Ichalkaranji - History

A small estate lying 47 kilometres east of Kolhapur. Estate holders were......

• श्रीमंत नारो महादेव जोशी, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1698/1720, he was adopted by श्रीमंत संताजी घोरपडे, and was granted the inam of Ichalkaranji. He died 1720

• श्रीमंत व्यंकटराव नारायणराव घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1720/1745, born 1701, married श्रीमंत अनुबाई साहिबा, daughter of the first Maratha Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath of Poona. He died 1745.

• श्रीमंत नारायणराव व्यंकटराव घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1745/1770, died 1770.

• श्रीमंत व्यंकटराव नारायणराव II घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1770/1795

• श्रीमंत नारायणराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1795/1827

• श्रीमंत व्यंकटराव नारायणराव III घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1827/1838

• श्रीमंत केशवराव व्यंकटराव तात्यासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1838/1852

• श्रीमंत  नारायणराव गोविंदराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1852/1864, led the industrial revolution in Ichalkaranji, which was considered to be the "Manchester of Western India". Ichalkaranji became an industrial super state with an income almost half as much as that of Kolhapur despite being just 10th its size.

• श्रीमंत गोविंदराव आबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1864/1876, born 1853, adopted the son of लक्ष्मण जोशी (descendant of नारो महादेव जोशी, early 17thcentury) in 1876, who assumed the name of श्रीमंत नारायणराव गोविंदराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे. He died 1876.

• श्रीमंत नारायणराव गोविंदराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1876/1943, born 1870 in Karkamb, Sholapur District, educated at Rajaram College, Kolhapur and Elphinstone and Law Colleges, Bombay, installed 1892, Member of the Bombay Legislative Council for 12 years; married in 1885, श्रीमंत राणी गंगाबाई ( माईसाहेब ), daughter of मोहनीराज परांजपे  of Ahmednagar. They had no issue so he adopted his nephew व्यंकटराव in 1919. He died 21st October 1943.

--  श्री लक्ष्मण विष्णू जोशी M.A. [After adoption he was known as युवराज व्यंकटराव नारायणराव घोरपडे], nephew and adopted son, Professor of History at Kayastha Pathshala College in Allahabad 1915/1917, adopted by his uncle in 1919, Private Secretary to the Chief of Ichalkaranji, married May 1914, श्रीमती सौभाग्यवती अनुबाई वाहिनीसाहेब घोरपडे ( विमलताई कानिटकर ), born 19th October 1900 at Alibaug, daughter of श्री गोविंदराव वासुदेव कानिटकर, District Court Judge at Alibaug, and his wife, श्रीमती काशीताई, she was educated at Yeola Primary School, Girl's High School at Hujoorpaga, Pune and matriculated from the Theosophical School in Banares, Member of the Theosophical Society in Kolhapur, President of the Shree Krishna Theosophical Lodge in Kolhapur; and had issue, one son and two daughters. He died 1924.

• श्री केशवराव व्यंकटराव घोरपडे, born 1920, died 1929.

• श्रीमती शैलाजीबाई घोरपडे, married श्रीमंत त्रिंबकराओ भवानराव अप्पासाहेब Pant Pratinidhi, Chief of Vishalgadh, and had issue.

• श्रीमती निर्मलादेवी ताईसाहेब सोहोनी ( घोरपडे ), married श्री श्रीधर वासुदेव सोहोनी, M.A., I.C.S., and had issue, two sons.

• Dr. व्यंकटराव सोहोनी, educated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, with a degree in electronics engineering (1963) and at IIT, Mumbai in 1972 with a Ph.D. in information systems; worked with IBM World Trade Corporation Mumbai 1963/1970 and later with Sandoz India 1971/1985; President and C.E.O. of Wander 1985/1988; President, C.E.O. and Vice Chairman with Biosys, U.S.A. 1988/1995; Managing Director of Hindustan Ciba Geigy / Novartis, Mumbai, India 1996/1999; President and Managing Director of Pharmacia India, Gurgaon 1999/2003; Vice President of the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (O.P.P.I.); Managing Director of Rallis India 2003/-; married Neera Kuckreja Sohoni,and has issue.

• श्रीनिवासराव सोहोनी, Joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1970; Served in various key assignments in the Central and the State Governments including the Union Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Industry in the Government of India, and as Secretary to the President of India, and Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India. He was also Vice President of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Visvesaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur; and Senior Adviser, Cabinet Secretariat, in the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Patron of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.                                                           

• श्रीमंत विनायक घोरपडे, Chief of Ichalkaranji 1943/1944, appointed by the Maharaja of Kolhapur, he claimed to be a descendant of नारो महादेव, and held the gaddi for a few months.

INTERREGNUM 1944/1946, after श्रीमंत नारायणराव बाबासाहेब घोरपडे passed away in October 1943, there was a lot of confusion about the succession. A member of the Kolhapur court was appointed for a short while, but appeals made by श्रीमंत राणी गंगाबाई माईसाहेब, the widow of श्रीमंत नारायणराव बाबासाहेब to the Government (all the way to the Privy Council in London), finally resulted in her getting permission to adopt the successor. Even after that, there was some confusion because she wanted to adopt the son of श्रीमती निर्मलादेवी ताईसाहेब सोहोनी (daughter of व्यंकटराव नारायणराव घोरपडे, see above). This was resisted by श्रीमती अनुबाई वाहिनीसाहेब घोरपडे, the widow of व्यंकटराव घोरपडे. Eventually, this dispute was resolved and श्रीमंत राणी गंगाबाई माईसाहेब adopted गोविंदराव आबासाहेब घोरपडे in 1946.