PREFACE

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A SEPARATE GAZETTEER OF THE BHIR DISTRICT HAS BEEN COMPILED. The Volume has been prepared by the Gazetteers Department, Government of Maharashtra, under the guidance of an Editorial Board. The following are the present members of the Editorial Board: —

Chief Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra (Shri B. B. Paymaster, I.C.S.).

Dr. S. G. Panandikar, retired Principal, Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Bombay.

Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. V. V. Mirashi, Nagpur.

Dr. S. M. Katre, Director, Deccan College Post-Graduateand Research Institute, Poona.

Shri S. L. Karandikar, Poona.

Director of Archives, Government of Maharashtra, Bombay(Dr. M. G. Dixit).

Editor, Central Gazetteers Unit, Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi (Dr. P. N. Chopra).

Executive Editor and Secretary [Shri P. Setu Madhava Rao, M.A., I.A.S. (Retd.)].

My thanks are due to Dr. B. G. Kunte, M.A., Ph.D. (Economics), Ph.D. (History), Joint Editor, for his thorough assistance throughout the work and who besides has contributed the chapter on History. My thanks are also due to Shri K. V. Yohannan, B.A., LL.B., Superintendent, Shri K. K. Chaudhari, M.A., Shri V. N. Gurav, M.A., Shri M. H. Ranade, B.A., Shri S. K. Purohit, B.A., and Shri D. L. Naik, M.A., Research Assistants, Shri R. K. Bhojwani, Senior Assistant and other members of the staff for their valuable assistance in the preparation and publication of this Volume.

I will be failing in my duty, if I do not express my thanks to Dr. P. N. Chopra, M.A., PhD., Editor, District Gazetteers and the staff of the Central Gagetteers Unit, Union Ministry of Education, New Delhi for their effective role in planning and co-ordinating the work of preparation of the District Gazetteers. The Unit scrutinized the draft of this volume with great care and made several helpful suggestions with a view to improving the standard and quality of the publication. It may also be mentioned here that a portion of the expenditure incurred on the compilation and printing of the District Gazetteers is being met by the Government of India.

Shri J. W. D'Souza, Director, Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Bombay and Shri B. K. Rao, Manager, Government Press and Book Depot, Nagpur, also deserve my thanks for the execution of the printing work of this Volume.

Many are the officials and non-officials who helped by supplying information on various points without whose help the work would have been difficult. To them all my thanks are due.