Marathas and Other Provincial Kingdoms

Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the epitome of willpower and leadership. He got the title of “Chhatrapati”, which means the “Sovereign” of the Maratha kingdom. He saved the Marathas from the invasion of the Mughals in 1674. He protected the kingdom by building groups of forts and highly-advanced marine security for the states near the shore. Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj created a stable empire under himself with some cooperation from brave families(deshmukhs). Poona was the capital city of the Maratha kingdom. In this article, you’ll get to know why did Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan? 

Chatrapati Shivaji and The Rise of Marathas

Chatrapati Shivaji was the only child of his father Shahji Bhonsle and his mother Jija Bai. Shivaji’s father played the perfect role of a father by establishing an invincible state of the Marathas. Shivaji was the successor who inherited the throne of Poona in 1637 from his father. 

Chatrapati Shivaji was born on February 19, 1630.  Shivaji proved his worth at a very age by conquering a number of hill forts near Poona, such as Rajgarh, Torna, and Kondana from the king of Bijapur. 

Shivaji took Javli from the Maratha king Chandra Rao More in 1656. With the conquest of Javli, he established himself as the sole ruler of the Mavala region. He raided the Bijapur kingdom in the Konkan (north) region in 1657 and seized a handful of hill forts.

In the battle of Pratapgarh, a prime Bijapuri noble, Afzal Khan, was sent by the Sultan of Bijapur to fight against Shivaji and win the territory of Poona. Still, Shivaji won the battle by murdering Afzal Khan. This victory gave the Maratha troops possession of the fort of Panhala.

Before Shivaji, Poona was under the power of the Mughal governor, Shaista Khan. In 1663, Shivaji struck the northern Konkan camps attacking Shaista Khan’s son. Shivaji killed one of their captains and was able to cause a wound to Shaista Khan. Shaista Khan’s prestige was harmed due to this brave conduct, and Aurangzeb summoned him and sentenced him to Bengal as a punishment.

Shivaji made another brave step around 1664. He attacked and looted Surat, the most crucial Mughal port during that time, and returned home loaded with loot. 

Shivaji was crowned and given the title “Chhatrapati” in Raigarh in 1674. He was by this time the most influential of the Maratha leaders, and he claimed to have the same rank as the Deccani sultans due to the extent of his conquests and the strength of his army.

Shivaji had his breath in Raigad in 1680. The Maratha emperor he built had ruled the western part of India for up to a century. 

Other Provincial Kingdoms

1. Bengal: – Due to weakening in the Mughals’ authority, Murshid Quli Khan, a diwan who worked for Aurangzeb, became effectively self-governing, though he was still required to pay allegiance to the Mughal Emperor.

Alivardi Khan dethroned him in 1739. Alivardi Khan established stability and prosperity and encouraged trade, agriculture, and manufacturing.

Both Hindus and Muslims were given equal employment chances.

1. Awadh: – Awadh emerged under the leadership of Saadat Khan Burhan ul Mulk and his successors, Safdar Jung and Asaf ud Daulah. They were influential in northern Indian politics and provided the Awadh territory with long-term governmental stability and peace.

1. Rajputs had performed admirably for the Mughals and were rewarded with significant freedom in their watan jagirs. However, during Aurangzeb’s reign, relations between the Mughals and the Rajputs deteriorated, owing to his interventions in the Marwar succession struggle.

Most Rajput states were engulfed in trivial rivalries and civil wars all of the time. After the decline of the Mughals, they lacked the support and power to over exercise their dominance.

1. Punjab: – The fall of Mughal rule allowed Sikhs to rise.  Maharaja Ranjit Singh established a great Sikh kingdom in Punjab by bringing the Sikh leaders west of the Sutlej under his control. 

He began to exert control over various trade channels, and to increase his profits, he started to impose restrictions on the trade of salt, grain, and textiles from Kashmir.

Declination of the Maratha Empire

The inner conflict amongst different Maratha chiefs caused the Britishers’ intervention, who were looking for penetration by establishing and solidifying the East India Company. The Britishers were clever enough to ignite conflict in two chiefs of the Maratha throne by offering one more concession on the victory over the other. 

These mind games worked as a fire strike among the Maratha who was going through internal affairs. 

In response to this, other Maratha kings fought with the Britisher in three Anglo-Maratha wars successively. The Marathas won the first battle in 1782. The Second Anglo-Maratha War ended in a defeat for the Marathas, who were compelled to negotiate a deal recognising British supremacy. 

The Third Anglo-Maratha War lasted from 1817 to 1818 and resulted in the loss of Maratha independence, releasing Britain in power over the majority of India.

Conclusion

The Marathas held prominent positions in the Deccan Sultanates of Bijapur and Ahmadnagar’s government and defense systems. Their authority and influence in government matters had expanded as the Mughals pushed into the Deccan. Several powerful Maratha families, such as the Ghatages, Nimbalkers, and Mores, but unlike the Rajputs, the Marathas lacked big, well-established governments. Shahji Bhonsle and his son Shivaji Maharaj are credited with founding a great Maratha empire. Now, You got to know the relevance of the Marathas and other provincial kingdoms.