Gharge-Desai (Deshmukh) were the rulers of one of the oldest Maratha princely states of Nimsod in Satara District. History Rana Ratansingh Alias Ranoji from Rajputana (Rajasthan) and ancestor of the family Shrimant Kalojiraje Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh received the Sur-Deshmukhi of Nimsod State along with 72 villages from Muhammad bin Tughluq, the sultan of Delhi in 1342 during his peninsular campaign. In 1536 Santajiraje Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh received various fiefs from the Ibrahim Adil Shah I ruler of Bijapur Sultanate in the Shirol area, and in 1615 Shrimant Ramraoraje from Ibrahim Adil Shah II in Raibaj and Kittur and remained one of the largest Deshmukhs of Adil Shahi. During the Maratha rule, the family served as the important milestone of the Maratha Empire with blood relationships with various ruling families of those days, were in forefront in continuous War of 27 years between 1682 and 1707 that resulted in the end of the Mughal Empire in India and brought most of the sub-continent under Maratha control. In 1732, Jijasinghraje, also known as Abbasaheb Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh received Saranjam of 12 more villages and title of Saranjamdar-Deshmukh from Maratha King Chattrapati Shahu of Satara for lieu of military service rendered to the state and total Vatan of 84 villages in Nimsod Pargana was made hereditary.The dowager Queen Tarabai was closely related to Shrimant Jijasinghraje alias Abbasaheb. From time to time, Deshmukhs of Nimsod supplied quality horses to the Maratha Army. In 1761, son of Jijasinghraje, Shrimant Sidhojiraje Gharge-Desai-Deshmukh, along with his 2000 cavalry participated as one of the Commanders of the Maratha Army in one of the largest battles fought in the 18th century, the Third Battle of Panipat and was killed in the battle. He was also part of the Maratha army which defeated the first Afghan invasion of India in 1757 to 1759 and brought the present-day North West Frontier province of Pakistan under Maratha control. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, Nimsod State came under British rule. The rajas of Nimsod were entitled to a nominal annual pension of Rs 60,000 by the British. At that time, one branch of the family moved to Shirol and changed the family seat from Nimsod because Nimsod was an arid region with very scarce rainfall. Sidhojiraje's grandson Yashojiraje (Shirol branch) acknowledged the changing circumstances and introduced the family to business. The Shirol branch of Gharge-Deshmukh's acquired the surname Desai which was prevalent amongst the landlords of South