Pune

The story of Pune resonates with that of the great majestic Maratha Empire more profoundly than any other dynasty. The city may not find its name placed on older maps as much as its now, but Chanakya's Arthasastra (published between 2nd cent. BC to 3rd cent. AD) mentions the territory around modern-day Pune as Dandaka. The ancient Jurnanagara or Jirnanagara caves (modern-day Junnar) is mentioned as a cultural site during the post-Mauryan period. The settlement Manapura finds itself mentioned during the Rashtrakutas clan between 300-550 AD close to the Bhima River, which flows through Pune district. This marks the earliest reference to the township in ancient India.

The Arab knowledge of Maharashtra did exist as old as the 11th century AD. It is reported that the Arab traders in 1050 mentioned a certain Mahrattadesa (colloquial spelling for मराठादेश) around the Pune-Khandesh belt. The Bhimashankara temple (and the establishment) is mentioned in the medieval age as an important Shaivism site. On certain 14th century maps, the city is mentioned as Puna, the earliest name of the establishment, although Junir (Junnar) was relatively an important town than Puna. The famous Russian traveler to India, Afanasy Nikitin visited Junnar in the 15th century when the town was under the criss-cross of the Bahmanis and Nizam Shahi Sultanates. Just a century later, the founder of the Maratha Empire, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was born at Shivneri fort in the 17th century. 

On 16th century maps, one would find the names such as Andanager (Ahmednagar) and Visapour (Visapur Fort, Pune) more prominent than Pune city itself. But Visapour could also mean the modern Bijapur, that used to be a strategically important settlement during the colonial days. Visapur, like several other fortifications of Pune, strengthened Maratha supremacy against the raging British that started from the 17th century onwards. The forts are mostly spread along the western frontiers of Pune, mostly in the sub-divisions of Maval and Mulshi. The European cartographers would plot places such as Purundar, Singur, Bore Pass, Kondola, Wurgam, Junier, Inapur etc. that corresponds to modern Pune establishments with changed spellings. 

The city got renamed again during Aurangzeb's reign to the short-lived Muhiyabad that existed only for two years between 1703 to 1705. Talking about names, Punyawadi, Punywanagari, Punaka Desha, Punawadi (पुनवडी) were certain older names; the reason why Europeans misspelt it as Puna or Poona. On an 18th century French map, the establishment Puna would appear, the word that got Anglicised as Poona.  

Poona or Pune district had scattered Princely States, part of the larger Deccan States Agency. The Princely State of Bhor being the largest and had an exclave in the nearby Kolaba (now, Raigad) district. The neighbouring districts of Satara had a Phaltan princely state clubbed between it and Poona district. Bhor became part of the Poona district after independence in 1948 and was one of the 9 gun-salute states of the Deccan States Agency. In 1978, the city was renamed to its original Marathi spelling Pune (पुणे) and still is one of the key establishments of both India and Maharashtra. With respect to the Maratha history, the official capital of the empire was moved several times from its original Raigad (1674) to the Sinhagad Fort (post 1681) to the Jinji Fort, Kolhapur, Satara (both serving as capitals after 1731) and finally to Pune (post 1894). But the city once again lost its status of capital when the British established the new settlement of Bombay that served as the Presidency's capital and is today's Maharashtra's capital as well. 

Pune also has a number of reservoirs and dams constructed in all the talukas several of them constructed during the British times. Listing down the various talukas and the dams in each one:

• Junnar - Manikdoh Reservoir, Pimpalgaon Joga Reservoir, Yedgaon Reservoir
• Ambegaon - Dimbhe Lake
• Khed (Rajgurunagar) - Bhama Askhed Dam, Chaskaman Dam
• Wadgaon - Pawna Lake, Valvhan Sarovar, Shiravata Sarovar, Andhra Sarovar, Lonavale Lake
• Daund - Kusegaon Dam, Victoria Talav, Macoba Talav
• Paud - Mulshi Lake, Temghar Lake, Baji Pasalkar Lake  (Panchet Dam)
• Velhe - Tanaji Sagar (Panchet Reservoir), Chafet Dam
• Bhor - Bhatghar Lake (Lake Whiting), Devgad Dam (Balakwadi), Vir Reservoir, Malha Sagar
• Baramati - Walkchopdaj Talav, Shirshuphal Talav
• Shirur - Ghod Reservoir
• Indapur - Shetphal Talav, Bhadalwadi Talav, Madanwadi Talav

The map here is present day's Pune. The various fortifications are marked as well.