The Kolhapur State was a Maratha princely state of India, under the Deccan Division of the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was considered the most important of the Maratha principalities with the others being Baroda State, Gwalior State and Indore State. Its rulers, of the Bhonsle dynasty, were entitled to a 19-gun salute – thus Kolhapur was also known as a 19-gun state. The state flag was a swallow-tailed saffron pennant.

Kolhapur State, together with its jagirs or feudatory vassal estates (including Ichalkaranji), covered an area of 3,165 square miles (8,200 km). According to the 1901 census, the state population was 910,011, of which 54,373 resided in Kolhapur Town. In 1901, the state enjoyed an estimated revenue of £300,000.

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Maharajas of Kolhapur have a common ancestry with the Bhonsle dynasty of Satara, being direct descendants of the Maratha King Shivaji. The states of Satara and Kolhapur came into being in 1707, because of the succession dispute over the Maratha throne. Shahuji, the heir apparent to the Maratha kingdom, captured by the Mughals at the age of nine, remained their prisoner at the death of his father Sambhaji, the elder son of Shivaji the founder of the Maratha Empire, in 1689. The Dowager Maharani Tarabai (widow of Rajaram I) proclaimed her son Shivaji II, as Chhatrapati under her regency. The Mughals released Shahu under certain conditions in 1707, and he returned to claim his inheritance. He defeated the regent at the Battle of Khed and established himself at Satara, forcing her to retire with her son to Kolhapur. By 1710 two separate principalities had become an established fact. Shivaji II and Tarabai were soon deposed by Rajasbai, the other widow of Rajaram. She installed her own son, Sambhaji II as the new ruler of Kolhapur. In early years of his rule, Sambhaji made alliance with the Nizam to wrest the Maratha kingdom from his cousin, Shahuji. The defeat of the Nizam by Bajirao I in the Battle of Palkhed in 1728 led to the former ending his support for Sambhaji. Sambhaji II signed the Treaty of Warna in 1731 with his cousin Shahuji to formalize the two separate seats of Bhonsle family.

The British sent expeditions against Kolhapur in 1765 and 1792; Kolhapur entered into treaty relations with the British, after the collapse of the Maratha confederacy in 1818 . In the early years of the 19th century the British invaded again, and appointed a political officer to temporarily manage the state.

A regent called Daji Krishna Pandit was installed by the British to govern the state in 1843 at a time when the natural heir to the throne was underage. He took direction from a political agent of the East India Company and among their actions were reforms to the tax of land. These reforms caused much resentment and, despite Kolhapur having refrained from involvement in the previous Anglo-Maratha Wars, a revolt against the British began in 1844. The rebellion began with soldiers locking themselves into hill-forts such as those as Panhala and Vishalgad, and then spread to Kolhapur itself. Both the regent and the political agent were captured by the militia forces led by Babaji Ahirekar. Ahirekar was killed in December 1844 and the revolt crushed.

The last ruler of Kolhapur was Maharaja Shahaji II. After Indian independence in 1947, Kolhapur acceded to the Dominion of India on 14 August 1947 and merged into Bombay State on 1 March 1949. In 1960 Bombay state was divided by languages into the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The boundaries of former Kolhapur state correspond very closely with those of modern-day Kolhapur district in Maharashtra state.

All rulers have the personal title of 'Chhatrapati'.

Raja of Kolhapur
State emblem
Last to reign Shahu 2 April 1894 – 1900
Details
Style	His Majesty
First monarch	Shivaji II
Last monarch	Shahu
Formation	1710
Abolition	1900 (succeeded by Maharaja of Kolhapur)
Pretender(s)	Shahu II of Kolhapur (1983–present)

• 1710 – 2 Aug 1714 Shivaji II (b. 1696 – d. 1726)
• 2 Aug 1714 – 18 Dec 1760 Sambhaji II (b. 1698 – d. 1760)
• 20 Dec 1760 – 17 Feb 1773 Rani Jiji Bai (f) – Regent(b. 1716 – d. 1773)
• 22 Sep 1762 – 24 Apr 1813 Shivaji III(b. 1756 – d. 1813)
• 24 Apr 1813 – 2 Jul 1821 Sambhaji III (b. 1801 – d. 1821)
• 2 Jul 1821 – 3 Jan 1822 Shivaji IV (b. 1816 – d. 1822)
• 2 Jul 1821 – 3 Jan 1822 Shahaji -Regent (b. 1802 – d. 1838)
• 3 Jan 1822 – 29 Nov 1838 Shahaji
• 29 Nov 1838 – 4 Aug 1866 Shivaji V (b. 1830 – d. 1866)
• 29 Nov 1838 – 1845 Rani Sai Bai (f) -Regent (d. 1861)
• 4 Aug 1866 – 30 Nov 1870 Rajaram II Nagaji Rao (b. 1850 – d. 1870)
• 30 Nov 1870 – 12 Oct 1871 Rani Tara Bai (f) – Regent (b. 1855 – d. 1874)
• 12 Oct 1871 – 25 Dec 1883 Shivaji VI Chhatrapati Narayana Rao (b. 1863 – d. 1883)
• 25 Dec 1883 – 17 Mar 1884 Rani Anand Bai (f) – Regent
• 17 Mar 1884 – 1900 Shahu Chhatrapati Jashwant (b. 1874 – see below)

Maharaja of Kolhapur
State emblem
Last to reign Shahaji II 1947 – 1949
Details
Style	His Majesty
First monarch	Shahu
Last monarch	Shahaji II
Formation	1900 (preceded by Maharaja of Kolhapur)
Abolition	1949
Pretender(s)	Shahu II of Kolhapur (1983–present)

• 1900 – 6 May 1922 Shahu Chhatrapati (see above; d. 1922)
• 6 May 1922 – 26 Nov 1940 Rajaram III Chhatrapati (b. 1897 – d. 1940)
• 26 Nov 1940 – 18 Nov 1942 Tara Bai (f) -Regent (1st time) (b. 1904 – d. ....)
• 18 Nov 1942 – 28 Sep 1946 Shivaji VII Chhatrapati (b. 1941 – d. 1946)
• 22 Nov 1942 – 31 Mar 1947 Tara Bai (f) -Regent (2nd time) (s.a.)
• 31 Mar 1947 – 14 Aug 1947 Shahaji II Chhatrapati (b. 1910 – d. 1983)

• 15 Aug 1947 – 9 May 1983 Shahaji II
• 1983 – present Shahu II

Family tree of Maratha Rajas and later Maharajas of Kolhapur

Biological Child   Adopted Child Tarabai Rajaram I Chhatrapati r. 1689-1700 Rajasbai Shivaji II r. 1710-1714 Sambhaji II r. 1714-1760 Shivaji III r. 1762-1813 Sambhaji III r. 1813-1821 Shahaji I r. 1822-1838 Shivaji IV r. 1821-1822 Shivaji V r. 1838-1866 Ramchandra Rao Patankar Narayan Rao Ghatge Rajaram II r. 1866-1871 Jai Singh Rao Ghatge Shivaji VI r. 1871-1883 Shahu I r. 1884-1922 Shivaji VII r. 1941-1946 Rajaram III r. 1922-1940 Radhabai Shahaji II r. 1947-1949 – Titular – r. 1949-1983 Rajaram Singh Rao Shahu II – Titular – r. 1983-present

There were Eleven Feudatory Jagirdars of Kolhapur. They all paid Nazar on succession equal to a year's net income of their Jagirs and also an annual contribution towards the maintenance of military force. They are:

• Vishalgad
• Bavda
• Kagal (Senior)
• Kagal (Junior)
• Kapshi
• Torgal
• Ichalkaranji
• Himmat Bahadur
• SarLashkar Bahadur
• Shahi Sarnobat
• Raovishvasrao

• Maratha
• Maratha Empire
• List of Maratha dynasties and states
• List of princely states of British India (alphabetical)
• Maharajas of Kolhapur
• Panhala Fort

• Copland, Ian (1973). "The Maharaja of Kolhapur and the Non-Brahmin Movement 1902–10". Modern Asian Studies. 7 (2): 209–225. doi:10.1017/s0026749x0000456x. JSTOR 311776. S2CID 145214015.

• Media related to Kolhapur State at Wikimedia Commons
• Mumbai and Princely States Heraldry

16°41′N 74°14′E / 16.683°N 74.233°E / 16.683; 74.233