art of instrument making was developed by Faridsaheb Shikalgar in the 18th century, and his descendants, who came to use 'Sitarmaker' as their surname,

Transportation

Railway

Miraj Junction railway station is an important junction on the Central Railway. It was the only junction to have all three rail gauges: broad gauge, narrow gauge, and metre gauge. The last narrow gauge train departed on 1 November 2008.

MLA

Suresh Khade, the MLA from Miraj constituency, represents the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 elections.

See also

  • William James WanlessFounder of Wanless Hospital
  • Dargah of Meerasaheb Avalia

References

  • The Municipal Corporation home page - Marathi language only as of 2006/10/09
  • List of rulers of Miraj Senior
  • Original article in the district Gazetteer