Ancient History of Thane
The History
of Thane district can be divided into four major periods, The Early
Hindu period partly mythic and partly historic, coming down to about
AD 1300 and properly called Ancient period;
T the Muslim
period lasting from 1300 to 1660 the Maratha period from 1660 to
1800; and the British period since 1880. The chief interest in the
history of Thane district is that, with comparatively few and short
breaks, some of its ports, Sopara, Kalyan, Thane or Sanjan, has from
pre-historic times, taken a leading part in the foreign commerce of
Western India. From pre-historic times the Thane coast has had
relation with land beyond the Indian Ocean.
From B.C. 2500 to
B.C. 500 there are sign of trade with Egypt, Phoenicia and Babylon;
from B.C.250 to A.D. 250 there are dealing with, perhaps settlements
of, Greeks and Parthians; from A.D. 250 to A.D. 640 there were
Persian alliance and Persian settlements; from A.D. 700 to A.D. 1200
there were Musalman trade relations and Musalman settlements from
Arabia and Persia; in 1530 there was part of conquest by the
Portuguese; and in 1664 the settlement of British.
The Thane
district forms part of North Konkan also called Aprant (The western
end) later known as Puri-Konkan after its capital Puri. The earliest
known fact in the history of Thane coast & incidentally of
Apranta belongs to engraving of Ashoka edicts an basalt bouldes at
sopara about six milles north of vasai. According to Buddhist
writting sopara was a royal seat & great center of commerce
during the life line of Gautam Buddha (B.C. 540)
In Shilharas
regime Thane city was described as pretty town by the Arab writers.
The merchants who carried on the Thane trade were local Hindu,
Muslman & Parsi traders. The shilaharas ruled over North Konkan
for move than 400 years. They gave liberal patronage to art &
Culture the temple at Ambarnath which is still extant testify the
architectural & Sculptural skill of the age.
MOGHULS (1300-1500)
During
Moghul period, Turk rulers had destroyed many temples & Churches
of which they made mosques for Muhammad. Under the emperor of Delhi,
a religous officer or kazi governed by a military officer or malik &
Thane.
Under the strong rule of Muhammad Tughlak the Moghul’s
maintained their supremacy in north Konkan. In spite of this two
Hindu chiefs held territory on the direct rought between Daulatabad &
the coast. Mahadev chief of Baglan & the chief of Jawhar, who in
1341 was recognized by the Delhi court as the lord of twenty-two
forts & of a country yielding a yearly revenue of Rs.9,00,000 in
one of its stone inscription dated A.D. 1464 that the Hindu Chief of
Bhiwandi had power to make land grants.
PORTUGUESES (1500-1670)
Portuguese
history would be incomplete without the mention of Vasai. The
Portuguese remain in possession of Vasai for roughly two hundred
years from 1535 to 1739. Nuno da Cunha, who was generally described
as the founder of vasai. Timber was sent from vasai to mecca to help
the Egyption to build a fleet.Thane coast was famous for its ship
building. The ships built between 1550 & 1600 great ships built
at Agashi & Vasai made many voyages to Europe.
The
Portuguese power passed into the hands of Maratha after a long siege
by Chimaji Appa, the brother of Peshwa Bajirao I
For about
sixty-four years, from 1739 to 1802 Vasai remained under the Maratha
finally, in 1802 by the Treaty of vasai it became a British
possession & in 1818 it was incorporated in the Bombay
Presidency.
MARATHAS
In 1670’s
the great Maratha warrior was defeated in 1670’s by the Portuguese
forces at sea. But later Shivaji defeated them on land & took
several forts to his reign.
Shivaji rocked the Mughal Empire &
inflicted several defeats upon the kingdom of Bijapur & Golconda.
To prove his equality over the Moghal emperor. Shivaji was crowned
the title of Chhatrapati in June 1674 at Raigad fort. Shivaji started
levying chauth cess he adopted the system for his own purposed &
developed into a profitable instrument for the expansion of his
Swarajya.
MARATHA –PORTUGUESE
Vengaon near
Karjat was part of Thane district was the birth place of famous Nana
Saheb. Thane had no share in the 1857 mutinies. Vasudev Balvant
Phadke was in Thane jail and was to be removed to the Andamans.
The
oppressive vernacular press act. the huge expenditure incurred during
the second Afgan war, the lowering of the age-limit for admission of
Indian to Indian civil services & the opening of the Muhammedan
Anglo Oriental college at Aligarh all these events took place in Lord
Lyttons unblessed regime which left sad memories in the peoples
mind.
Under the British rule the trade of the district had
developed from 411 lakhs of import & 330 lakhs of exports in 1805
to 2357 lakhs of imports & 2921 lakhs of export in 1881 an
increased of about seven fold.