| Dattatray Vishnu Apte
was born on March 13, 1881, in Hanagandi, in
the former Sangli State, in a lower middle-class
Chitpavan Brahmin family. His father was a State
servant. He passed his B.A. in 1902 from Poona.
He was a favourite student of Wrangler R.
P. Paranjape in the Fergusson College. He
also came into close contact with men like
B. G. Tilak, Dr. Bhandarkar, Dr. Gune, Prof.
Haribhau Limaye and the historical research
workers of he Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal,
Poona. His association with Wrangler Paranjape
and V. K. Rajwade, whom he regarded as his
Guru, greatly influenced him. He made a deep
study of books on Astrology, Astronomy, Mathematics
and History.
Apte was a teacher in the Mudhol State High-School
(1902-1903). In 1905, he joined the National
School at Yawatmal (Berar) as an honorary
teacher. From 1907 to 1909, he worked on the
editorial board of Hari Kishor, a Marathi
nationalist weekly. He then worked in Bombay
for six months in the same capacity in the
Marathi daily, Rashtra Mala, run by the followers
of Tilak.
He went to Goa in 1910 and worked in the
Almaid College for 4 years. Here, it is said,
Apte and his friends, with a view to secretly
collecting arms and ammunition, tried to
|
contact the officers of the Emden, a German
ship which was cruising near Madras. But at
the last moment, the youths lost courage as
the C.I.D. had got wind of their plan. After
this episode, Apte gave up these activities.
In 1915, he joined the two Marathi magazines,
Chitramayajagat and Shalapatrak, conducted
by the Chitrashala Press, Poona, but left
this job in 1924. Thereafter, he devoted all
his energies to historical studies and writings.
Apte was orthodox in his ideas. He was opposed
to Western education and supported national
education.
Though Apte worked for the national cause
in his early life, he was primarily a historical
research scholar who commanded great respect.
He led a very simple, quiet life. Among his
principal publications may be mentioned: ‘Destanchi
Shrirang pattamvar Mohim Athva Savashen Varshanpoorvincha
Dakshin Hindustan’, Poona, 1921; ‘Sanshodhakenchi
Choti Jantri’, Poona, 1921; ‘Maharashtra
Itihasa Manjiri Athva Nivdak Aitihasik Utaro’,
Poorvardha, Poona, 1923; ‘Birth Date
of Shivaji’, Poona, 1927; ‘Aitihasik
Dantkatha va Goshti’, Part I, 1936, Part
II, 1942, Poona. He also edited 14 books and
wrote prefaces to many.
|