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Marathas
RISE OF MARATHAS UNDER SHIVAJI:
Introduction
Various factors contributed to the rise of
Marathas in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. The physical environment of the
Maratha country shaped certain peculiar
qualities among the Marathas. The
mountainous region and dense forests
made them brave soldiers and adopt
guerilla tactics. They built a number of
formidable forts on the mountains. The
spread of the Bhakti movement in
Maharashtra inculcated a spirit of religious
unity among them.
The Marathas held important positions in
the administrative and military systems of
Deccan Sultanates of Bijapur and
Ahmadnagar. But the credit of establishing
a powerful Maratha state goes to Shahji
Bhonsle and his son Shivaji. The political
unity was rendered by Shivaji Maharaj.
Shivaji was born at Shivner in 1627. His
father was Shahji Bhonsle and mother Jija
Bai. He inherited the jagir of Poona from his
father in 1637.
Achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji
Initial phase
He first conquered Raigarh,
Kondana and Torna from the ruler of
Bijapur.
After the death of his guardian,
Dadaji Kondadev in 1647, Shivaji
assumed full charge of his jagir.
He captured Javli from a Maratha
chief, Chanda Rao More. This made
him the master of Mavala region.
In 1657, he attacked the Bijapur
kingdom and captured a number of
hill forts in the Konkan region.
The Sultan of Bijapur sent Afzal
Khan against Shivaji. But Afzal Khan
was murdered by Shivaji in 1659 in a
daring manner.
Military Conquests of Shivaji
Shivaji’s military conquests made
him a legendary figure in the
Maratha region. The Mughal
emperor Aurangazeb was anxiously
watching the rise of Maratha power
under Shivaji.
Aurangzeb sent the Mughal
governor of the Deccan, Shaista
Khan against Shivaji. Shivaji suffered
a defeat at the hands of the Mughal
forces and lost Poona.
But Shivaji once again made a bold
attack on Shaista Khan’s military
camp at Poona in 1663, killed his son
and wounded Khan.
In 1664, Shivaji attacked Surat, the
chief port of the Mughals and
plundered it.
A second attempt was made by
Aurangzeb to defeat Shivaji by
sending Raja Jai Singh of Amber. He
succeeded in besieging the fort of
Purander.
Treaty of Purander 1665:
According to the treaty, Shivaji
had to surrender 23 forts to the
Mughals out of 35 forts held by
him.
The remaining 12 forts were to be
left to Shivaji on condition of
service and loyalty to Mughal
empire.
On the other hand, the Mughals
recognized the right of Shivaji to
hold certain parts of the Bijapur
kingdom.
Renewed war against Mughals
Surat was plundered by him for
the second time in 1670.
He also captured all his lost
territories by his conquests.
In 1674 Shivaji crowned himself at
Raigarh and assumed the title
Chatrapathi.
Shivaji’s policy and Expansion of Marathas
Administrative Policies
He laid the foundations of a sound
system of administration. The king
was the pivot of the government. He
was assisted by a council of
ministers called Ashtapradhan.
Peshwa – Finance and general
administration. Later he became
the prime minister
Sar-i-Naubat or Senapati –
Military commander, a honorary
post.
Amatya – Accountant General.
Waqenavis – Intelligence, posts
and household affairs.
Sachiv – Correspondence.
Sumanta – Master of ceremonies
Nyayadish – Justice.
Panditarao – Charities and
religious administration.
Revenue Policies
Lands were measured by using the
measuring rod called kathi. Lands
were also classified into three
categories – paddy fields, garden
lands and hilly tracks.
Taxes : Chauth and
sardeshmukhi were the taxes
collected not in the Maratha
kingdom but in the neighbouring
territories of the Mughal empire
or Deccan sultanates.
Chauth was one fourth of the
land revenue paid to the
Marathas in order to avoid the
Maratha raids.
Sardeshmukhi was an additional
levy of ten percent on those
lands which the Marathas
claimed hereditary rights.
Military Policies
Shivaji was a man of military genius and his
army was well organized.
The regular army consisted of about
30000 to 40000 cavalry supervised
by havaildars. They were given fixed
salaries.
There were two divisions in the
Maratha cavalry –
1. Bargirs, equipped and paid by the
state;
2. Silahdars, maintained by the
nobles.
In the infantry, the Mavli foot soldiers
played an important role.
Shivaji also maintained a navy.
The forts played an important role in
the military operations of the
Marathas. By the end of his reign,
Shivaji had about 240 forts. Each fort
was put under the charge of three
officers of equal rank as a precaution
against treachery.
The above conquests and policies of Shivaji
was the major reason for Maratha
stronghold in the region against Mughals.
They became a formidable enemy of
neighboring kings.
Marathas after Shivaji
The Maratha kingdom was, however,
certainly weakened at the start of
18th century due to various internal and
external factors.
A full-scale civil war broke out
between the forces of Shahu
(grandson of Shivaji) and those of
Tarabai (Rajaram’s widow).The loyalty
of Maratha sardars and Deshmukhs
kept on shifting from one block to
another.
Since the time of Balaji Viswanath, the
office of the Peshwa became powerful.
He died in 1720 and was succeeded by
his son Baji Rao, who was in power till
1740.
After the death of Baji Rao in 1740,
Shahu appointed his son Balaji Bajirao
(1740-1761) as Peshwa. This was
indeed the peak period of Maratha
glory.
In 1761, after the third battle of
Panipat Madhav Rao became the
Peshwa. In 1772, Madhav Rao died of
consumption.
After the death of Madhav Rao, the
struggle for power occurred between
Raghunath Rao and Narayan Rao. In
1773 Narayan Rao was killed.
Madhav Rao Narayan succeeded his
father Narayan Rao.
Raghunath Rao tried to capture power
with the help of British. This led to the
1 st Anglo- Maratha war.
Madhav Rao died in 1794. Baji Rao II,
son of Raghunath Rao succeeded
Madhav Rao.
At the end of 3 rd Anglo- Maratha war
Peshwa was dethroned and pensioned
off while other Maratha states
remained as subsidiary states.
3RD BATTLE OF PANIPAT:
The Third battle of Panipat was fought
between the Marathas, led by Sadashivrao
Bhau and Durranis of Afghanistan, by
Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1761. The Third
Battle of Panipat changed the power
equations in India, the Afghans could hardly
rule any further, but paved the way for
British Rule in India.
The main reasons for the battle
The weakness of Mughal emperors and
the division of the nobility in
contending groups.
The ambition of the Marathas to gain
influence in the North and, for that
purpose, their promise, of support to
the Mughal emperor.
Lastly, the ambition of Abdali to
capture Kashmir, Multan and Punjab
and, for that purpose, his support to
the Turani group of nobility.
Outcomes of the battle:
The third battle ended the Maratha
attempt to succeed the Mughals as
rulers of India and marked the virtual
end of the Mughal empire.
The Maratha army, under the Bhao
Sahib, uncle of the peshwa (chief
minister), was trapped and destroyed
by the Afghan chief Aḥmad Shah
Durrānī.
This began 40 years of anarchy in
north-western India and cleared the
way for later British supremacy.
18th Century:
The 18th century was a period of
profound change in the Indian
subcontinent as the Mughal Empire
gave way to regional powers, many of
whom, like the Marathas, aspired to,
and almost achieved, imperial status.
The century saw an array of social
movements organised around religion
viz. Bhakti Movement, community
articulations, and agrarian expansion,
often crystallising into coherent
political entities.
It was a period made for political
adventurism, with shifting alliances
making any political calculation
virtually impossible.
In this cauldron was a heady mix of
religious invocation that did not
always correspond to the cleavages
that we assume to exist between
Hindus and Muslims.
Durrani chief was able to enlist the
support of several malcontents (the
Rohilla chief, the Nawab of Awadh)
and most impressively, of the warrior
ascetics, the Naga sanyasis and
Gosains
Thus, we can see that there were mostly
political undertones than religious
undertones.
The impact of the battle:
setback to expansionist policy of
Maratha and rise of Sikh in Punjab.
The fragility of alliances and the
overriding greed for immediate gain
undercut possibilities of any long-term
balancing of imperial aspirations with
those of local powerholders.
The precarity of hastily conceived
alliances, the extreme cynicism that
accompanied all political and
diplomatic engagements, blurred
distinctions between friend and foe.
It was certain then that the Battle of
Panipat temporarily halted the
Maratha advance, and enabled the
East India Company to maintain a low
profile for a while, consolidate its early
gains in Bengal, and subsequently
make a strong bid for supremacy in the
subcontinent.
Contemporary political scene seems to
have resemblances to cynical power
politics. But it is certain now that the stakes
are high, the narrative overcharged with
religious symbols, while on the ground, all
contenders have to grapple with the
realities of power and go beyond the
equations of caste, community,
Anglo Maratha wars:
RESULT
Maratha &
WAR & Year Reason & Course of Events
British Leaders
British support to Raghunath Rao
& signing of Treaty of Surat with
him angered Nana Phadnavis. Raghunath Rao,
Nana Phadnavis signed Treaty Nana Phadnavis Treaty of Salbai
& Warren peace of 2 decades.
I (1775-82) of Purandar with british.
Hastings
Sheltering Raghunath Rao
angered Maratha leaders
leading to series of Conflicts
Internal conflicts within Marathas;
Scindia & Peshwa Killed Vithoji
Rao Holkar & as a result of which Scindia, Bhonsle, Treaty of Bassein Delhi
Yeshwant Rao Holkar attacked Yeshwantrao acquired
II (1803-06) Poona. from Scindhia
Holkar &
Baji Rao II took refuge with
Wellesley
British & signed Subsidiary
alliance.
Interference of British
Resident & it started as a war
to end Pindaris. End of Maratha
Bajirao-II
Later Maratha sardars also Appasaheb, Challenge.
openly supported Pindaris & Madhavrao Peshwa was pensioned
III (1817-18)
joined the war as a last Holkar & Lord
off & sent to a small
attempt to restore the lost Hastings
estate near Kanpur.
glory
Reasons for fall of Marathas
War of Succession : There ensued a
war of succession after the death of
Shivaji between his sons, Shambaji and
Rajaram. Shambaji emerged victorious
but later he was captured and
executed by the Mughals. Rajaram
succeeded the throne but the Mughals
made him to flee to the Ginjee fort.
Political structure: Divisions within
The other reason for downfall of Maratha
empire was its own structure. Its nature
was that of a confederacy where power was
shared among the chiefs or sardars
(Bhonsle, Holker etc).
Weak Revenue Administration
Marathas depended on the collection of
Chauth and Sardeshmukhi and on their
exploits from plunder and loot. They failed
to develop an efficient system of revenue
administration. New territories were
conquered but much less focus was on the
administration. Rulers were mainly
interested in raising revenue from
peasantry through taxation.
Weak Diplomacy
Marathas did not take the trouble to find
out what was happening elsewhere and
what their enemies were doing. There was
no far-sighted statesmanship or effective
strategy. They failed to cultivate alliances
with forces around them.
Anglo-Maratha Wars and Subsidiary
Alliance
In 1802, Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted
subsidiary alliance by signing Treaty of
Bassein. This marked the downfall of
Maratha empire. By 1818 the Maratha
power was finally crushed and the great
chiefs that represented it in central India
submitted and accepted the over lordship
of the East India Company.
Shivaji was really a constructive genius and
nation-builder. His rise from jagirdar to
Chatrapathi was spectacular. He unified the
Marathas and remained a great enemy of
the Mughal empire. He was a daring soldier
and a brilliant administrator. Post his rule,
infighting, disunity amongst Maratha
confederacy became the major reason for
their downfall.
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