MUMBAI: Noted historian Jaisingrao Pawar passed away at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra on Thursday after prolonged illness. He was 85.
Pawar had been ailing from a month due to lung-related issues, family sources said.
He played a significant role in bringing the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj to the masses.
His demise is being viewed as a shock to the field of historical research and marks the loss of a towering figure in Maharashtra’s cultural and academic landscape.
Pawar worked as a college professor for over three decades, and authored 20 textbooks for college students. He gained extensive experience in researching historical documents at the Department of History of Shivaji University in Kolhapur.
His well-known books include ‘Maharani Tarabai’, ‘Senapati Santaji Ghorpade’, ‘Maratheshahicha Magova’ and ‘Rajarshi Shahu Smarak Granth’.
He was a founding member of the Akhil Maharashtra Itihas Parishad (All Maharashtra History Conference) and served as its president for three years.
In 1992, he established the Maharashtra Itihas Prabodhini (Maharashtra History Academy). He was a firm believer in the concept of “historical research coupled with social enlightenment” and was the Director of the Rajarshi Shahu Research Centre at Shivaji University.
In his condolence message, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state has lost a “principled guide” in the field of historical research in the passing away of Pawar.