The early political history of Maharashtra is traced from the 4th century B. C. There is Mora port on the Karanja Island near Mumbai. It is named after the Mauryan suzerainty over the area. After the decline of Mauryan Empire, the Satavahanas came to power in Deccan, that ruled Maharashtra from Pratisthana, the present Paithan a Tahsil Headquarter in Aurangabad district, which came to an end in the year 218. Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra and the financial capital of India was called Bombay by the Portuguese after the name of the goddess Mumbai Devi. It is located on the west coast of India, which was the scene of great commercial and maritime 12 activities from the 6th century B.C. and had flourishing trade with the ancient civilizations like Egyptian, Romen, Greek and summerian civilization. The Mauryan Empire controlled Mumbai and the neighbouring islands in the 3rd century BC and the Satvahans, Vakatakas, Kalchuris, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas and the Silharas ruled the islands subsequently till the thirteenth century A. D. The islands came under the control of the Muslim rulers of Gujrath in 1348, who shifted them to the Portuguese in 1534 by the Treaty of Bassein. The Britishers received these islands in 1661 as a part of the dowry if the marriage of their King Charles II with Chaterine of Braganza, the princes of Portugal. The British King leased the island of Mumbai to the East India Company in 1668 for Rs.10/- annually.

Major Tourists attraction of Mumbai are Bombay Natural History Society, Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus formerly known as Victoria Terminus in Mumbai, Gateway of India, Global Vipasana pagoda, Mahalaxmi Temple, Jahangir Art Gallery, National Gallery of Modern Art, Marine Drive, Crafowrd market, Haji Ali Mosque, Flora Fountain Siddhivinayak Temple, Juhu Beach, Victoria &Albert Museum and famous Elephanta Caves(9km) across the Mumbai harbour, lie the seventh century rock cut temples. Aurangabad- Aurangabad is housing the very popular Ajanta Caves which are one of the oldest UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. These caves house a total of 29 rock-cut cave monuments raised in two distinct periods, Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga also famous as Hindu Pilgrimage Site. Lonavala- This stunning hill station is located at a height of 622 m and is nestling with Sahyadri Ranges. Apart from its awe-inspiring nature, one can spot numerous caves, lakes, forts and waterfalls here. Mahabaleshwar- Some of the main tourist attractions which can be spotted here include Pratapgarh Fort, Venna Lake, Mahabaleshwar Temple, Krishnabai Temple, Lingamala Falls, Tapola and Panchgani. Panchgani-Today the town charms visitors with some of the best lures like Table Land, Parsi Point, Kamalgadh Fort, Devil’s Kitchen, Rajpuri Caves, Sydney Point, Mapro Gardens and much more. Pune-,The second largest city in Maharashtra, Pune is known for housing impressive historical monuments from the Maratha period. Its richness can be seen by visiting attractions like Shanivar Wada, Sinhagad Fort, Osho Ashram, Dagdusheth Ganapathi, Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park and Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Nashik has great mythological background. The Godavari river originates from Trimbakeshwar in Nashik. One of the 12 Jyotirlingas also at Trimbakeshwar .