Datto Vaman Potdar

Dattatray Vaman Potdar (5 August 1890 – 6 October 1979), better known as Datto Vaman Potdar, was an Indian historian, writer, and orator. He was the Vice-Chancellor of University of Pune from 1961 to 1964.

The British colonial Government of India had honored Potdar with the title Mahamahopadhyaya in 1946. He was honored by government of india with Padmabhushan in 1967. Because of his vast knowledge, he was sometimes called as Dr. Johnson of Maharashtra or a living encyclopedia.

Potdar was a disciple of the historian Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade, and served as a trustee of Pune based Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal (इतिहास संशोधक मंडळ) founded by Rajwade. His disciples included Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, Swami Swaroopanand, Vasudeo Sitaram Bendrey, Sethu Madhav Rao Pagadi, and Ramchandra Chintaman Dhere.

Early life Potdar was born into Karhade Brahmin family in the village of Birwadi in Raigad District of Maharashtra. Potdar completed his matriculation in 1906 from Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya in Pune, and four years later received a bachelor's degree in History and Marathi from the then University of Bombay affiliated Ferguson college in Pune.

Career

Potdar became a teacher in 1912 at Shikshan Prasarak Mandali's Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya, his former school. He left the school in 1920 as the Head Master of the school. Shikshan Prasarak Mandali appointed him as a professor in 1921 at New Poona College (later renamed S. P. College) in Pune. He remained in that position until 1935.

Potdar had mastered Sanskrit to the extent that he could fluently converse in it. He also was proficient in Persian and this proved to be valuable while conducting Historical Research.

Scholarly career In 1910, Sardar Mehendale, V. K. Rajwade, and Potdar founded Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal. Potdar maintained passionate interest through his life in the growth of the Mandal. He traveled all over India, collecting historical documents pertaining especially to Maratha Empire and Marathi literature. He ran periodicals, delivered speeches, and organized lecture series, inspiring others to research historical papers. He only once went abroad and that was to what in those times was USSR. In 1965, the Government of Maharashtra appointed Potdar to write the biography of Shivaji, but before he could finish the assignment, he died on 6 October 1979 in Pune.

Personal Potdar remained a lifelong bachelor.He was a victim of the 1961 Panshet floods with the wada he lived in the Narayan Peth neighbourhood near the banks of the Mutha River getting destroyed by the flood waters.

Works Vasantik Upadesh in IX parts (Marathi) – 1917 to 1929 Apale Pune (Marathi) – 1921 Marathi Gadyacha Ingraji Avtar (Marathi) – 1922 Thorle Madhavrao (Marathi) – 1928 Bodhprad Pustika for students in XII parts (Marathi) – 1935 Marathi Itihas va Itihas Sanshodhan (Marathi) – 1935 Maharashtra Sahitya Parishadecha Itihas (Marathi) – 1943 Jaypur Darshan (Marathi) – 1948 Suman Saptak (Marathi) – 1950 Maharashtra Deshachya Itihasache Sankshipt Varnan (Marathi) – 1951 Samaj Shikshan Mala (Marathi) – 1952 Shrote Ho ! (Marathi) – 1959 Bharatachi Bhashan Samasya (Marathi) – 1960 Me Europat kay pahile ? (Marathi) – 1960 Olakh (Marathi) – 1961 Inside Maharashtra (English) – 1964 Lokmanya Tilakanche Sangati (Marathi) – 1975 Besides the above, Potdar has to his credit over 600 historical articles (Marathi and English).

Editorial works Devdas krut Sant Malika – 1913 Marathe Va Ingraj – 1922 Dr. Johnson Yanche Charitra – 1924 Sahitya Sopan – 1931 N.M.V.Smarak Grantha – 1933 Shivdin Kesari Krut Dnyan Pradeep – 1934 Vaktrutva : Krushnashastri Chiplunkar – 1936 Maza Pravas – Vishnubhat Godse – 1966 English East India Company cha Peshwe Darbarshi farsi patravyavahar Vad yanchya Athwani : Parvatibai Paranjpe – 1971

Affiliations Potdar was closely associated with 68 organizations. including the following: Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal, Pune Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya University of Pune University of Bombay Deccan Gymkhana Pune Marathi Granthalaya Shikshan Prasarak Mandali Pune Corporation Bhandarkar Institute Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapith Shri Chhatrapati Sambhaji Smarak Mandal Narvir Tanaji Smarak Mandal Samyukta Maharashtra Parishad Peshwe Daftar Committee Vaktrutvottejak Sabha Ved Shastrottejak Sabha S.N.D.T.College Maharashtriya Kalopasak, Pune

Honors 1939 – President of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at Ahmednagar 1945 – President of Maharashtra Rashtra Bhasha Parishad 1945 – Vice Chancellor of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapith 1946 – ‘Mahamahopadhyaya’ title by Government of India 1956 – Deputy of Bombay Government at Florence, Italy. 1960-1962 – First President of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal 1961 to 1964 – Vice Chancellor of the University of Pune 1962 – Honored as ‘Sanskrut Prachyavidya Pandit’ by Government of India 1963 – Leader of the committee of Indian Vice Chancellors for visit to Russia 1965 – Honored as ‘Vidya Vachaspati’ in the All India Hindi Meet at Prayag 1967 – Received ‘Padma Bhushan’ from the President of India 1967 – ‘Doctor of Literature’ from Kashi Vidyapith