Pune is the cultural capital of Maharashtra and is well-known for its educational facilities. It has a growing industrial hinterland, with many information technology and automotive companies setting up factories in the Pune district though traditionally it has well-established manufacturing, glass, sugar, and forging industries since the 1950-60s. The city is known for various cultural activities like classical music, spirituality, theater, sports, and literature. These activities and job opportunities attract migrants and students from all over India and abroad, which makes for a city of many communities and cultures.
Pune is known to have existed as a town since 937 AD and was originally called Punawadi. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire, lived in Pune as a young boy, and later oversaw significant growth and development of the town during his reign. In 1730, Pune became an important political center as the seat of the Peshwa, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara. After the town was annexed to British India in 1817, it served as a cantonment town and as the "monsoon capital" of the Bombay Presidency until the independence of India.
