maharashtra

English - English

Definition of maharashtra in English English dictionary

State in western India which has Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) as its capital

{i} historical region located in west-central India

State (pop., 2001 prelim.: 96,752,247), west-central India. It lies on the Arabian Sea and is bordered by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli; its capital is Mumbai (Bombay). Occupying an area of 118,800 sq mi (307,690 sq km), it covers much of the Deccan plateau, containing the valleys of the Krishna, Bhima, and Godavari rivers. The population is a mixture of ethnic groups; Marathi is the state language. The region was divided into Hindu kingdoms in the 8th-13th centuries; they were followed by a series of Muslim dynasties. A Maratha kingdom ruled by 1674, and by the 18th century a Maratha empire had been established. The British gained control early in the 19th century. When India won independence in 1947, the area was known as Bombay state; it was divided on linguistic lines in 1960, creating Gujarat in the north and Maharashtra in the south. Its economy is primarily agricultural; industries include oil-refining and cotton textiles

a historical area in west-central India

Hyphenation

Ma·ha·rash·tra

Turkish pronunciation

mähıräştrʌ

Pronunciation

/ˌmähərˈäsʜˌtrə/ /ˌmɑːhɜrˈɑːʃˌtrʌ/

Etymology

() From Sanskrit महाराष्ट्र (mahārāṣṭra), derived from महा- (mahā-), combining form of महत् (mahat) "great" + राष्ट्र (rāṣṭra) "kingdom".