Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal

Objective

The main objective behind setting up the Mandal was to provide ready resources to the historians and researchers, to save their time and to motivate them. Rajwade conceived this idea long back but could not fulfill it until Sardar Mehendale met him and on his own expressed his readiness to support him for anything that he wished to do for the betterment of history.

History

The Mandal was founded on 7 July 1910 by the veteran Indian historian Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade and Sardar Khanderao Chintaman Mehendale at Sardar Mehendale’s palace at Appa Balwant Chowk in Pune. To commence the activity Rajwade read an essay in the presence of the only listener Sardar Mehendale. Later on, the Mandal moved to its present building located in Sadashiv Peth area in the heart of the city. In March 1926 the short tempered Rajwade left Pune due to differences with the then Administrators of the Mandal and shifted to Dhule to form another institute which was named after him as ‘Rajwade Sanshodhan Mandir’. The Mandal at Pune, however, continued following on its mission to help researchers and contribute to the progress of historical study. It has since then been highly supported by the people and scholars by way of donations and bequests of books and papers. Rajwade’s disciples Datto Vaman Potdar , Ganesh Hari Khare and Vasudeo Sitaram Bendrey are believed to have played major role in prospering the Mandal and its activities.

Funding

It was reported in 2004 that the Mandal was insufficiently funded to micro-film or digitise its collection. In 2009, as it entered its 100th year, it plans to create a permanent fund of Ten Million Rupees and use the interest from this fund to pay its expenses.

Past presidents

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