New book to revisit Maharashtra's glorious past

A new book will dwell on Maharashtra's history and evolution from a rich past to the modern times and list its enormous contribution to the tapestry of the country's culture and thought.

In "Shivaji in South Block: The Unwritten History of a Proud People", journalist Girish Kuber talks about Maharashtra's politics, history and society.

From the time of the Satavahanas down to the present day, he chronicles many lesser-known tales: the empire that brought the mighty Mughals to their knees to the woman who took the issue of consent in marital sex right up to Queen Victoria.

The book also discusses the evolution of movements of the right and left as well as for Dalit pride, the leader who mentored Gandhi and the man who killed him, the best prime minister India never had, and the uncertain tryst of Shivaji's metaphorical descendants with the seat of national power, publishers HarperCollins India said.

The book, whose announcement was made on the eve of 60th Maharashtra Day, is scheduled for release in October.

Kuber said his book delves into where the Marathi Manoos stands today and why he is where he is.

"As Maharashtra celebrates the 60th year of its formation, it is an opportune time to revisit the state's glorious past. Maharashtra has made several significant contributions to Indian society that are not widely known and has firsts in a number of fields to its credit," he said.

According to Krishan Chopra, publisher, HarperCollins India, Maharashtra is much more than Bollywood and industry and Kuber has given an exciting account of why the intriguing Marathi Manoos is such an important element in understanding the state.