Maratha

Maratha State (1674-1720) and Maratha Confederacy
(1720-1818)
Maratha State : 1674-1720
Shivaji : 1674-80
1. Bom at Shivneri Fort in 1627.
2. Father- Shahji Bhonsle, Mother-Jija Bai, Religious Teacher-Samarth Ramdas.
3. Shivaji inherited the Jagir of Poona from his father in 1637.
4. After the death of his guardian, Dadaji Kondadev, in 1647, he assumed full
charge of his Jagir.
5. He conquered many Forts viz. Singh Garh/Kondana (1643), Rohind and

Chakan (1644-45), Toran (1646), Purandhar (1648), Rajgarh / Raigarh (1656),
Supa (1656) and Panhala (1659).
6. Afzal Khan was deputed by Adil Shah (Ruler of Bijapur) to punish Shivaji; but
the later Afzal Khan was killed by Shivaji in 1659.
7. Shaista Khan, governor of Deccan, was deputed by Aurangzeb to put down

the rising power of Shivaji in 1660. Shivaji lost Poona and suffered several
defeats till he made a bold attack on Shaista Khan (1663) and plundered Surat
(1664) and later Ahmadnager.
8. Raja Jai Singh of Amber was then appointed by Aurangzeb to put down Shivaji
(1665). Jai Singh succeeded in beseiging Shivaji in the fort of Purandhar.
Consequently the treaty of Purandhar (1665) was signed according to which
Shivaji ceded some forts to the Mughals and paid a visit to the Mughal court at
Agra.
9. In 1674 Shivaji was coronated at capital Raigarh and assumed the title of
Haindava Dharmodharak (Protector of Hinduism).
10. After that Chhatrapati Shivaji continued the struggle with Mughals and Siddis
(Janjira). He conquested Karnataka during 1677-80.
Shivaji's Administration
1. Shivaji divided his territory under his rule (Swaraj) into three provinces, each
under a viceroy. Provinces were divided into prants which were subdivided into
parganas or tarafs. The lowest unit was village headed by Patel (Headman).
2. Shivaji was helped by the ashtapradhan (eight minister) which was unlike a
collective of ministers, for there was no collective responsibility; each minister
was directly responsible to Shivaji.
3. Most of the administrative reforms of Shivaji were based on Malik Ambar’s

(Ahmadnagar) reforms.
4. Assessment of land revenue was based on measurement. The Kathi of Malik

Ambar was adopted as the unit of measurement.
5. Land revenue was fixed 1/3rd i.e. 33% of the gross produce (initially), 2/5th i.e.
40% of the gross produce (after reforms).
6. Chauth was 1/4th i.e. 25% of the land revenue was paid to the Marathas so for
not being subjected to Maratha raids.
7. Sardeshmukhi was an additional levy of 10% on those lands of Maharashtra

over which the Maratha claimed hereditary rights, but which formed part of the
Mughal Empire.
Sambhaji : 1680-89
1. Sambhaji, the elder son of Shivaji, defeated Rajaram, the younger son of
Shivaji, in the war of succession.
2. He provided protection and support to Akbar II, the rebellious son of

Aurangzeb.
3. He was captured at Sangameswar by a Mughal noble and executed.
Rajaram : 1689-1700
1. He succeeded the throne with the help of the ministers at Rajgarh.
2. He fled from Rajgarh to Jinji in 1689 due to a Mughal invasion in which

Rajgarh was captured along with Sambhaji's wife and son (Shahu) by the
Mughals.
3. Rajaram died at Satara, which had become the capital after the fall of Jinji to
Mughal in 1698.
4. Rajaram created the new post of Pratinidhi, thus taking the total number of
minister to nine (Pratinidhi + Ashtapradhan).
Tarabai : 1700-07
1. Rajaram was succeeded by his minor son Shivaji II under the guardianship of
his mother Tarabai.
2. Tarabai continued the struggle with Mughals.
Shahu : 1707-1749
1. Shahu was released by the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah.
2. Tarabai's army was defeated by Shahu in the battle of Khed (1700), and
Shahu occupied Satara.
3. But the Southern part of the Maratha kingdom with its capital Kolhapur
continued to be under the control of the descendents of Rajaram (Shivaji II and
later Shambhaji II).
4. Shahu's reign saw the rise of Peshwas and transformation of the Maratha
kingdom into an empire based on the principle of confederacy.
Balaji Viswanath (1713-20) : The First Peshwa
1. He began his carrer as a small revenue official and was given the title of Sena
Karte (marker of the army) by Shahu in 1708.
2. He became Peshwa in 1713 and made the post the most important and
powerful as well as hereditary.
3. He played a crucial role in the final victory of Shahu by winning over almost all
the Maratha Sardars to the side of Shahu.
4. He concluded an agreement with the Syed Brothers-King Maker (1719) by

which the Mughal emperor Farrukh Siyar recognised Shahu as the king of the
Swarajya.
Baji Rao I : 1720-40
1. Baji Rao, the eldest son of Balaji Viswanath, succeeded him as Peshwa at the
young age of 20.
2. He was considered the greatest exponent of guerrilla tactics after Shivaji and
Maratha power reached its zenith under him.
3. Under him several Maratha families became prominent and got themselves
entrenched in different parts of India.
4. After defeating and expelling the Siddis of Janjira from the mainland (1722), he
conquered Bassein and Salsette from the Portuguese (1739).
5. He also defeated the Nizam-ul-Mulk near Bhopal and concluded the treaty of
Doraha Sarai by which he got Malwa and Bundelkhand from the latter (1738).
6. He led innumerable successful expeditions into North India to weaken the

Mughal empire and to make the Marathas the supreme power in India.
7. He said about Mughals : 'Let us strike at the trunk of the withering tree and the
branches will fall of themselves'.
Balaji Baji Rao : 1740-61
1. Popularly known as Nana Saheb, he succeeded his father at the age of 20.
2. After the death of Shahu (1749), the management of all state affairs was left in
his hands.
3. In an agreement with the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah, the Peshwa was to
protect the Mughal empire from internal and external enemies (like Ahmad Shah
Abdali) in return for Chauth (1752).
4. Third battle of Panipat (Jan 14,1761) resulted in the defeat of the Marathas by
Ahmad Shah Abdali and the death of Viswas Rao and Sadashiv Rao Bhau. This
event shocked the Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao and after six month he also died. This
battle ended the Maratha power.
5. Successors of Balaji Baji Rao : Madhav Rao (1761-72), Narayan Rao (1772-
73), Sawai Madhav Rao (1773-95) and Baji Rao II (1795-1818).
Anglo-Maratha Wars
1. First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82) : Favouring the cause of Raghunath Rao

(Raghoba) for Peshwaship, English (Hastings) came in conflict with the
Marathas. On being defeated, the British had to sign the humiliating Convention
of Wadgaon (1779).
2. British later signed Treaty of Salbai (1782), renouncing the cause of Raghoba.
3. Second Anglo-Maratha war (1803-06) : The Maratha Peshwa signed the

Subsidiary Alliance Treaty of Bassein (1802).
4. The Maratha confederacy, which did not like the idea challenged the British
power but were defeated by the British.
5. Third Anglo-Maratha war (1817-18) : Lord Hastings was determined to

proclaim British paramountcy in India. He moved against Pindaris transgressed
the sovereignty of the Maratha chiefs and the war began.
6. The Marathas were decisively defeated.

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Maratha State (1674-1720) and Maratha Confederacy

1. Bom at Shivneri Fort in 1627.

2. Father- Shahji Bhonsle, Mother-Jija Bai, Religious Teacher-Samarth Ramdas.

3. Shivaji inherited the Jagir of Poona from his father in 1637.

5. He conquered many Forts viz. Singh Garh/Kondana (1643), Rohind and

7. Shaista Khan, governor of Deccan, was deputed by Aurangzeb to put down

3. Most of the administrative reforms of Shivaji were based on Malik Ambar’s

4. Assessment of land revenue was based on measurement. The Kathi of Malik

7. Sardeshmukhi was an additional levy of 10% on those lands of Maharashtra

2. He provided protection and support to Akbar II, the rebellious son of

3. He was captured at Sangameswar by a Mughal noble and executed.

1. He succeeded the throne with the help of the ministers at Rajgarh.

2. He fled from Rajgarh to Jinji in 1689 due to a Mughal invasion in which

2. Tarabai continued the struggle with Mughals.

1. Shahu was released by the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah.

Balaji Viswanath (1713-20) : The First Peshwa

4. He concluded an agreement with the Syed Brothers-King Maker (1719) by

Baji Rao I : 1720-40

6. He led innumerable successful expeditions into North India to weaken the

Balaji Baji Rao : 1740-61

1. First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82) : Favouring the cause of Raghunath Rao

3. Second Anglo-Maratha war (1803-06) : The Maratha Peshwa signed the

5. Third Anglo-Maratha war (1817-18) : Lord Hastings was determined to

6. The Marathas were decisively defeated.

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