Maharashtra , State, west-central India. Area: 118,800 sq mi (307,690 sq km). Population: (2011) 112,372,972. Capital: Mumbai (Bombay). It is bordered by the Arabian Sea and by the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Goa and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. It covers much of the Deccan plateau, containing the valleys of the Krishna, Bhima, and Godavari rivers. The population is a mixture of ethnic groups. Marathi is the state language. The region was divided into Hindu kingdoms in the 8th–13th centuries, which were followed by a series of Muslim dynasties. A Maratha kingdom ruled by 1674, and by the 18th century a Maratha empire had been established. The British gained control early in the 19th century. When India won independence in 1947, the area was known as Bombay state; it was divided on linguistic lines in 1960, creating Gujarat in the north and Maharashtra in the south. Its economy is based on agriculture and manufacturing; industries include oil refining and cotton textiles.
