formerly Poona
City (pop., 2001 prelim.: city, 2,540,069; metro. area, 3,755,525), western India.
Called "Queen of the Deccan ," it is the cultural capital of the Maratha peoples (see Maratha confederacy ). It first gained importance as the capital of the Bhonsle Marathas in the 17th century. Temporarily captured by the Mughals, it again became the Maratha capital from 1714 until 1817, when it fell to the British. It served as the seasonal capital of the Bombay presidency, and its mild weather has made it a popular tourist resort. It is a major educational centre and headquarters of the Indian army's southern command; it is ringed by a sprawling complex of industrial suburbs.