Kolhapur [key], former princely state, 3,219 sq mi (8,337 sq km), Maharashtra state, SW India. Largely agricultural, the region produces cotton and textiles. It also has large bauxite deposits. A center of the Marathas, Kolhapur was an important state of the Deccan. It was transferred to Maharashtra state in 1960. The city of Kolhapur (1991 pop. 405,118) was the capital of the former state. There are many Buddhist remains, notably a stupa, or shrine (3d cent. b.c.), with inscriptions in characters of the Aśoka period. The city manufactures engineering products, refined sugar, and textiles.
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