Govind Sakharam Sardesai

'Riyasatkar' Govind Sakharam Sardesai
Born	17 May 1865 Govil, Ratnagiri District,Maharshtra
Died	29 Nov. 1959 Kamshet,Pune,Maharshtra
Notable awards	Padma Bhushan (1957)

Govind Sakharam Sardesai (Devanagari: गोविंद सखाराम सरदेसाई) (May 17, 1865 - November 29, 1959), popularly known as Riyasatkar Sardesai (रियासतकार सरदेसाई), was an eminent historian from Maharashtra, India.

Through his Riyasats written in Marathi, Sardesai presented an account of over 1,000 years of the Indian history until 1848. His three-volume New History of Marathas in English has been acclaimed as a reliable history of Maratha Empire.

Sardesai received for his literary work a Padmabhushan award from the Government of India in 1957.

Sardesai was born in a middle-class Karhade Brahmin family in the village of Gowil in Ratnagiri District. He received his high school education in Ratnagiri, and college education in Pune and Mumbai. Then he joined the service of the princely state of Baroda in 1889. Shortly thereafter, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III appointed him as his personal secretary, and subsequently as a tutor of the princes.

With encouragement from the Maharaja and availing himself of access to the large collection of books and historical papers in the royal library, Sardesai compiled voluminous historical data and wrote several books.

He often accompanied the Maharaja during the latter's trips to the UK, U.S., and Europe; this helped Sardesai to broaden his outlook of history.

Sardesai wrote eight volumes of Marathi Riyasat, three volumes of Musalmani Riyasat, and two volumes of British Riyasat.

Historian Tryambak Shankar Shejwalkar had worked as his assistant in the above endeavor. Shejwalkar had written the preface to one of his volumes on Peshwas; Sardesai asked him to write the preface because Shejwalkar held some contrary historical views.

...
Wikipedia