Maratha Empire

The Maratha Empire, (also spelled Mahratta), was also called the Maratha Confederacy, of India. It was founded by Shivaji in 1674 when he carved out an independent Maratha zone around Pune from the Bijapur Sultanate. After a lifetime of exploits and guerilla warfare with the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Shivaji died in 1680, leaving a Maratha kingdom of great but strategically located. Mughal invasion started around 1682 and lasted till 1707. Thus for 25 years ,Marathas fought one of the longest battles in human history.Ultimately they defeated Mughals who were forced to withdraw from the maratha possessions. Shahu, a grandson of Shivaji became Chatrapati and till his death in 1749 remained as a nucleaus of Maratha power. After his death, power passed into the hands of the Peshawa. The battle of Panipat in 1761 crippled the Maratha empire and corroded power of Peshwa forever. Now the Maratha confedercy was the real authority in power with titular king and prime minister. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.But the memory of Shivaji kept their hurt burning and with late 19th century a wave of socio-political breakthrough revolutions caused transformation of the entire State and nation.

The Decline of the Empire

The Peshwa sent an army to challenge the Afghans, and the Maratha army was decisively defeated on January 13, 1761 at the Third Battle of Panipat.Their internal feud costed them a lot even in this battle. The battle checked Maratha expansion, prevented the capture of Delhi, and encouraged the fragmentation of the empire. Even today the phrase 'meet your Panipat' in Marathi, has a similar meaning as the phrase, 'meet your Waterloo', in English.

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After 1761, the confederacy dissolved into five autonomous Maratha states.The Maratha controlled regions were divided amongst the Gaekwads of Baroda, Holkars of Indore & Malwa, and Scindias of Gwalior (and Ujjain) and these became strongholds of Maratha power. Tarabai was earlier awarded revenue rights in Berar and later made Nagpur her capital. When the British annexed Nagpur after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Tarabai Bhonsle?s protégés were given Kolhapur, where they remained well into the 20th century.

Related Topics:
Gaekwad - Baroda - Holkar - Indore - Malwa - Scindia - Gwalior - Ujjain - Nagpur - Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 - Kolhapur

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In 1775 the British East India Company, from its base in Bombay, intervened in a succession struggle in Pune, which became the First Anglo-Maratha War, which ended in 1782 with a restoration of the pre-war status quo. In 1802, the British intervened in Baroda to support the heir to the throne against rival claimants, and signed a treaty with the new Maharaja recognizing his independence from the Maratha empire in return for his acknowledgement of British sovereignty. In the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805), the Maratha retained their independence, but lost Orissa and most of Gujarat to Britain. The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818) resulted in the loss of Maratha independence, and left Britain in control of most of India. 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. The Maratha-ruled states of Gwalior, Indore, and Nagpur lost territory, and were integrated into the British Raj as princely states that retained local autonomy under British sovereignty.

Related Topics:
British East India Company - First Anglo-Maratha War - Baroda - Second Anglo-Maratha War - Orissa - Gujarat - Third Anglo-Maratha War - Kolhapur - Satara - Princely states

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The name of the empire is today preserved in the Indian state of Maharashtra, which was created in 1960 as a Marathi-speaking state.

Related Topics:
State - Maharashtra - Marathi

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