Maratha Empire

Message The Maratha Empire (Marathi: Marh Smrjya; also transliterated Mahratta) and in its later years also known as the Maratha Confederacy was a !ind" state of #ndia which e$isted from %&'( to %)%)* #t was fo"nded +y Chhatrapati Shi,aji* History#n %&'( Shi,aji car,ed o"t an independent Maratha -one aro"nd ."ne from the /ijap"r S"ltanate* 0fter a lifetime of e$ploits and g"errilla warfare with the M"ghal emperor 0"rang-e+ Shi,aji died in %&)1 lea,ing a Maratha kingdom of great e$tent +"t strategically and ,"lnera+ly located* The M"ghal in,asion started aro"nd %&)2 and lasted till %'1'* Shah" a grandson of Shi,aji +ecame r"ler "ntil his death in %'(3* 0t the time of death he appointed a .eshwa (chief minister) as head of the state with certain conditions to follow* The .eshwas +ecame the de facto leaders of the Empire while Shi,aji4s s"ccessors contin"ed as nominal r"lers from their +ase in Satara* The Maratha 5ingdom was the single largest force to reckon with d"ring most of the %)th cent"ry and they s"ccessf"lly kept /ritish colonists at +ay "ntil the kingdom +roke down d"e to internal politics +etween the peshwas and their sardars* THE empire reached its greatest e$tent in the %)th cent"ry "nder Shah" and the peshwa /alaji /aji 6ao* The Maratha losses at the Third /attle of .anipat in %'&% halted the e$pansion of the empire and red"ced the power of .eshwa; The empire +ecame a loose confederacy with political power resting in a 4pentarchy4 of fi,e Maratha dynasties: The .eshwas of ."ne the Srimant Mehar+an 6anojirao Shinde Mehar+an 7ayajirao Shinde Shoor,eer Mahaparakrami 8attajirao Shinde and Srimant 7ankoji rao Shinde Maharaj*alias 9 also known as Scindia (originally :Shinde:s of Malwa and ;walior) the !olkars of #ndore the /honsles of <agp"r and the ;aekwads of /aroda* Maratha affairs of the late %)th and early %3th cent"ries were dominated +y internal ri,alry +etween the Sindhia and !olkar and +y the three 0nglo=Maratha wars with the /ritish East #ndia Company* The last .eshwa /aji 6ao ## was defeated +y the /ritish in the Third 0nglo=Maratha >ar and the Maratha Empire was largely anne$ed +y the /ritish Empire altho"gh a n"m+er of Maratha states persisted as princely states of /ritish #ndia "ntil #ndian independence in %3(' Shi,aji (c* %&2'=%&)1) The !ind" Marathas long had li,ed in the 8esh region aro"nd Satara in the western portion of the 8eccan platea" where the platea" meets the eastern slopes of the >estern ;hats mo"ntains* They had resisted inc"rsions into the region +y the M"slim M"ghal r"lers of northern #ndia* ?nder their leader Shi,aji the Maratha freed themsel,es from the M"slim s"ltans of /ijap"r to the so"theast and +ecame m"ch more aggressi,e and +egan to fre@"ently raid M"ghal territory sacking the M"ghal port of S"rat in %&&(* Shi,aji proclaimed himself emperor (Chhatrapati) in %&'(* The Marathas had spread and con@"ered some of central #ndia +y Shi,aji4s death in %&)1* /"t later lost it to M"ghal r"lers and to the /ritish Empire* 0ccording to historian .rof* Shejwalkar Shi,aji stayed in /angalore as a +oy and was inspired +y the great Aijayanagara Empire a +"lwark against M"slim in,asion of So"th #ndia* The ,ictories of the then king of Mysore 5anthira,a <arasaraja >odeyar against the S"ltan of /ijap"r also inspired Shi,aji*B%C Shi,aji was the first king in #ndia who had the ,ision and concept regarding the de,(god) desh (co"ntry)and dharma(religion* Sam+haji (c %&)%=%&)3) Shi,aji had two sons: Sam+haji and 6ajaram* Sam+haji the elder son was short=tempered and not ,ery pop"lar among the co"rtiers* The co"rtiers preferred 6ajaram who was milder* #n %&)% Sam+haji had himself crowned and

res"med his father4s e$pansionist policies* Sam+haji had earlier defeated the .ort"g"ese and Chikka 8e,a 6aya of Mysore* To n"llify any 6ajp"t=Maratha alliance as well as to res"me his long relations with the 8eccan S"ltanates in %&)2 the M"ghal emperor 0"rang-e+ himself headed so"th with his entire imperial co"rt administration and an army of a+o"t %)1 111 troops which proceeded to con@"er the s"ltanates of /ijap"r and ;olconda* 8"ring the eight years that he led the Marathas Sam+haji ne,er lost a +attle or a fort to 0"rang-e+* !owe,er in %&)) Sam+haji was treachero"sly ca"ght tort"red and then painf"lly dismem+ered* 6ajaram D Tara+ai (c %&)3=%'1') 6ajaram Sam+haji4s +rother now ass"med the throne* #n %'11 Satara to which 6ajaram earlier had mo,ed the capital came "nder siege and e,ent"ally was s"rrendered to the M"ghals* 0t a+o"t the same time 6ajaram died* !is widow Tara+ai ass"med control in the name of her son Shi,aji* 0 tr"ce was offered which promptly was rejected +y the emperor* Tara+ai heroically led Marathas* /y %'1E Marathas had crossed the <armada 6i,er and entered Malwa then in M"ghal possession* This +attle was a decisi,e one for the Maratha empire* The M"ghals lost their eminent position on the #ndian s"+continent fore,er and the s"+se@"ent M"ghal Emperors +ecame tit"lar kings* The Marathas emerged as ,ictorio"s after a long drawn=o"t and fiercely=fo"ght +attle* The soldiers and commanders who participated in this war achie,ed the real e$pansion of the Maratha empire* The ,ictory also set the fo"ndations for the imperial con@"ests achie,ed later "nder the .eshwas* #nternal fe"ds occ"rred later on and contin"ed "ntil the Marathas were defeated +y the /ritish in %)%)* Shah" (c %'1'=%'(3) 0fter Emperor 0"rang-e+4s death in %'1' Shah"ji son of Sam+haji (and grandson of Shi,aji) was released +y /ahad"r Shah the ne$t M"ghal emperor* !e immediately claimed the Maratha throne and challenged his a"nt Tara+ai and her son* This promptly t"rned the now=spl"ttering M"ghal=Maratha war into a three=cornered affair* E$tent of the Maratha Empire ca* %'&1#n %'%F Garr"khsiyar had declared himself M"ghal emperor* !is +id for power had depended hea,ily on two +rothers known as the Saiyids one of whom had +een the go,ernor of 0llaha+ad and the other the go,ernor of .atna* !owe,er the +rothers had a falling=o"t with the emperor* <egotiations +etween the Saiyids and .eshwa /alaji Aishwanath a ci,ilian representati,e of Shah" drew the Marathas into the ,endetta against the emperor* 0n army of Marathas commanded +y .arsoji /hosale and M"ghals marched "p to 8elhi "nopposed and managed to depose the emperor* #n ret"rn for this help /alaji Aishwanath managed to negotiate a s"+stantial treaty* Shah"ji wo"ld ha,e to accept M"ghal r"le in the 8eccan f"rnish forces for the imperial army and pay an ann"al tri+"te* /"t in ret"rn he recei,ed a firman or imperial directi,e g"aranteeing him Swaraj or independence in the Maratha homeland pl"s rights to cha"th and sardeshm"kh (amo"nting to FE percent of the toal re,en"e) thro"gho"t ;"jarat Malwa and the now si$ pro,inces of the M"ghal 8eccan* This treaty also managed to sec"re release of Hes"+ai Shah"ji4s mother from m"ghal prison* .eshwa /aji 6ao # (%'21=%'(1)

Maratha Emperors (%&'(=%)%)) Shi,aji (%&'( = %&)1) Sam+haji (%&)1 = %&)3) 6ajaram (%&)3 = %'11) I"een Tara+ai (%'11 = %'1') Shah" (%'1' = %'(3) 6amaraja (%'(3 = %''') The .eshwas (.rime Ministers) (%'%2=%)%)) /alaji Aishwanath (%'%2=%'%3) /ajirao (%'%3=%'(1) /alaji /ajirao (%'(1=%'&%) Madha,rao /allal (%'&%=%''2) <arayanrao (%''2=%''F) 6agh"nathrao (%''F=%''() Sawai Madha,rao (%''(=%'3E) /ajirao ## (%'3E=%)%)) 0fter /alaji Aishwanath4s death in 0pril %'%3 his son /aji 6ao # was appointed as .eshwa +y Chattrapati Shah"ji* Shah"ji was one of the most lenient emperors* !e possessed a strong capacity for recognising talent* #n fact he ca"sed a social re,ol"tion +y +ringing new talent into power irrespecti,e of the poor +ackgro"nd of its possessor* This was one great sign of the social mo+ility of the Maratha empire which ena+led their rapid e$pansion* 0 clerk s"ch as /alaji or his son and ordinary men like Shinde or !olkar owed their positions to the a"ra of this great prince* ?ntil his death in %'(3 he controlled the Maratha empire with strong hands* 8espite opposition from other co"rt factions he recognised the talent of /aji 6ao and ga,e him the imperial army which was so well=trained and e$perienced from its long and hard +attles* /aji 6ao tr"e to the e$pectations of his master carried o"t his d"ties well* They reached 6ajasthan in %'FE 8elhi in %'F' and Jrissa and /engal +y %'(1* /aji 6ao died in %'(1 after a series of con@"ests that had consolidated the power of the Marathas* .eshwa /alaji /aji 6ao (%'(1=%'&%) /aji 6ao4s son /alaji /ajirao (<anasahe+) was appointed as a .eshwa +y Shah"* The period +etween %'(% and %'(E was one of comparati,e calm in the 8eccan* Shah"ji died in %'(3* <anasahe+ enco"raged agric"lt"re protected the ,illagers and +ro"ght a+o"t a marked impro,ement in the state of the territory* Contin"ed e$pansion saw 6agh"nath 6ao the +rother of <anasahe+ p"shing into ."nja+ in the wake of the 0fghan withdrawal after 0hmed Shah 0+dali4s pl"nder of 8elhi in %'E&* #n Kahore as in 8elhi the Marathas were now major players* /y %'&1 with a defeat of the <i-am in the 8eccan Maratha power had reached its -enith with a territory of o,er 2E1 million acres or one=third of So"th 0sia*

8ecline of the Empire Shaniwar >ada: The palace of the .eshwas fo"nded +y .eshwa /aji 6ao #* The ,iew looks towards the entrance gateho"se and o"ter walls of the palace with a ,egeta+le market on the open space in the foregro"nd* The .eshwa sent an army to challenge the 0fghans and the Maratha army was decisi,ely defeated on 7an"ary %( %'&% at the Third /attle of .anipat* Their internal fe"ding cost them greatly in this +attle* The +attle checked Maratha e$pansion pre,ented the capt"re of 8elhi and enco"raged the fragmentation of the empire* E,en today the phrase in Marathi :meet yo"r .anipat: has a similar meaning as the phrase :meet yo"r >aterloo: does in English* 0fter %'&% yo"ng Madha,rao .eshwa tried his +est to re+"ild the empire in spite of his frail health* #n a +id to effecti,ely manage the large empire semi= a"tonomy was gi,en to strongest of the knights* Th"s the a"tonomo"s Maratha states of the ;aekwads of /aroda the !olkars of #ndore D Malwa the Scindias (or Shinde4s) of ;walior (0gra 0jmer Math"ra and ?jjain) .awars of ?dgir and /hosles of <agp"r (no +lood relation with Shi,aji4s or Tara+ai4s family) came into +eing in far fl"ng regions of the empire* E,en in the Maharashtra itself many knights were gi,en semi=a"tonomo"s charges of small districts which led to princely states like Sangli 0"ndh Miraj etc* #n %''E the /ritish East #ndia Company from its +ase in /om+ay inter,ened in a s"ccession str"ggle in ."ne on +ehest of 6agh"nathrao (alias 6agho+adada) which +ecame the Girst 0nglo=Maratha >ar: that ended in %')2 with a restoration of the pre=war stat"s @"o* #n %)12 the /ritish inter,ened in /aroda to s"pport the heir to the throne against ri,al claimants and they signed a treaty with the new Maharaja recogni-ing his independence from the Maratha empire in ret"rn for his acknowledgement of /ritish paramo"ntcy* #n the Second 0nglo= Maratha >ar (%)1F=%)1E) the .eshwa /ajirao the second signed similar treaty* The Third 0nglo=Maratha >ar (%)%'=%)%)) a last=ditch effort to regain so,ereignty res"lted in the loss of Maratha independence and left /ritain in control of most of #ndia* The .eshwa was e$iled to /ithoor (near 5anp"r ?*.*) as a pensioner of the /ritish* The Maratha heartland of 8esh incl"ding ."ne came "nder direct /ritish r"le with the e$ception of the states of 5olhap"r and Satara which retained local Maratha r"lers* The Maratha=r"led states of ;walior #ndore and <agp"r all lost territory and came "nder s"+ordinate alliance with the /ritish 6aj as princely states that retained internal so,ereignty "nder /ritish 4paramo"ntcy4* Jther small princely states of Maratha knights were retained "nder /ritish raj as well* <ana Sahi+ the last .eshwa was +orn as ;o,ind 8hond" .ant and was the adopted son of .eshwa /aji 6ao ##* !e was one of the main leaders of %)E' Girst >ar of #ndependence* !e enco"raged people and #ndian .rinces to fight against the /ritish* Tatya Tope was his general who led the war and was terror in the hearts of /ritish* 6ani Ka$mi+ai was his childhood playmate and he had +rotherly relations with her* /oth of them fo"ght against the /ritish* !e enco"raged #ndian soldiers to rise against the /ritish* Tho"gh he was defeated in this war of independence his name is glorio"s in #ndian !istory* The name of the Empire today is preser,ed in the #ndian state of Maharashtra which was created in %3&1 as a Marathi=speaking state*

Srinath Mahajjirao Shinde This person was a great worrior and most intelligent in the maratha history* amongst asiatic men no name to match Mahdji shinde whose wiish was to "nite

all indian r"lers against the foreign in,aders and other forces* !e esta+lished Maratha =!ind" 5ingdom in !indostan after h"militing defeat of !ind"s at .anipat in %'&%*!e was awarded +y the greatest title of 0K#70! +y shahanshah shah alam (ii) sani Lemperor of delhi M Mahajji shinde was the first and last person in #ndian history who +anned sla"ghter ho"ses of that time +y orders of king shah alam of delhi* Shindes were +ased largely in central #ndia first at ?jjain and later (from the last @"arter of the %)th cent"ry) in ;walior* #t was d"ring the long reign of Mahadaji Shinde which +egan after .anipat and contin"ed to %'3( that the family4s fort"nes were tr"ly consolidated* Mahadaji employing in the %')1s a large n"m+er of E"ropean mercenaries in his forces pro,ed an effecti,e and inno,ati,e military commander who went +eyond the "s"al Maratha dependence on light ca,alry* !is power howe,er had already grown in the %''1s when he managed to make s"+stantial inroads into a <orth #ndia that had +een weakened +y 0fghan attacks* !e inter,ened with some effect in the M"ghal co"rt d"ring the reign of Shah 40lam ## who made him the Ndep"ty regentO of his affairs in the mid=%')1s* !is shadow fell not only across the pro,inces of 8elhi and sarhind +"t also on 6ajp"tana doa+ rohillkhand orissa=katak and ;"jarat making him the most formida+le Maratha leader of the era* !e ca"sed trepidation among the personnel of the East #ndia Company and also at ."ne where his relations with the acting peshwa <ana Gadna,is were fra"ght with tension* !is "ntimely death arosed @"estions against T"koji holker and <ana Gadna,is +alaji janardhan *E,ent"ally the moment"m generated +y Mahadaji co"ld not +e maintained +y his s"ccessor 8a"lat 6ao shinde (r"led %'3(P%)2') who was defeated +y the /ritish and forced +y treaty in %)1F to s"rrender his territories +oth to the north and to the west