Maratha Empire

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Maratha Empire

1674–1818

Flag

Motto: हर हर महादे व
"Har Har Mahadev"

(English: "Praises to Shiva")

Maratha Empire at its peak in 1760 (Yellow)

• Raigad
Capital
• Jinji[1]
• Satara
• Pune

Official languages Marathi (court language,

literature), Sanskrit (religious)
 Common languages Other South Asian languages

Religion Hinduism

Government Absolute monarchy (1674–1731)

Oligarchy with restricted
monarchial figurehead (1731–1818)

Chhatrapati (Emperor)

• 1674-1680 Shivaji (first)

• 1808–1818 Pratap Singh (last)
Peshwa (Prime
Minister)

• 1674–1683 Moropant Pingle (first)

• 1803–1818 Baji Rao II (last)
• Titular Nana Saheb (titular)

Legislature Ashta Pradhan

History

• Mughal–Maratha Wars 1674

• Mughal-Maratha Wars 1680–1707
• Afghan-Maratha Wars 1758–1761
• Maratha–Mysore Wars 1763-1799
• First Anglo-Maratha War 1775–1782
• Second Anglo-Maratha 1803–1805
War
• Third Anglo-Maratha War 1818

Area
1760[2] 2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi)

Currency Rupee, Paisa, Mohur, Shivrai, Hon

Preceded by Succeeded by

Mughal Sikh Empire

Empire Company rule
Bijapur in India
Sultanate

Today part of • India

• Pakistan

Maratha Empire, or the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern

Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the
18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674[note 1] with the coronation
of Shivaji as the Chhatrapati (Marathi: "Keeper of the Umbrella"). Although Shivaji
came from the Maratha caste, the Maratha empire also included warriors,
administrators and other notables from Maratha and several other castes from
Maharashtra.[4] They were responsible for weakening the Mughal control over the
Indian subcontinent.[5][6][7] Maratha rule officially ended in 1818 with the defeat of
Peshwa Bajirao II at the hands of the English East India Company.
The Marathas were a Marathi-speaking warrior group from the western Deccan
Plateau (present-day Maharashtra) who rose to prominence by establishing Hindavi
Swarajya (meaning "self-rule of Hindus").[8][9] The Marathas became prominent in the
17th century under the leadership of Shivaji, who revolted against the Adil Shahi
dynasty, and the Mughals to carve out a kingdom with Raigad as his capital.
His father, Shahaji, had earlier conquered Thanjavur which Shivaji's half-brother,
Venkoji Rao (alias Ekoji) inherited. This kingdom was known as the Thanjavur
Maratha kingdom. Bangalore which was established in 1537 by a vassal of
the Vijayanagara Empire, Kempe Gowda I who declared independence, was
captured in 1638 by a large Adil Shahi Bijapur army led by Ranadulla Khan who,
accompanied by his second in command Shahaji, defeated Kempe Gowda III. As a
result, Bangalore was given to Shahaji as a jagir (feudal estate). Known for their
mobility, the Marathas were able to consolidate their territory during the Mughal–
Maratha Wars and later controlled a large part of the Indian subcontinent.
Upon his release from Mughal captivity, Shahu became the Maratha ruler after a
brief struggle with his aunt Tarabai, with the help of Balaji Vishwanath. Pleased by
his help, Shahu appointed Balaji and later, his descendants, as the Peshwas or
prime ministers of the empire.[10] Balaji and his descendants played a key role in the
expansion of Maratha rule. The empire at its peak stretched from Tamil Nadu[11] in the
south, to Peshawar (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan[12]) in the north,
and Orissa & West Bengal up to the Hooghly River,[13] in the east. The Marathas
discussed abolishing the Mughal throne and placing Vishwas Rao on it in Delhi.
In 1761, the Maratha Army lost the Third Battle of Panipat, which halted their
imperial expansion into Afghanistan. Ten years after Panipat, the young
Peshwa Madhav Rao I's Maratha Resurrection reinstated Maratha authority
over North India.
In a bid to effectively manage the large empire, Madhav Rao gave semi-autonomy to
the strongest of the knights, and created a confederacy of Maratha states. These
leaders became known as the Gaekwads of Baroda,
the Holkars of Indore and Malwa, the Scindias of Gwalior and Ujjain,
the Bhonsales of Nagpur, the Jadhavs of Vidarbha, the Dabhades of Gujarat,
the Puars of Dhar and Dewas. In 1775, the East India Company intervened in a
Peshwa family succession struggle in Pune, which led to the First Anglo-Maratha
War in which the Marathas emerged victorious.[14] The Marathas remained the pre-
eminent power in India until their defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha
Wars (1805–1818), which resulted in the East India Company seizing control of most
of the Indian subcontinent.[citation needed]
A large portion of the Maratha empire was coastline, which had been secured by the
potent Maratha Navy under commanders such as Kanhoji Angre. He was very
successful at keeping foreign naval ships at bay, particularly those of the Portuguese
and British.[15] Securing the coastal areas and building land-based fortifications were
crucial aspects of the Maratha's defensive strategy and regional military history.
 Contents

• 1Nomenclature
• 2History
• 3Shivaji and his descendants
o 3.1Shivaji
o 3.2Sambhaji
o 3.3Rajaram and Maharani Tarabai
o 3.4Shahu
• 4Peshwa era
o 4.1Balaji Vishwanath
o 4.2Baji Rao I
o 4.3Balaji Baji Rao
▪ 4.3.1Invasions in Bengal
▪ 4.3.2Maratha's Afghan conquests
▪ 4.3.3Maratha invasion of Delhi and Rohilkhand
▪ 4.3.4Third battle of Panipat
o 4.4Peshwa Madhav Rao I
• 5Confederacy era
o 5.1Maratha–Mysore Wars
o 5.2British intervention
• 6Major events
• 7Administration
• 8Geography
• 9Legacy
o 9.1Military contributions
o 9.2Development of towns and civic amenities
o 9.3Patronising religion
o 9.4Fine arts and palaces
• 10Military
o 10.1Afghan accounts
o 10.2European accounts
• 11Notable generals and administrators
o 11.1Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar
o 11.2Nana Phadnavis
• 12Rulers, administrators and generals
o 12.1Royal houses
o 12.2Peshwas
▪ 12.2.1Peshwas from the Bhat family
o 12.3Federal houses of Maratha Confederacy
• 13Maps showing the Maratha Empire at different stages of history
• 14Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom (Tamil Nadu)
o 14.1List of rulers of Thanjavur Maratha dynasty
• 15See also
• 16Footnotes
• 17References
o 17.1Citations
o 17.2Bibliography
• 18Further reading

Nomenclature[edit]
The Maratha Empire is also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy. The
historian Barbara Ramusack says that the former is a designation preferred by
Indian nationalists, while the latter was that used by British historians. She notes,
"neither term is fully accurate since one implies a substantial degree of centralisation
and the other signifies some surrender of power to a central government and a
longstanding core of political administrators".[16]
Although at present, the word Maratha refers to a particular caste of warriors and
peasants, in the past the word has been used to describe all Marathi people.[17][18]

History[edit]
The empire had its head in the Chhatrapati as de jure, but the de facto governance
was in the hands of the Peshwas after Chhatrapati Shahu I's reign.[19] After his death
and with the death of Peshwa Madhavrao I, various chiefs played the role of the de
facto rulers in their own regions.[20]

Shivaji and his descendants[edit]

Shivaji[edit]
Main article: Shivaji

Early Maratha conquests, in Shivaji's and Shahji's time

A portrait of Shivaji Maharaj

Shivaji (1630–1680) was a Maratha aristocrat of the Bhosale clan who is the founder
of the Maratha empire.[5] Shivaji led a resistance to free the people from the Sultanate
of Bijapur in 1645 by winning the fort Torna, followed by many more forts, placing the
area under his control and establishing Hindavi Swarajya (self-rule of Hindu
people[9]). He created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigad as its
capital[21] and successfully fought against the Mughals to defend his kingdom. He was
crowned as Chhatrapati (sovereign) of the new Maratha kingdom in 1674.
The Maratha dominion under him comprised about 4.1% of the subcontinent, but it
was spread over large tracts. At the time of his death, [5] it was reinforced with about
300 forts, and defended by about 40,000 cavalries, and 50,000 soldiers, as well as
naval establishments along the west coast. Over time, the kingdom would increase
in size and heterogeneity;[22] by the time of his grandson's rule, and later under the
Peshwas in the early 18th century, it was a full-fledged empire.[23]
Sambhaji[edit]
Main article: Sambhaji

Sambhaji, eldest son of Shivaji

Shivaji had two sons: Sambhaji and Rajaram, who had different mothers and were
half-brothers. In 1681, Sambhaji succeeded to the crown after his father's death and
resumed his expansionist policies. Sambhaji had earlier defeated
the Portuguese and Chikka Deva Raya of Mysore. To nullify the alliance between his
rebel son, Akbar, and the Marathas,[24] Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb headed south in
1681. With his entire imperial court, administration and an army of about 500,000
troops, he proceeded to expand the Mughal empire, gaining territories such as the
sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda. During the eight years that followed, Sambhaji
led the Marathas successfully against the Mughals.[citation needed]
In early 1689, Sambhaji called his commanders for a strategic meeting
at Sangameshwar to consider an onslaught on the Mughal forces. In a meticulously
planned operation, Ganoji and Aurangzeb's commander, Mukarrab Khan, attacked
Sangameshwar when Sambhaji was accompanied by just a few men. Sambhaji was
ambushed and captured by the Mughal troops on 1 February 1689. He and his
advisor, Kavi Kalash, were taken to Bahadurgad by the imperial army, where they
were executed by the Mughals on 21 March 1689.[25] Aurangzeb had charged
Sambhaji with attacks by Maratha forces on Burhanpur.[26]
Rajaram and Maharani Tarabai[edit]
Main articles: Rajaram and Tarabai
Upon Sambhaji's death, his half-brother Rajaram ascended the throne. The Mughal
siege of Raigad continued, and he had to flee to Vishalgad and then to Gingee for
safety. From there, the Marathas raided Mughal territory, and many forts were
recaptured by Maratha commanders such as Santaji Ghorpade, Dhanaji
Jadhav, Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi, Shankaraji Narayan Sacheev and Melgiri Pandit.
In 1697, Rajaram offered a truce but this was rejected by Aurangzeb. Rajaram died
in 1700 at Sinhagad. His widow, Tarabai, assumed control in the name of her son,
Ramaraja (Shivaji II).[citation needed]
Shahu[edit]
After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Shahu, the son of Sambhaji (and grandson of
Shivaji), was released by Bahadur Shah I, the new Mughal emperor. However, his
mother was kept as a hostage of the Mughals, in order to ensure that Shahu
adhered to the release conditions. Upon release, Shahu immediately claimed the
Maratha throne and challenged his aunt Tarabai and her son. The spluttering
Mughal-Maratha war became a three-cornered affair. This resulted in two rival seats
of government being set up in 1707 at Satara and Kolhapur by Shahu and Tarabai
respectively. Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath as his Peshwa.[27] The Peshwa was
instrumental in securing Mughal recognition of Shahu as the rightful heir of Shivaji
and the Chhatrapati of the Marathas.[27] Balaji also gained the release of Shahu's
mother, Yesubai, from Mughal captivity in 1719.[28]
During Shahu's reign, Raghoji Bhosale expanded the empire Eastwards, reaching
present-day Bengal. Khanderao Dabhade and later his son, Triambakrao, expanded
it Westwards into Gujarat.[29] Peshwa Bajirao and his three
chiefs, Pawar (Dhar), Holkar (Indore), and Scindia (Gwalior), expanded it northwards
up to Peshawar. He also expanded it up to Kaveri river.

Peshwa era[edit]
Shaniwar Wada palace fort in Pune, it was the seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire until 1818.

During this era, Peshwas belonging to the Bhat family controlled the Maratha
Army and later became de facto rulers of the Maratha Empire till 1772. In due course
of time, the Maratha Empire dominated most of the Indian subcontinent.
Balaji Vishwanath[edit]

Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath

Shahu appointed Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath in 1713. From his time, the office of
Peshwa became supreme while Shahu became a figurehead. [27]

• His first major achievement was the conclusion of the Treaty of

Lonavala in 1714 with Kanhoji Angre, the most powerful naval chief on the
Western Coast. He later accepted Shahu as Chhatrapati.
• In 1719, Marathas marched to Delhi after defeating Sayyid Hussain Ali,
the Mughal governor of Deccan, and deposed the Mughal emperor. The
Mughal Emperors became puppets in the hands of their Maratha overlords
from this point on.[30]
Baji Rao I[edit]
Peshwa Baji Rao I

After Balaji Vishwanath's death in April 1720, his son, Baji Rao I, was appointed
Peshwa by Shahu. Bajirao is credited with expanding the Maratha Empire tenfold
from 3% to 30% of the modern Indian landscape during 1720–1740. He fought over
41 battles before his death in April 1740 and is reputed to have never lost any. [31]

• The Battle of Palkhed was a land battle that took place on 28 February
1728 at the village of Palkhed, near the city of Nashik, Maharashtra, India
between Baji Rao I and Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad. The
Marathas defeated the Nizam. The battle is considered an example of
brilliant execution of military strategy.[30]
• In 1737, Marathas under Bajirao I raided the suburbs of Delhi in a
blitzkrieg in the Battle of Delhi (1737).[32][33]
• The Nizam set out from the Deccan to rescue the Mughals from the
invasion of the Marathas, but was defeated decisively in the Battle of
Bhopal.[34][35] The Marathas extracted a large tribute from the Mughals and
signed a treaty which ceded Malwa to the Marathas.[36]
• The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and
the Portuguese rulers of Vasai, a village lying on the northern shore of
Vasai creek, 50 km north of Mumbai. The Marathas were led by Chimaji
Appa, brother of Baji Rao. The Maratha victory in this war was a major
achievement of Baji Rao's time in office.[34]
Balaji Baji Rao[edit]

Peshwa Balaji Bajirao

Baji Rao's son, Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb), was appointed as the next Peshwa by
Shahu despite the opposition of other chiefs.

• In 1740, the Maratha forces, under Raghoji Bhosale, came down

upon Arcot and defeated the Nawab of Arcot, Dost Ali, in the pass at
Damalcherry. In the war that followed, Dost Ali, one of his sons Hasan Ali,
and a number of other prominent persons lost their lives. This initial
success at once enhanced Maratha prestige in the south. From
Damalcherry, the Marathas proceeded to Arcot, which surrendered to
them without much resistance. Then, Raghuji invaded Trichinopoly in
December 1740. Unable to resist, Chanda Sahib surrendered the fort to
Raghuji on 14 March 1741. Chanda Saheb and his son were arrested and
sent to Nagpur.[37]
• Rajputana also came under Maratha domination during this time. [38]
• In June 1756 Luís Mascarenhas, Count of Alva (Conde de Alva), the
Portuguese Viceroy was killed in action by the Maratha Army in Goa.
Invasions in Bengal[edit]
Main article: Maratha invasions of Bengal
After the successful campaign of Karnataka and the Trichinopolly, Raghuji returned
from Karnataka. He undertook six expeditions into Bengal from 1741 to 1748. [39] The
resurgent Maratha Empire launched brutal raids against the prosperous Bengali
state in the 18th century, which further added to the decline of the Nawabs of
Bengal. During their invasions and occupation of Bihar[40] and western Bengal up to
the Hooghly River,[13]
Raghuji was able to annex Odisha to his kingdom permanently as he successfully
exploited the chaotic conditions prevailing in Bengal after the death of its
governor Murshid Quli Khan in 1727. Constantly harassed by the Bhonsles, Odisha,
Bengal and parts of Bihar were economically ruined. Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of
Bengal made peace with Raghuji in 1751 ceding Cuttack (Odisha) up to the river
Subarnarekha, and agreeing to pay Rs. 1.2 million annually as the Chauth for Bengal
and Bihar.[38]
During their occupation of western Bengal, the Marathas perpetrated atrocities
against the local population.[13] The Maratha atrocities were recorded by both Bengali
and European sources, which reported that the Marathas demanded payments, and
tortured and killed anyone who couldn't pay. Dutch sources estimate a total of
400,000 people in Bengal were killed by the Marathas. According to Bengali sources,
the atrocities led to much of the local population opposing the Marathas and
developing support for the Nawabs.[13]
Maratha's Afghan conquests[edit]

• Balaji Bajirao encouraged agriculture, protected the villagers and brought

about a marked improvement in the state of the territory. Raghunath Rao,
brother of Nanasaheb, pushed into the wake of the Afghan withdrawal
after Ahmed Shah Abdali's plunder of Delhi in 1756. Delhi was captured
by the Maratha army under Raghunath Rao in August 1757, defeating the
Afghan garrison in the Battle of Delhi. This laid the foundation for
the Maratha conquest of North-west India. In Lahore, as in Delhi, the
Marathas were now major players.[41] After the 1758 Battle of Attock, the
 Marathas captured Peshawar defeating the Afghan troops in the Battle of
Peshawar on 8 May 1758.[12]
Maratha invasion of Delhi and Rohilkhand[edit]
Just prior to the battle of Panipat in 1761, the Marathas looted "Diwan-i-Khas" or Hall
of Private Audiences in the Red Fort of Delhi, which was the place where the Mughal
emperors used to receive courtiers and state guests, in one of their expeditions to
Delhi.
The Marathas who were hard pressed for money stripped the ceiling of Diwan-i-Khas
of its silver and looted the shrines dedicated to Muslim maulanas. [42]
During the Maratha invasion of Rohilkhand in the 1750s
The Marathas defeated the Rohillas, forced them to seek shelter in hills and
ransacked their country in such a manner that the Rohillas dreaded the Marathas
and hated them ever afterwards.[42]
Third battle of Panipat[edit]
In 1760, the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau (referred to as the Bhau or Bhao in
sources) responded to the news of the Afghans' return to North India by sending a
large army north. Bhau's force was bolstered by some Maratha forces
under Holkar, Scindia, Gaikwad and Govind Pant Bundele. The combined army of
over 50,000 regular troops re-captured the former Mughal capital, Delhi, from an
Afghan garrison in August 1760.[43]
Delhi had been reduced to ashes many times due to previous invasions, and there
was an acute shortage of supplies in the Maratha camp. Bhau ordered the sacking of
the already depopulated city.[42][44] He is said to have planned to place his nephew and
the Peshwa's son, Vishwasrao, on the Mughal throne. By 1760, with defeat of the
Nizam in the Deccan, Maratha power had reached its zenith with a territory of over
2,500,000 square kilometres (970,000 sq mi).[2]

Signature Maratha helmet with curved back, front view

Signature Maratha helmet with curved back, side view
Maratha armour from Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Ahmad Shah Durrani called on the Rohillas and the Nawab of Oudh to assist him in
driving out the Marathas from Delhi.[citation needed] Huge armies of Muslim forces and
Marathas collided with each other on 14 January 1761 in the Third Battle of Panipat.
The Maratha Army lost the battle, which halted their imperial expansion.
The Jats and Rajputs did not support the Marathas. Historians have criticised the
Maratha treatment of fellow Hindu groups. Kaushik Roy says "The treatment of
Marathas with their co-religionist fellows – Jats and Rajputs was definitely unfair and
ultimately they had to pay its price in Panipat where Muslim forces had united in the
name of religion."[41]
The Marathas had antagonised the Jats and Rajputs by taxing them heavily,
punishing them after defeating the Mughals and interfering in their internal affairs. [citation
needed]
The Marathas were abandoned by Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur, who quit the
Maratha alliance at Agra before the start of the great battle and withdrew their troops
as Maratha general Sadashivrao Bhau did not heed the advice to leave soldier's
families (women and children) and pilgrims at Agra and not take them to the battle
field with the soldiers, rejected their co-operation. Their supply chains (earlier
assured by Raja Suraj Mal) did not exist.[citation needed]
Peshwa Madhav Rao I[edit]

Peshwa Madhavrao I

Peshwa Madhavrao I was the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. It was during
his tenure that the Maratha Resurrection took place. He worked as a unifying force in
the Maratha Empire and moved to the south to subdue Mysore and the Nizam of
Hyderabad to assert Maratha power. He sent generals such as Bhonsle, Scindia and
Holkar to the north, where they re-established Maratha authority by the early
1770s.[citation needed]
Madhav Rao died in 1772, at the age of 27. His death is considered to be a fatal
blow to the Maratha Empire and from that time Maratha power started to move on a
downward trajectory, less an empire than a confederacy. [citation needed]

Confederacy era[edit]

Mahadaji Shinde restored the Maratha domination of northern India

In a bid to effectively manage the large empire, Madhavrao Peshwa gave semi-
autonomy to the strongest of the aristocracy. [citation needed] After the death of
Peshwa Madhavrao I, various chiefs and jagirdars became de facto rulers and
regents for the infant Peshwa Madhavrao II.[citation needed] Thus, semi-autonomous
Maratha states came into being in far-flung regions of the empire:[citation needed]

• Peshwas of Pune
• Gaekwads of Baroda
• Holkars of Indore
• Scindias (aka Shindes) of Gwalior (Chambal region) and Ujjain (Malwa
Region)
• Bhonsales of Nagpur (no blood relation with Shivaji's or Tarabai's family)
• Puars (or Pawars) of Dewas and Dhar
• Even in the original kingdom of Shivaji itself, many knights were given
semi-autonomous charges of small districts, which led to princely states
like Sangli, Aundh, Bhor, Bawda, Phaltan, Miraj, etc.
The Pawars of Udgir were also part of the confederacy.
Maratha–Mysore Wars[edit]
Further information: Maratha–Mysore Wars, Sringeri Sharada Peetham, and Anglo-
Mysore Wars
The Marathas came into conflict with Tipu Sultan and his Kingdom of Mysore,
leading to the Maratha–Mysore War in 1785. The war ended in 1787 with the
Marathas being defeated by Tipu Sultan.[45] The Maratha-Mysore war ended in April
1787, following the finalizing of the treaty of Gajendragad, as per which, Tipu Sultan
of Mysore was obligated to pay 4.8 million rupees as a war cost to the Marathas, and
an annual tribute of 1.2 million rupees, in addition to returning all the territory
captured by Hyder Ali,[46][47] In 1791–92, large areas of the Maratha Confederacy
suffered massive population loss due to the Doji bara famine.[48]
In 1791, irregulars like lamaans and pindaris of the Maratha army raided and looted
the temple of Sringeri Shankaracharya, killing and wounding many people including
Brahmins, plundering the monastery of all its valuable possessions, and desecrating
the temple by displacing the image of goddess Sāradā.[citation needed] The
incumbent Shankaracharya petitioned Tipu Sultan for help. A bunch of about 30
letters written in Kannada, which were exchanged between Tipu Sultan's court and
the Sringeri Shankaracharya were discovered in 1916 by the Director of Archaeology
in Mysore. Tipu Sultan expressed his indignation and grief at the news of the raid: [49]
People who have sinned against such a holy place are sure to suffer the
consequences of their misdeeds at no distant date in this Kali age in accordance
with the verse: "Hasadbhih kriyate karma rudadbhir-anubhuyate" (People do [evil]
deeds smilingly but suffer the consequences crying).[50]
Tipu Sultan immediately ordered the Asaf of Bednur to supply the Swami with
200 rahatis (fanams) in cash and other gifts and articles. Tipu Sultan's interest in the
Sringeri temple continued for many years, and he was still writing to the Swami in the
1790s.[51]
The Maratha Empire soon allied with the British East India Company (based in
the Bengal Presidency) against Mysore in the Anglo-Mysore Wars. After the British
had suffered defeat against Mysore in the first two Anglo-Mysore Wars, the Maratha
cavalry assisted the British in the last two Anglo-Mysore Wars from 1790 onwards,
eventually helping the British conquer Mysore in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in
1799.[52] After the British conquest, however, the Marathas launched frequent raids in
Mysore to plunder the region, which they justified as compensation for past losses to
Tipu Sultan.[53]
British intervention[edit]
Further information: Anglo-Maratha Wars (disambiguation) and Anglo-Mysore Wars

A mural depicting the British surrender during the First Anglo-Maratha War. The mural is a part of the
Victory Memorial (Vijay Stambh) located at Vadgaon Maval, Pune.

In 1775, the British East India Company, from its base in Bombay, intervened in a
succession struggle in Pune, on behalf of Raghunathrao (also called Raghobadada),
who wanted to become Peshwa of the empire. Marathas forces under Tukojirao
Holkar and Mahadaji Shinde defeated a British expeditionary force at the Battle of
Wadgaon, but the heavy surrender terms, which included the return of annexed
territory and a share of revenues, were disavowed by the British authorities at
Bengal and fighting continued. What became known as the First Anglo-Maratha
War ended in 1782 with a restoration of the pre-war status quo and the East India
Company's abandonment of Raghunathrao's cause.[54]

Peshwa Madhavrao II in his court in 1790, concluding a treaty with the British

In 1799, Yashwantrao Holkar was crowned King of the Holkars and he captured
Ujjain. He started campaigning towards the north to expand his empire in that region.
Yashwant Rao rebelled against the policies of Peshwa Baji Rao II. In May 1802, he
marched towards Pune the seat of the Peshwa. This gave rise to the Battle of
Poona in which the Peshwa was defeated. After the Battle of Poona, the flight of the
Peshwa left the government of the Maratha state in the hands of Yashwantrao
Holkar.(Kincaid & Pārasanīsa 1925, p. 194) He appointed Amrutrao as the Peshwa
and went to Indore on 13 March 1803. All except Gaikwad, chief of Baroda, who had
already accepted British protection by a separate treaty on 26 July 1802, supported
the new regime. He made a treaty with the British. Also, Yashwant Rao successfully
resolved the disputes with Scindia and the Peshwa. He tried to unite the Maratha
Confederacy but to no avail. In 1802, the British intervened in Baroda to support the
heir to the throne against rival claimants and they signed a treaty with the new
Maharaja recognising his independence from the Maratha Empire in return for his
acknowledgment of British paramountcy. Before the Second Anglo-Maratha
War (1803–1805), the Peshwa Baji Rao II signed a similar treaty. The defeat
in Battle of Delhi, 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War resulted in the loss of
the city of Delhi for the Marathas.[55]
The Second Anglo-Maratha War represents the military high-water mark of the
Marathas who posed the last serious opposition to the formation of the British Raj.
The real contest for India was never a single decisive battle for the subcontinent.
Rather, it turned on a complex social and political struggle for the control of the
South Asian military economy. The victory in 1803 hinged as much on finance,
diplomacy, politics and intelligence as it did on battlefield maneuver and war itself. [53]

Battle of Assaye during the Second Anglo-Maratha War

Ultimately, the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) resulted in the loss of Maratha
independence. It left the British in control of most of the Indian subcontinent. The
Peshwa was exiled to Bithoor (Marat, near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh) as a pensioner of
the British. The Maratha heartland of Desh, including Pune, came under direct British
rule, with the exception of the states of Kolhapur and Satara, which retained local
Maratha rulers (descendants of Shivaji and Sambhaji II ruled over Kolhapur). The
Maratha-ruled states of Gwalior, Indore, and Nagpur all lost territory and came under
subordinate alliances with the British Raj as princely states that retained internal
sovereignty under British paramountcy. Other small princely states of Maratha
knights were retained under the British Raj as well.[citation needed]

Peshwa Baji Rao II signing of the Treaty of Bassein with the British

The Third Anglo-Maratha War was fought by Maratha warlords separately instead of
forming a common front and they surrendered one by one. Shinde and the Pashtun
Amir Khan were subdued by the use of diplomacy and pressure, which resulted in
the Treaty of Gwalior[56] on 5 November 1817.[citation needed] All other Maratha chiefs like
Holkars, Bhonsles and the Peshwa gave up arms by 1818. British historian Percival
Spear describes 1818 as a watershed year in the history of India, saying that by that
year "the British dominion in India became the British dominion of India". [57][58]
The war left the British, under the auspices of the British East India Company, in
control of virtually all of present-day India south of the Sutlej River. The
famed Nassak Diamond was looted by the company as part of the spoils of the
war.[59] The British acquired large chunks of territory from the Maratha Empire and in
effect put an end to their most dynamic opposition. [60] The terms of surrender Major-
general John Malcolm offered to the Peshwa were controversial amongst the British
for being too liberal: The Peshwa was offered a luxurious life near Kanpur and given
a pension of about 80,000 pounds.[citation needed]

Major events[edit]
• In 1659, Shivaji executed the Bijapuri general Afzal Khan at Pratapgad –
who was sent to subdue the nascent Maratha kingdom. More than 3,000
soldiers of the Bijapur army were killed and one sardar of high rank, two
sons of Afzal Khan and two Maratha chiefs were taken prisoner.
• During the Battle of Pavan Khind, the small Maratha force of 300 held
back the larger Bijapuri force to buy time for Shivaji to escape. Baji Prabhu
Deshpande was wounded but continued to fight until he heard the sound
of cannon fire from Vishalgad, signalling Shivaji had safely reached the
fort, on the evening of 13 July 1660.
• In April 1663, Shivaji launched a surprise attack on Shaista Khan in Pune,
along with a small group of men. After gaining access to Khan's
compound, the raiders were able to kill some of his wives; Shaista Khan
escaped, losing a finger in the melee.[61] The Khan took refuge with the
Mughal forces outside of Pune, and Aurangzeb punished him for this
embarrassment with a transfer to Bengal.[62]
• In 1664, Shivaji sacked the port-city of Surat in Gujarat, a rich trading
centre under the Mughal Empire; to refill his depleting treasury.
• In 1666, Aurangzeb summoned Shivaji to Agra and arrested him but
Shivaji managed to escape and safely reached his kingdom.
• In 1671, after having recovered his forts previously lost to the Mughals,
Shivaji sacked Surat for the second time to refill his treasury.
• In 1674, Shivaji was crowned king of the Maratha Empire in a lavish
ceremony at Raigad fort.
• In 1689, Aurangzeb treacherouly executed the Maratha ruler Sambhaji.
• In 1707, Aurangzeb died in Deccan, futilely fighting the Marathas. A young
Shahu is released from Mughal captivity.
• In 1719, the Marathas recovered their territories back from the Mughal
control.
• In 1736, the Mughal emperor violated his treaty with Marathas by
reappointing Jai Singh II as the governor of Malwa, thus Baji Rao I, to
avenge this betrayal, marched towards Delhi. A Mughal army
under Saadat Ali Khan was sent against him, but Baji Rao cleverly
deceived him by slipping through the unused Mewati route, arriving at
Delhi in March 1737, on Ram Navami's eve. Baji Rao defeated the Mughal
Emperor at Talkatora. As soon as the main army is informed of its error,
they hurry back to Delhi and Baji Rao, learning of their advance, retreats
towards Deccan.
• In May 1758, the Maratha Empire reaches its zenith with the capture
of Peshawar (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), during
its conquest of North-western India.
• In 1761, the Marathas are defeated in the Third battle of Panipat.
• After the 1761 Battle of Panipat, Malhar Rao Holkar attacked the Rajputs
and defeated them at the battle of Mangrol. This largely restored Maratha
power in Rajasthan.[63]
• Under the leadership of Mahadji Shinde, the ruler of the state of Gwalior in
central India, the Marathas defeated the Jats, the Rohilla Afghans and
took Delhi which remained under Maratha control for the next three
decades.[64] His forces conquered modern day Haryana.[65] Shinde was
instrumental in resurrecting Maratha power after the débâcle of the Third
Battle of Panipat, and in this he was assisted by Benoît de Boigne.
• In 1767, Madhav Rao I crossed the Krishna River and defeated Hyder
Ali in the battles of Sira and Madgiri. He also rescued the last queen of
the Keladi Nayaka Kingdom, who had been kept in confinement by Hyder
Ali in the fort of Madgiri.[66]
• In early 1771, ten years after the collapse of Maratha authority over North
India following the Third Battle of Panipat, Mahadji recaptured Delhi and
installed Shah Alam II as a puppet ruler on the Mughal throne[67] receiving
in return the title of deputy Vakil-ul-Mutlak or vice-regent of the Empire and
 that of Vakil-ul-Mutlak being at his request conferred on the Peshwa. The
Mughals also gave him the title of Amir-ul-Amara (head of the amirs).[68]

Maratha king of Gwalior at his palace

• After taking control of Delhi, the Marathas sent a large army in 1772 to
punish Afghan Rohillas for their involvement in Panipat. Their army
devastated Rohilkhand by looting and plundering as well as taking
members of the royal family as captives.[67]
• After the growth in power of feudal lords like Malwa sardars, landlords of
Bundelkhand and Rajput kingdoms of Rajasthan, they refused to pay
tribute to Mahadji, so he sent his army to conquer the states such
as Bhopal, Datiya, Chanderi, Narwar, Salbai and Gohad. However, he
launched an unsuccessful expedition against the Raja of Jaipur, but
withdrew after the inconclusive Battle of Lalsot in 1787.[69]
• The Battle of Gajendragad was fought between the Marathas under the
command of Tukojirao Holkar (the adopted son of Malharrao Holkar)
and Tipu Sultan from March 1786 to March 1787 in which Tipu Sultan was
defeated by the Marathas. By the victory in this battle, the border of the
Maratha territory extended till Tungabhadra river.[70]
• The strong fort of Gwalior was then in the hands of Chhatar Singh, the Jat
ruler of Gohad. In 1783, Mahadji besieged the fort of Gwalior and
conquered it. He delegated the administration of Gwalior to Khanderao
Hari Bhalerao. After celebrating the conquest of Gwalior, Mahadji Shinde
turned his attention to Delhi again.[71]
• In 1788, Mahadji's armies defeated Ismail Beg, a Mughal noble who
resisted the Marathas.[72] The Rohilla chief Ghulam Kadir, Ismail Beg's ally,
took over Delhi, capital of the Mughal dynasty and deposed and blinded
the king Shah Alam II, placing a puppet on the Delhi throne. Mahadji
intervened and killed him, taking possession of Delhi on 2 October
restoring Shah Alam II to the throne and acting as his protector. [73]
 • Jaipur and Jodhpur, the two most powerful Rajput states, were still out of
direct Maratha domination. So, Mahadji sent his general Benoît de
Boigne to crush the forces of Jaipur and Jodhpur at the Battle of
Patan.[74] Marwar was also captured on 10 September 1790.
• Another achievement of the Marathas was their victories over
the Nizam of Hyderabad's armies including in the Battle of Kharda.[75][76]

Administration[edit]
See also: Ashtapradhan

Pratapgad fort, one of the earliest forts administered by Shivaji.

Maratha darbar or court.

Gold coins minted during Shivaji's era, 17th century.

The Ashtapradhan (The Council of Eight) was a council of eight ministers that
administered the Maratha empire. This system was formed by Shivaji. [77] Ministerial
designations were drawn from the Sanskrit language and comprised:[citation needed]
 • Pantpradhan or Peshwa – Prime Minister, general administration of the
Empire
• Amatya or Mazumdar – Finance Minister, managing accounts of the
Empire[78][unreliable source?]
• Sachiv – Secretary, preparing royal edicts
• Mantri – Interior Minister, managing internal affairs especially intelligence
and espionage
• Senapati – Commander-in-Chief, managing the forces and defence of the
Empire
• Sumant – Foreign Minister, to manage relationships with other sovereigns
• Nyayadhyaksh – Chief Justice, dispensing justice on civil and criminal
matters
• Panditrao – High Priest, managing internal religious matters
With the notable exception of the priestly Panditrao and the judicial Nyayadisha, the
other pradhans held full-time military commands and their deputies performed their
civil duties in their stead. In the later era of the Maratha Empire, these deputies and
their staff constituted the core of the Peshwa's bureaucracy. [citation needed]
The Peshwa was the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Shivaji created
the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties
during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8–9
years and controlled the Maratha Army. They later became the de facto hereditary
administrators of the Maratha Empire from 1749 till its end in 1818. [citation needed]
Under the administration of the Peshwas and with the support of several key
generals and diplomats (listed below), the Maratha Empire reached its zenith, ruling
most of the Indian subcontinent. It was also under the Peshwas that the Maratha
Empire came to its end through its formal annexation into the British Empire by the
British East India Company in 1818.
The Marathas used a secular policy of administration and allowed complete freedom
of religion.[79]
Shivaji was an able administrator who established a government that included
modern concepts such as cabinet, foreign policy and internal intelligence.[80] He
established an effective civil and military administration. He believed that there was a
close bond between the state and the citizens. He is remembered as a just and
welfare-minded king. Cosme da Guarda says of him that: [75]
Such was the good treatment Shivaji accorded to people and such was the honesty
with which he observed the capitulations that none looked upon him without a feeling
of love and confidence. By his people he was exceedingly loved. Both in matters of
reward and punishment he was so impartial that while he lived he made no
exception for any person; no merit was left unrewarded, no offence went
unpunished; and this he did with so much care and attention that he specially
charged his governors to inform him in writing of the conduct of his soldiers,
mentioning in particular those who had distinguished themselves, and he would at
once order their promotion, either in rank or in pay, according to their merit. He was
naturally loved by all men of valor and good conduct.
The Marathas carried out a number of sea raids, such as plundering Mughal
Naval ships and European trading vessels. European traders described these
attacks as piracy, but the Marathas viewed them as legitimate targets because they
were trading with, and thus financially supporting, their Mughal and Bijapur enemies.
After the representatives of various European powers signed agreements with
Shivaji or his successors, the threat of plundering or raids against Europeans began
to reduce.

Geography[edit]
The Maratha Empire, at its peak, encompassed a large area of the Indian sub-
continent. The Maratha Empire at its zenith,expanded from Afghanistan in the north
to Thanjavur in the south, Sindh in the west to Bengal in the east. It
bordered Nepal and Afghanistan in the north. Apart from capturing various regions,
the Marathas maintained a large number of tributaries who were bounded by
agreements to pay a certain amount of regular tax, known as Chauth. The empire
defeated the Sultanate of Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the Nawab of
Oudh, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Nawab of Bengal, Nawab of Sindh and
the Nawab of Arcot as well as the Polygar kingdoms of South India. They
extracted chauth from the rulers
in Delhi, Oudh, Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab, Kumaon, Garhwal, Hyderabad, Mysor
e, Uttar Pradesh, Sindh and Rajputana.[81][82] They built up the largest Hindu empire in
India after the fall of the Gupta Empire on the 6th century.[citation needed]
The Marathas were requested by Safdarjung, the Nawab of Oudh, in 1752 to help
him defeat the Afghani Rohillas. The Maratha force set out from Pune and defeated
the Afghan Rohillas in 1752, capturing the whole of Rohilkhand (present-day
northwestern Uttar Pradesh).[42] In 1752, the Marathas entered into an agreement
with the Mughal emperor, through his wazir, Safdarjung, and the Mughals gave the
Marathas the chauth of Punjab, Sindh and Doab in addition to
the Subahdari of Ajmer and Agra.[83] In 1758, Marathas started their north-west
conquest and expanded their boundary till Afghanistan. They defeated Afghan forces
of Ahmed Shah Abdali, in what is now Pakistan, including Pakistani Punjab
Province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Afghans were numbered around 25,000–
30,000 and were led by Timur Shah, the son of Ahmad Shah Durrani. The Marathas
massacred and looted thousands of Afghan soldiers and
captured Lahore, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Attock, Peshawar in the Punjab
region and Kashmir.[84] They also made sporadic raids in Afghanistan.
During the confederacy era, Mahadji Shinde resurrected the Maratha domination on
much of North India, which was lost after the Third battle of Panipat including the cis-
Sutlej states (south of Sutlej) like Kaithal, Patiala, Jind, Thanesar, Maler
Kotla and Faridkot. Delhi and much of Uttar Pradesh were under the suzerainty of
the Scindhias of the Maratha Empire, but following the Second Anglo-Maratha War
of 1803–1805, the Marathas lost these territories to the British East India
Company.[68][85] The empire even after the defeat at Panipat expanded from Punjab in
the north to Karnataka in the south.

Legacy[edit]
Military contributions[edit]
 A painted scroll depicting different types of ships of the Marathan Navy including some captured English
ships.

• Some historians have credited the Maratha Navy for laying the foundation
of the Indian Navy and bringing significant changes in naval warfare. A
series of sea forts and battleships were built in the 17th century during the
reign of Shivaji. It has been noted that vessels built in the dockyards
of Konkan were mostly indigenous, constructed without foreign
aid.[86] Further, in the 18th century, during the reign of Admiral Kanhoji
Angre, a host of dockyard facilities were built along the entire western
coastline of present-day Maharashtra. The Marathas fortified the entire
coastline with sea fortresses with navigational facilities. [87]
• Nearly all the hill forts, which dot the landscape of present-day western
Maharashtra were built by the Marathas. The renovation of Gingee
fortress in Tamil Nadu, has been particularly applauded,according to the
contemporary European accounts,the defense fortifications matched the
European ones.[88]
Development of towns and civic amenities[edit]
• During the 18th century, the Peshwas of Pune brought significant changes
to the town of Pune, building dams, bridges, and an underground water
supply system.[89]
• The credit of developing many big cities in India
like Pune, Gwalior, Indore, Baroda,etc, goes to the Marathas.
Patronising religion[edit]
• Queen Ahilyabai Holkar has been noted as a just ruler and an avid patron
of religion. She has been credited for building, repairing and numerous
temples in the town of Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh and across the
Indian subcontinent. Its handloom industry is also said to have flourished
under the rule of the Holkars.[90]
• The Bhosales of Nagpur ruled the present-day state of Odisha in the latter
half of the 18th century where the Maratha rulers patronised religion and
religious institutions which made Odisha a center of attraction. [citation needed]
• Several Ghats in Varanasi (in present-day Uttar Pradesh) were built during
the Maratha rule of the 18th century.[91]
• Thousands of temples were built and repaired by the Marathas.[citation needed]
Fine arts and palaces[edit]
• The Maratha rulers of Tanjore (present-day Tamil Nadu) were patrons of
fine arts and their reign has been considered as the golden period
of Tanjore history. Art and culture reached new heights during their rule.
They also considered themselves as representatives of Cholas referring
themselves as Cholasimhasanathipathi.[92] They made significant
contributions towards Sanskrit and Marathi
literature,[93] Bharatanatyam (dance form), and Carnatic music.[94]
• Several majestic palaces were built by Maratha principalities which include
the Shaniwar Wada (built by the Peshwas of Pune).

Military[edit]
Main articles: Maratha Navy and Maratha Army
The Maratha army under Shivaji was a national army consisting of personnel drawn
mainly from Maharashtra. It was a homogeneous body commanded by a regular
cadre of officers, who had to obey one supreme commander. With the rise of
the Peshwas, however, this national army had to make room for a feudal force
provided by different Maratha sardars.[95] This new Maratha army was not
homogenous, but employed soldiers of different backgrounds, both locals and
foreign mercenaries, including large numbers
of Arabs, Sikhs, Rajputs, Sindhis, Rohillas, Abyssinians, Pathans, Topiwalas and
Europeans. The army of Nana Fadnavis, for example, included 5,000 Arabs.[96]
Afghan accounts[edit]

Maratha Gurabs ships attacking a British East India Company ship

The Maratha army, especially its infantry, was praised by almost all the enemies of
the Maratha Empire, ranging from the Duke of Wellington to Ahmad Shah Abdali.[citation
needed]
After the Third Battle of Panipat, Abdali was relieved as the Maratha army in the
initial stages were almost in the position of destroying the Afghan armies and their
Indian Allies, the Nawab of Oudh and Rohillas. The grand wazir of the Durrani
Empire, Sardar Shah Wali Khan was shocked when Maratha commander-in-
chief Sadashivrao Bhau launched a fierce assault on the centre of Afghan Army,
over 10,000 Durrani soldiers were killed alongside Haji Atai Khan, one of the chief
commander of Afghan army and nephew of wazir Shah Wali Khan. Such was the
fierce assault of the Maratha infantry in hand-to-hand combat that Afghan armies
started to flee and the wazir in desperation and rage shouted, "Comrades Whither do
you fly, our country is far off".[97] Post battle, Ahmad Shah Abdali in a letter to one
Indian ruler claimed that Afghans were able to defeat the Marathas only because of
the blessings of almighty and any other army would have been destroyed by the
Maratha army on that particular day even though the Maratha army was numerically
inferior to the Afghan army and its Indian allies. [98] Though Abdali won the battle, he
also had heavy casualties on his side. So, he sought immediate peace with the
Marathas. Abdali wrote in his letter to Peshwa on 10 February 1761:
There is no reason to have animosity amongst us. Your son Vishwasrao and your
brother Sadashivrao died in battle – it was unfortunate. Bhau started the battle, so I
had to fight back unwillingly. Yet I feel sorry for his death. Please continue your
guardianship of Delhi as before, to that I have no opposition. Only let Punjab until
Sutlaj remain with us. Reinstate Shah Alam on Delhi's throne as you did before and
let there be peace and friendship between us, this is my ardent desire. Please grant
me that desire.[99]

European accounts[edit]

Arms of Maratha

Similarly, the Duke of Wellington, after defeating the Marathas, noted that the
Marathas, though poorly led by their Generals, had regular infantry and artillery that
matched the level of that of the Europeans and warned other British officers from
underestimating the Marathas on the battlefield. He cautioned one British general
that: "You must never allow Maratha infantry to attack head on or in close hand to
hand combat as in that your army will cover itself with utter disgrace". [100] Even
when Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, became the Prime Minister of Britain,
he held the Maratha infantry in utmost respect, claiming it to be one of the best in the
world. However, at the same time he noted the poor leadership of Maratha Generals,
who were often responsible for their defeats.[100] Charles Metcalfe, one of the ablest of
the British Officials in India and later acting Governor-General, wrote in 1806:
India contains no more than two great powers, British and Mahratta, and every other
state acknowledges the influence of one or the other. Every inch that we recede will
be occupied by them.[101][102]
Norman Gash says that the Maratha infantry was equal to that of British infantry.
After the Third Anglo-Maratha war in 1818, Britain listed the Marathas as one of
the Martial Races to serve in the British Indian Army.[103] The 19th century diplomat
Sir Justin Sheil commented about the British East India Company copying the
French Indian army in raising an army of Indians:
It is to the military genius of the French that we are indebted for the formation of the
Indian army. Our warlike neighbours were the first to introduce into India the system
of drilling native troops and converting them into a regularly disciplined force. Their
example was copied by us, and the result is what we now behold. The French
carried to Persia the same military and administrative faculties, and established the
origin of the present Persian regular army, as it is styled. When Napoleon the Great
resolved to take Iran under his auspices, he dispatched several officers of superior
intelligence to that country with the mission of General Gardanne in 1808. Those
gentlemen commenced their operations in the provinces of Azerbaijan and
Kermanshah, and it is said with considerable success.

— Sir Justin Sheil (1803–1871).[104]

Notable generals and administrators[edit]

Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar[edit]

Ramchandra Pant Amatya

Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar was a court administrator who rose from the
ranks of a local Kulkarni to the ranks of Ashtapradhan under guidance and support of
Shivaji. He was one of the prominent Peshwas from the time of Shivaji, prior to the
rise of the later Peshwas who controlled the empire after Shahu. [77]
When Rajaram fled to Jinji in 1689 leaving the Maratha Empire, he gave a Hukumat
Panha (King Status) to Pant before leaving. Ramchandra Pant managed the entire
state under many challenges like influx of Mughals, betrayal from Vatandars (local
satraps under the Maratha state) and social challenges like scarcity of food. With the
help of the Pantpratinidhi, he kept the economic condition of the Maratha Empire in
an appropriate state.
He received military help from the Maratha commanders – Santaji
Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav. On many occasions he himself participated in battles
against the Mughals.[citation needed]
In 1698, he stepped down from the post of Hukumat Panha when Rajaram offered
this post to his wife, Tarabai. Tarabai gave an important position to Pant among
senior administrators of the Maratha State. He wrote Adnyapatra (मराठी: आज्ञापत्र) in
which he has explained different techniques of war, maintenance of forts and
administration etc. But owing to his loyalty to Tarabai against Shahu (who was
supported by more local satraps), he was sidelined after the arrival of Shahu in
1707.[citation needed]
Nana Phadnavis[edit]
Nana Phadnavis was an influential minister and statesman of the Maratha Empire
during the Peshwa administration. After the assassination of Peshwa Narayanrao in
1773, Nana Phadnavis managed the affairs of the state with the help of a twelve-
member regency council known as the Barbhai council and he remained the chief
strategist of the Maratha state till his death in 1800 AD. [105] Nana Phadnavis played a
pivotal role in holding the Maratha Confederacy together in the midst of internal
dissension and the growing power of the British. Nana's administrative, diplomatic
and financial skills brought prosperity to the Maratha Empire and his management of
external affairs kept the Maratha Empire away from the thrust of the British East
India Company.

Rulers, administrators and generals[edit]

Royal houses[edit]
• Shivaji (1630–1680)
• Sambhaji (1657–1689)
• Rajaram Chhatrapati (1670–1700)
Satara:

• Shahu I (r. 1708–1749) (alias Shivaji II, son of Sambhaji)

• Ramaraja II (nominally, grandson of Rajaram and Queen Tarabai)
(r. 1749–1777)
• Shahu II (r. 1777–1808)
• Pratap Singh (r. 1808–1839) – signed a treaty with the East India
company ceding part of the sovereignty of his Kingdom to the company [106]
Kolhapur:

• Tarabai (1675–1761) (wife of Rajaram) in the name of her son Shivaji II

• Shivaji II (1700–1714)
• Sambhaji II (1714 to 1760) – came to power by deposing his half brother
Shivaji II
• Shivaji III (1760–1812) (adopted from the family of Khanwilkar)
Peshwas[edit]
• Moropant Trimbak Pingle (1657–1683)
• Nilakanth Moreshvar Pingale (1683–1689)
• Ramchandra Pant Amatya (1689–1708)
• Bahiroji Pingale (1708–1711)
• Parshuram Trimbak Kulkarni (1711–1713)
Peshwas from the Bhat family[edit]
From Balaji Vishwanath onwards, the actual power gradually shifted to the Bhat
family of Peshwas based in Poona.

• Balaji Vishwanath (1713–1720)

 • Bajirao (1720–1740)
• Balaji Bajirao (4 Jul 1740 – 23 Jun 1761) (born 8 Dec 1721, d. 23 Jun
1761)
• Madhavrao Peshwa (1761 – 18 Nov 1772) (born 16 Feb 1745, d. 18 Nov
1772)
• Narayanrao Bajirao (13 Dec 1772 – 30 Aug 1773) (born 10 Aug 1755, d.
30 Aug 1773)
• Raghunathrao (5 Dec 1773 – 1774) (born 18 Aug 1734, d. 11 Dec 1783)
• Sawai Madhava Rao II Narayan (1774 – 27 Oct 1795) (born 18 Apr 1774,
d. 27 Oct 1795)
• Baji Rao II (6 Dec 1796 – 3 Jun 1818) (died 28 Jan 1851)
Federal houses of Maratha Confederacy[edit]
• Holkars of Indore
• Scindias of Gwalior
• Gaikwads of Baroda
• Bhonsales of Nagpur
• Bhonsales of Thanjavur
• Puars of Dewas and Dhar
• Patwardhans
• Bhoite's of Jalgaon, Aradgaon
• Newalkars of Jhansi
• Vinchurkars

Maps showing the Maratha Empire at different stages of

history[edit]
•

Maratha kingdom in 1680 (yellow)

Maratha Empire at its peak in 1759 (orange)

 •

Maratha Empire in 1760 (yellow)

Maratha Empire in 1765 (yellow)

Maratha Empire in 1795 (yellow)

Maratha Empire in 1805

Maratha Princely States in 1823

Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom (Tamil Nadu)[edit]
Main article: Thanjavur Marathas

Thanjavur Maratha palace

The Thanjavur Marathas were the rulers of the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom in
present day Tamil Nadu between the 17th and 19th centuries. Their native language
was Thanjavur Marathi. Venkoji, Shahaji's son and Shivaji's half brother, was the
founder of the dynasty.[107]
List of rulers of Thanjavur Maratha dynasty[edit]
• Venkoji
• Shahuji I of Thanjavur
• Serfoji I
• Tukkoji
• Pratapsingh of Thanjavur
• Thuljaji
• Serfoji II
• Shivaji II of Thanjavur

See also[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maratha Empire.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Maratha Empire.

• Battles involving the Maratha Empire

• List of Maratha dynasties and states
• List of people involved in the Maratha Empire
• Maratha titles
• Maratha War of Independence
• List of battles involving the Sikh Empire

Footnotes[edit]
1. ^ Some historians[3] may consider 1645 as the founding of the empire because that was
the year when the teenaged Shivaji captured a fort from the Adilshahi sultanate.
2. Many historians consider the 1848 as the ending year of the empire with the
extinction of Satara State