How did the Maratha Empire Decline?

The Maratha Empire was an Indian empire from the late 17th century to the early 20th century. At its peak, it covered much of the area south of Afghanistan and Pakistan and east of India, also known as South Asia. After being checked by Britain’s East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

The Maratha Empire was ruled by seven descendants of Shivaji. Peshwa Bajirao Ballal wrote the history of the Marathas when the Maratha Empire was in its decline, and Peshwa Bajirao found it difficult to defend his domain from the aggression of Irshad khan, Mughal Subedar of Deccan.

History of the Marathas

The Maratha Empire was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818 and, at its peak, covered much of the subcontinent. The name “Maratha” comes from the word “Marathi,” which means a person belonging to the higher caste in India.

The empire was founded by Shivaji, who led a rebellion against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1674. It became the dominant power in India in the following centuries. The empire formerly existed until 1818, when the Maratha Confederacy collapsed following its defeat by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War. From a small contingent of 2,000 soldiers, Shivaji carved out an army numbering over 100,000. Shivaji led military campaigns across several parts of India, and his forces also had a greater number of men than his enemies. The empire at its peak covered roughly one-third of the subcontinent and included over 50% of India’s population.

The history of the Maratha Empire starts with establishing their first state in Gondwana, a territory spread across Maharashtra, Goa, and the central Deccan region. The first area conquered by them was Khandesh in 1665. Shivaji created a strong central government with a well-defined administrative hierarchy for his territories with varied cultures, languages, and religions. He established a strong military system with an elaborate intelligence network and well-structured financial and treasury systems. In the 18th century, Maratha armies were engaged in a contest for supremacy with the Mughals, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Durrani empire in Afghanistan, and other Maratha rulers.

The Maratha Empire was under the direct administration of the Peshwas, who served as rulers in the Maratha territory. The territories of Peshwa were feudal possessions ruled by zamindars. Their rule was extremely strict in comparison to the Mughal administration. They strictly enforced law and order, and one of their most profitable assignments was to collect taxes from the local peasantry. 

Maratha Empire Family Tree (Ruling Period)

• Sambhaji – 1680-1689

• Shivaji – 1674-1680, 1698-1700, and 1708-1710

• Shahuji – 1689-1691, 1700 and 1707

• Rajaram – 1688-1690, 1697, 1705 and 1715

• Nana Phadanvis – 1700-1707

• Sambhaji II – 1708-1714

• Sahuji I – 1707-1710, 1714-1719, and 1722-1736

• Nana Phadanvis II – 1707, 1710 and 1713

• Raghuji Bhosle – 1689, 1700 and 1706-1709, 

Marathas and Mughals

In Aurangzeb’s court circles and his army, there was a lot of anger over the way Shivaji had humiliated the Mughal soldiers he had captured. Aurangzeb wanted to defeat Shivaji and ordered Raigad besieged. In early 1689, near the village of Khopoli (now in Maharashtra state), the Maratha army attacked a vanguard of Mughal troops. The Mughal army lost more than two thousand soldiers, while the Maratha army only lost about one hundred. For this action, and others such as the battle of Purandar(1689) and Panhala(1690), Shivaji was given the title of Chhatrapati (Emperor).

In 1690, the Mughal commander of Gujarat, Bahadur Khan, was sent to subdue Shivaji. Bahadur Khan marched from Junagarh to Chandor and then on to Badami. The Maratha army suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of Bahadur Khan, who captured forty-two Maratha generals, including Chhatrapati Rajaram and his son Rajaram II. After this defeat, the Marathas retreated to Pune.

On 21 March 1691, Sambhaji was crowned Chhatrapati. On 7 June 1692, the Battle of Wai took place, where the Marathas defeated the Mughals. Before this, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s grandson Muazzam attacked Pune but was driven back by Dhanaji Jadhav. By this time, there was open war declared between Aurangzeb and Marathas. After the War, the Marathas stood firm and continued their rise to power.

On 10 January 1689, Shivaji died, leaving Chhatrapati Sambhaji in charge of the Maratha Empire. Rajaram II returned to Pune and succeeded his father in 1690. He was crowned as Chhatrapati on 10 April 1689, with help from his mother Tarabai, while Aurangzeb’s governor Zulfikar Khan was away at Sirhind.

The Maratha Empire maintained friendly relations with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. But when Aurangzeb’s son Muhammad Azam Shah killed his father in 1707, he laid siege on Agra. He appointed Mir Jumla as the ruler of the Deccan Suba, which included Marathas territory. In the first encounter, Zulfikar Khan defeated Tatya Tope at Burhanpur in 1705.

Conclusion

The Maratha Empire was the longest-lived of the pre-colonial empires and constituted a great achievement in the history of Marathas. It was a significant contributor to the development of Indian nationalism. The empire is viewed by several modern restoratives, nationalist and pan-Indian movements as a source of inspiration. Shivaji’s ambitious vision of Hindavi Swarajya has been credited for inspiring the leaders of India’s freedom movement, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru. The Maratha empire is responsible for laying down the foundation of the military system and organization, which later Indian princely states adopted and followed till 1947