>Abhishek0831996 at 17:11, 31 March 2021

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{{more footnotes|date=September 2012}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2020}}
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{{Infobox writer
| name = Govind Sakharam Sardesai
| image = G.S.Sardesai.jpg
| imagesize =
| birth_date = 17 May 1865
| birth_place =Govil, [[Ratnagiri district|Ratnagiri District]], Maharshtra
| death_date = 29 November 1959 (aged 94)
| death_place =Kamshet, Pune, Maharshtra
| awards =[[Padma Bhushan]]
}}

'''Govind Sakharam Sardesai''' (17 May 1865 – 29 November 1959), popularly known as ''Riyasatkar Sardesai'', was a historian from [[Maharashtra]], India.

Through his ''Riyasats'' written in [[Marathi language|Marathi]], Sardesai presented an account of over 1,000 years of the [[Indian history]] until 1848. He also wrote the three-volume ''New History of Marathas'' in English.

Sardesai's work was recognised with a [[Padma Bhushan]] award from the [[Government of India]] in 1957.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014 }}</ref>

== Biography ==

Sardesai was born in a middle-class [[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 State|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, US, 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''.
[[File:Sardesai mit Signatur 1938.jpg|thumb|Sardesai, with signature, about 1938]]
Historian [[Tryambak Shankar Shejwalkar]] had worked as his assistant in the above endeavour. 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.

After retiring from service at [[Baroda State|Baroda]] state in 1925, Sardesai settled in the village of Kamshet near [[Pune]]. In accord with a suggestion from [[Jadunath Sarkar]], the government of [[Bombay]] asked Sardesai to take up the work of editing and publishing [[Peshwa]] ''daftar''. He examined almost 35,000 documents, comprising 27,332 in [[Modi script|Modi]] [[Marathi language|Marathi]]; 7,482 in [[English language|English]]; 129 in [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]]; and 29 in [[Persian language|Persian]]. Subsequently, he published 45 volumes of [[Peshwa]] ''daftar'' consisting of 7,801 pages and covering 8,650 documents.

Later, jointly with Sarkar, Sardesai edited and published ''Poona Residency Correspondence'' consisting of 7,193 pages and covering 4,159 letters. With the help of some newly discovered sources, he wrote at his age 80, ''The New History of Marathas''.

Sardesai died at Kamshet on 29 November 1959 at the age of 94.

==Works==
Sardasai wrote all of his works in Marathi except for the last three in the following list, which he had written in English.
*''Musalmani Riyasat''
*''Marathi Riyasat''
*''British Riyasat''
*''Peshwe Daftar''
*''Aitihasik Wanshawali''
*''Aitihasik Gharani''
*''Aitihasik Patrawyawahar''
*''Aitihasik Patrabodh''
*''Mahadaji Shinde Yanchi Patre''
*''Anupuran''
*''Paramanand Kawyam''
*''Sardesai Gharanyacha Itihas''
*''Shyamkantachi Patre''
*''Poona Residency Correspondence''
*''Main Currents of Maratha History''
*''The New History of Marathas''

==Honours==
*1937 - Honoured with the title 'Rav Bahaddur'
*1946 - Golden Award with the title 'Itihas Martand' at [[Dhule]]
*1947 - Honoured by [[Baroda]] State
*1951 - President, Bharatiya Itihas Parishad
*1951 - Doctor of Literature conferred by [[University of Pune]]
*1957 - Padma Bhushan award from the Government of India

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[[Biography]] in ''Marathi Riyasat'' Volume I
*[[Autobiography]] ''Majhi Sansaryatra''
*''Shejwalkar Lekh Sangraha'' by [[Tryambak Shankar Shejwalkar]]
*''Riyasatkar Sardesai'' by Prof. S. S. Puranik
*''Riyasatkar'' by Prof. S. S. Puranik
*Rishitarpan by Prof. S. S. Puranik (2014) (ऋषितर्पण - प्रा. श. श्री. पुराणिक)

==See also==
*List of [[Historians]]
*[[List of historians by area of study]]
*List of [[Padmabhushan]]
*[[List of Marathi people]]

{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1954–59}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sardesai, Govind Sakharam}}
[[Category:1865 births]]
[[Category:1959 deaths]]
[[Category:Marathi-language writers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education]]
[[Category:People from Ratnagiri district]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:History of Maharashtra]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]

Govind Sakharam Sardesai - Revision history

>Abhishek0831996 at 17:11, 31 March 2021