Which city is also known as the 'Queen of the Deccan'?

Pune, in Maharashtra, is known as the "Queen of the Deccan" ("Deccan chi Rani" in Marathi) because of its pleasant climate, its location on the Deccan plateau and its historical and cultural importance.

About Pune:

It is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers, on the western edge of the Deccan plateau, at an altitude of about 560 metres.

It is also called the "Oxford of the East" because of its many educational institutions, such as Savitribai Phule Pune University, Fergusson College (founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society, which included Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

It is the "Cultural Capital of Maharashtra".

History:

• Pune was associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who spent his childhood at the Lal Mahal with his mother, Jijabai.
• It became the seat of the Peshwas, the prime ministers of the Maratha Empire, in the 18th century.
• Shaniwar Wada, the palace-fort of the Peshwas, was built by Bajirao I in 1732.
• The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818) ended Peshwa rule, and Pune came under the British.
• Pune was an important centre of social reform: Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule opened India's first school for girls run by Indians at Bhide Wada in 1848.

The Aga Khan Palace in Pune is where Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai were imprisoned during the Quit India Movement (1942-44). Kasturba Gandhi and Mahadev Desai died there.

The Poona Pact (1932) between Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar was signed at Yerwada Jail in Pune.

Modern Pune:

• It is a major centre of information technology (Hinjewadi), automobiles and manufacturing.
• The "Deccan Queen" train, India's first deluxe train, has run between Mumbai and Pune since 1930.
• The National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla and the Southern Command headquarters of the Indian Army are in Pune.

Other city nicknames:

• Hyderabad: "City of Pearls" and "City of Nizams".
• Nagpur: "Orange City" and the geographical centre of India ("Zero Mile").
• Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar): "City of Gates".
• Mumbai: "City of Seven Islands" and the "Gateway of India".

Why not the other options?

• ✗Hyderabad is the "City of Pearls".
• ✗Nagpur is the "Orange City".
• ✗Aurangabad is the "City of Gates".