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Bhonsla

Bhonsla, also spelled Bhonsle or Bhonsale, is a surname and clan name of the Maratha people in western India. It refers to a branch of the Bhosale (Bhonsale) Maratha lineage. The spelling Bhonsla is a transliteration variant found in historical records, and the name is most closely associated with Marathi-speaking regions of the Deccan, especially present-day Maharashtra.

Historically, the Bhonsla clan is most prominent for its association with the Maratha rise in the 17th

In modern times, Bhonsla (Bhonsle) remains a common surname among Marathas and appears in genealogies, historical

and
18th
centuries.
The
founder
commonly
linked
to
the
broader
Bhonsla
heritage
is
Shivaji,
the
founder
of
the
Maratha
Empire,
whose
descendants
and
kin
continued
to
hold
influence
across
western
India.
Two
principal
branches
became
especially
notable:
the
Bhonsle
of
Thanjavur
(Tanjore)
in
present-day
Tamil
Nadu,
established
by
Ekoji
I
Bhonsle,
a
son
of
Shivaji,
who
founded
the
Thanjavur
Maratha
kingdom
in
the
late
17th
century
and
ruled
there
until
1855;
and
the
Bhonsle
of
Kolhapur,
who
ruled
the
princely
state
of
Kolhapur
in
present-day
Maharashtra
from
the
18th
century
until
1947.
accounts,
and
contemporary
Indian
society.
The
Bhonsla
lineage
has
been
noted
for
its
role
in
the
expansion
and
administration
of
Maratha
polities
and
for
its
place
in
the
broader
history
of
the
Deccan
region.