During his reign, Pratap Singh undertook significant administrative, infrastructural, and educational reforms that contributed to the development of modern
Satara. One of his major contributions was the construction of the Pune–Satara Road, improving connectivity between Satara and
Pune. He also built the Satara–Medha–Mahabaleshwar Road, facilitating access to Mahabaleshwar, which later became a prominent hill station during British rule. At Mahabaleshwar, he established Malcolm Peth (now part of Mahabaleshwar), named in honour of the contemporary Governor of Bombay. In Satara, Pratap Singh constructed the ‘Rajwada’ palace, which functioned as the royal court for approximately 150 years. The palace is presently in the possession of his descendants. He also developed the Rajpath, a two-way road connecting the Rajwada to Powai Naka, contributing to the planned urban layout of the city. Following the destruction of the Rang Mahal of
Shahu I in a fire, Pratap Singh built the Jal Mandir Palace as a new royal residence for himself and his family. Much of modern Satara’s foundational urban structure is attributed to his initiatives. In the field of education, he established two schools in Satara offering instruction in English, Persian, Marathi, and Sanskrit. Around 1851, Pratap Singh High School was founded; notably,
B. R. Ambedkar studied there until the fourth standard. In the same year, his wife founded a private library in Satara that was open to the public. This institution later became known as the Nagar Vachanalaya and was formerly called Chhatrapati Pratap Singh Maharaj (Thorle) Nagar Vachanalaya, Satara. == References ==