Pratap Singh Bhonsale (18 January 1793 â 14 October 1847) was the eighth and last Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire from 1808 to 1818, when Maratha forces under Peshwa Bajirao II lost to the British during the Third Anglo-Maratha War. He was also the Raja of Satara until 1839, when he was replaced with Shahaji of Satara by the British.
He was born in the Bhonsle clan of Maratha caste.
Pratap Singh was the eldest son of Shahu II of Satara, whom he succeeded, and a descendant of Chatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire.
Pratap Singh was dethroned and stripped of his powers and personal possessions by the British in 1839. He was exiled to Benares and granted an allowance for his maintenance. Rango Bapuji Gupte, a loyal Sardar to him, long fought unsuccessful legal battles in London on his behalf.
He was succeeded by his brother, Appa Saheb, under the title Shreemant Maharaj Shaji Raja Chhatrapati of Satara. Appa Saheb then became known as Raja Shahaji.
During his reign, Pratap Singh undertook significant administrative, infrastructural, and educational reforms that contributed to the development of modern Satara.
One of his major contributions was the construction of the PuneâÂÂSatara Road, improving connectivity between Satara and Pune. He also built the SataraâÂÂMedhaâÂÂMahabaleshwar Road, facilitating access to Mahabaleshwar, which later became a prominent hill station during British rule. At Mahabaleshwar, he established Malcolm Peth (now part of Mahabaleshwar), named in honour of the contemporary Governor of Bombay.
In Satara, Pratap Singh constructed the âÂÂRajwadaâ palace, which functioned as the royal court for approximately 150 years. The palace is presently in the possession of his descendants. He also developed the Rajpath, a two-way road connecting the Rajwada to Powai Naka, contributing to the planned urban layout of the city.
Following the destruction of the Rang Mahal of Shahu I in a fire, Pratap Singh built the Jal Mandir Palace as a new royal residence for himself and his family. Much of modern SataraâÂÂs foundational urban structure is attributed to his initiatives.
In the field of education, he established two schools in Satara offering instruction in English, Persian, Marathi, and Sanskrit. Around 1851, Pratap Singh High School was founded; notably, B. R. Ambedkar studied there until the fourth standard.
In the same year, his wife founded a private library in Satara that was open to the public. This institution later became known as the Nagar Vachanalaya and was formerly called Chhatrapati Pratap Singh Maharaj (Thorle) Nagar Vachanalaya, Satara.