Jahagirdar Family Tree

To view the Jahagirdar Family Tree, click here.

Family History

Late Sadashiv Mohoniraj Jahagirdar alias Balasaheb was looking after affairs of ancestral family estate i.e.  Jahagir of  Katharde village in  Dhule Dist., Maharashtra State at the time of its abolition. In 1796, Jahagir of Katharde Budruk was granted to Nagesh Bhat Joshi (Patriarch of the family).by the Holkars of Indore State. In 1955, by the Act of the State Government, the many Vatans including Jahagiris in the state of Maharashtra were abolished.

In March 2010, to mark birth centenary of our father (Sadashiv Mohoniraj Jahagirda alias Balasaheb) we published a Souvenir in which his life and times were depicted with background of family and information about family Tree. The Souvenir was for private circulation amongst close relatives. The Souvenir was also sent to those relatives with whom we could establish contact.

Many have shown interest to know more about the family connections. Information given in the Souvenir had obvious limitations as it was restricted to male descendants only, was  incomplete so far as there was no or meagre information about those females who entered on marriage in the family and about daughters (married or  unmarried). It was not updated fully for the last 50 years.

With a view to share and exchange information of our family of more than seven  generations of which Vedamurti Nagesh Bhat was the Patriarch, this Blog is created  This Blog is expected to facilitate family networking, source of information about  vast family of more than 200 years- 10 generations of  Vedamurti Nagesh Bhat (Joshi)  which bears various surnames such as Joshi, Dadhkar, Puntambekar, Kathardekar, Jahagirdar, Jagirdar, Apastambha etc. Active   participation   by contributing information, suggestions, comments, observations, criticisms etc is solicited from all interested.  Together, we shall accomplish this task

 I                            VEDAMURTHI  NAGESH BHAT (JOSHI) 

Nagesh Bhat (Joshi) - the Patriarch of the family, hailed from village Dadha but resided at nearby Punatambe in Nagar Dist.of .Maharashtra State. He was Rigwedi Brahmin of Bharadwaja Gotra. His ancestors  i.e. Bharadwaj Rigvedi Brahmins  are believed to be originally from Varanasi . They migrated to Telangana region and thereafter settled there and elsewhere in south India. He was a Shankhayan, Agnihotri, Vaishnava,Worshipper of Krishna and followed Aapastamba Sutra. Kulaswamini (family deity) is Ambabai (Mahalaxmi – Kolhapur)

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He was erudite person bestowed with the title -Vedamurti (as mentioned in the Sanad- Charter  granted by the Holkars). He assisted in performances of YagnaYagas at Puntambe Kshetra mainly by Punyashloka Ahilyabai Holkar. In recognition of his erudition, the Holkars of Indore granted him Jahagiri of the village Katharde Budruk near Prakashe Kshetra (Pratikashi) on the banks of Tapti River in Khandesh in 1796.

II

In about 1800, his grandson ( Ramachandra Keshav) came to Katharde Village..Land on the banks of river Tapti was black and fertile. He made new settlement and started cultivation of land. Most of the agricultural land belonged to the family and was given to tenants to cultivate. In 1839, the Company Government carried out survey, prepared land records and recorded population of the Village Katharde. In 1890, the British Government continued the Jahagiri by issuing a fresh new Sanad. (Charter)

Income from the land property was the main source of income. There was no scope for any profession, business or occupation. There were no schools nearby. Members of the growing family, like other such families in villages, started migrating to towns / cities and moved to Shahada, Dhule, Bhusaval, Amaravati as far as Nagpur, Calcutta.and other big cities.

III

Mohoniraj Krishnaji alias Nanasaheb – grandson of Ramachandra Keshav was looking after the family estate at Katharde. He was a respected officer in Revenue Department stationed at nearby Shahada Town. Epidemic of plague in 1918 caused havoc in Khandesh region. Many of the family, mostly males including Nanasaheb died at that time. Family was going through traumatic period. Many shifted from Katharde. His younger brother- Vasudev Krishnaji alias Appasaheb took over the charge. He was residing at Dhulia City and was a school teacher. He took his elder brother’s family to Dhulia. Nanasaheb’s wife and her two daughters stayed with her father (Kalkars) and her son Sadashiv alias Balasaheb stayed with Appasaheb. Balasaheb completed his education and passed matriculate examination. He joined service in Civil Court and started assisting Appasaheb in loking after affairs of the estate of Katharde.

Increasing family needs and expenses of large joint family, rising cost of living, limited income from land property, mounting family debts etc resulted in partition of the joint family property and apportionment of debts. Some sold land and or gave land to tenants. Very few family members stayed back. Very little was talked about days at Katharde. Visits to Kathrde became rarer.

 This is the story of   those of the family who settled initially in Katharde. Other branches of the family migrated, settled else where. Howsoever weak, there remains a common thread of relationship, interest and natural curiosity about family ties and connections. Some time or other one wonders and wants to know about more about past and present kith and kin. This story will have to be continuously updated, preserved and passed on to next generations.