Key Facts about Futala Lake

About Futala Lake:

• Futala Lake, also known as Telankhedi Lake, is located in the western part of Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• It is believed to be more than 200 years old.
• It is spread over 60 acres.
• Built by the Bhonsle kings of Nagpur, this lake is known for its colorful fountains.
• The lake is surrounded on three sides by forest and a landscaped beach on the fourth side.

Key Facts about Bhonsle Dynasty:

• The Bhonsle or Bhonsale (pronounced Bhoslay) were a prominentMaratha clan who served as rulers of several states in India.
• Raghuji Bhonsle of Berar founded the dynasty in 1730.
• The most prominent member of the clan was Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire. 
• His successors ruled as maharajas from their capital at Satara, although "de facto" rule of the empire passed to the Peshwas, the Marathas' hereditary chief ministers, during the reign of Shahu I.
• In addition to the Bhonsle Maharajas of Satara, rulers of the Bhonsle clan established themselves at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu in the 17th century, and at Nagpur and Kolhapur in modern-day Maharashtra in the 18th century.
• The Bhonsle of Thanjavur were descendants of Sivaji's halfbrother Venkaji, while the Bhonsle of Nagpur and Kolhapur were descended from Sivaji's sons, Sambhaji and Rajara.
• After the British defeat of the Marathas in the Third AngloMaratha War in 1818, the Marathas were forced to accept British rule.
• The four Bhonsle dynastiescontinued as rulers of their princely states, acknowledging British sovereignty while retaining local autonomy. 

· The states of Nagpur, Thanjavur, and Sataracame under direct British rule in the mid-nineteenth century when their rulers died without male heirs; Kolhapur continued as a princely state until India's independence in 1947, when the rulers acceded to the Indian government.

Q1: What are Anglo-Maratha Wars?

Anglo- Maratha Wars, (1775–82, 1803–05, 1817–18) are three conflicts between the British and the Maratha confederacy, resulting in the destruction of the Maratha confederacy.

Source:SC restrains Maharashtra from continuing with construction at Futala Lake in Nagpur