Marathas

• The empire was founded and consolidated by Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle.
• The Marathas had a series of conflicts with the Mughals
• Post Shivaji, five important centers of power had emerged
• The families that ruled the five power centers of Marathas often used to clash among themselves and challenged authority at Poone, this helped the East India Company to easily defeat Marathas.
• Marathas also posed a lot of problems for the Mughals, they attacked regions from Punjab to Bengal which led to law and order problems in the 18th century.
• Their position was challenged than in the third Battle of Panipat (1761), but they continued to be a cause of worry for the East India Company for another half a century.

The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat, about 60 miles (95.5 km) north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Empire and the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani with two Indian Muslim allies— the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Oudh.

Rise Of Maratha Empire

• Maratha Empire began as a small kingdom in western India with Raigad as the capital and rose to prominence under its founder Shivaji, the legendary Maratha Chief who led Marathas against the Sultan of Bijapur(Adil Shahi Dynasty) to establish Hind- Swarajya (self-rule for Hindu people).
• In 1674, Shivaji was crowned as Chhatrapati (sovereign). Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji, who was captured by Aurangzeb's forces in Deccan and executed while his son, Shahu was taken prisoner.
• Shahu was released in 1707 by Bahadur Shah I and Marathas soon began to make their presence felt.
• The states of Satara and Kolhapur were now created and Shahu created the post of Sena-Karte (Organizer of Forces) and appointed BALAJI VISHWANATH to the post. This evolved later into the office of Peshwa (Prime Minister)

Administration under Shivaji

Maratha Empire under Shivaji extended to Maharashtra, Carnatic and Tamil Nadu.

• Provinces were divided into Parganas and Parganas were further divided into villages.
• To strengthen the administration Shivaji abolished the Jagir system and began giving cash salary to his officers. Though he abolished Jagirdari but gave land grants for temples and schools.
• In his rule hereditary occupation of post was not allowed.
• Shivaji did not encourage the Zamindari system.

ASHT PRADHAN were the main axis of his administration. Eight prominent officials were collectively known as Asht Pradhan. They were-

1. Peshwa-He was the Prime minister of the king.
2. Amatya or Majumdar-He was Finance Minister.
3. Waq-i-Nawis-He worked as Home Minister.
4. Dabir or Samant-He looked after the work of the foreign department.
5. Sachiv-He conducted the official correspondence.
6. Pandit Rao-He was a religious officer.
7. Sar-i-Naubat or Senapati-He used to administer the army affairs.
8. Nyayadhish-He was the chief justice.

Maratha empire was CONFEDERACY of 5 big chiefs.

1. Peshwa = Poona
2. Gaekwad = Baroda
3. Bhonsle = Nagpur
4. Holkar = Indore
5. Sindhia = Gwalior

Judicial System

• Shivaji's judiciary was based upon the ancient Hindu laws. In the villages, the Panchayats settled the disputes.

Military

• The regular army consisted of about 30000 to 40000 cavalry and they were given fixed salaries. Shivaji set up the Maratha navy in 1659. The most famous Maratha admiral was Kanhoji Angre (1669-1729).
• There were two main divisions of the army of Shivaji Maharaj- infantry and cavalry.
• In infantry there were officers such as Havaldar and Jumledar. In cavalry there were Shiledars and Bargirs.
• Bargirs, equipped and paid by the state;
• Silahdars, maintained by the nobles.
• The ordinary soldiers were paid in cash, but the chief and military commander were paid through jagir grants (Saranjam or Mokasa).

Taxation System under Marathas

• Chauth and Sardeshmukhi were two major taxes of Marathas.
• Chauth was 1/4 of the total revenue from Non-Maratha territories and it was an annual tax.
• Sardeshmukhi was realized by Shivaji, just 1/10 of total revenue on the basis that legally he was the Pramukh (Sardeshmukh) or the head of all Deshmukhs.

Succession after Shivaji

• After the death of Shivaji, two of Shivaji's sons, first Shambhaji and then Rajaram, ruled briefly and fought with the Mughal army. In 1699, when Rajaram died, one of his queens, Tarabai, started to rule in the name of her infant son Shivaji II.

Maratha Empire in 18^th Century

• The Maratha kingdom was, however, certainly weakened at the start of 18^th 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 (Nanasaheb) (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.
• 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 II  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.
• After Madhav Rao 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.

Causes for the downfall of Maratha Empire

• Military Losses → Third Battle of Panipat

• Political structure: Divisions within → confederacy
• Weak Revenue Administration → Chauth and Sardeshmukhi & plunder and loot
• Weak Diplomacy → no far-sighted statesmanship or effective strategy
• Did not consolidate themselves
• No progressivism → administration was along the lines of their predecessors

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.

Anglo-Maratha Struggle for Supremacy

First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-82)

Treaty of Surat (1775), Treaty of Purandhar (1776), and Treaty of Salbai (1782)

• Main Cause of ware → Power struggle b/w Sawai Madhav Rao and Raghunath Rao
• Madhav Rao + Nanaphadnavis Vs. Raghunath Rao + British
• Bombay Presidency & Raghunath entered into an agreement → Treaty of Surat (British will help him if Rao give them Salsette and Bassein). But treaty was annulled by the supreme council at Calcutta under Hasting & made New treaty with Nana Fadnavis →
• In 1976 Nana Fadnavis made a treaty with British → Treaty of Purandhar. (Brirtish will keep Bassein and Salsette & Raghunath was pensioned off.) But Bombay violated this treaty and sheltered Raghunathrao.
• In 1977 Phadnavis granted a port on the west coast to the French → British got angry
• This led war at Wadgaon near Pune b/w British & Marathas under Mahadji Shinde → Shinde won ==> Treaty of Wadgaon
• After series of battles fainally in 1782 → Treaty of Salbai

Results

• British got Salsette and Broach
• Marathas  will help British to retake their possessions from Hyder Ali
• Marathas would not grant any more territories to the French.
• Raghunathrao was was pensioned off
• English accepted Madhavrao II (son of Narayanrao) as the Peshwa.

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05)

• Cuase of war : Desire of Wellesley to impose subsidiary Alliance
• Parties : Sindia + Holkar + Bhonsle Vs. British.
• Background : Treaty of Bassein (1802) [b/w English & Baji Rao II] was signed after the Battle of Poona. According to this pact around 6000 troops of the Company's native infantry was to be permanently stationed with the Peshwa. [Subsidiary Alliance]
• The Scindias and the Bhonsles did not accept this treaty and this caused the second Anglo-Maratha war in central India in 1803. The Holkars also joined the battle against the English at a later stage.
• Later British defeated all maratha forces and bring them under subsidiary Alliance.

Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1819)

• Reasions : Pindaris issues +Marathas wanted to retake all their old possessions + British residents’ interference in nternal matters.
• Parties : Peshwa (Bajirao II) + Bhonsle + Holkar Vs. English [Sindhia remained neutral]
• By this time Lord Hastings was the Governor General (appointed in 1813) and he was determined to proclaim British Paramountcy in India.
• Result : At the end of the third Anglo-Maratha War Peshwa Bajirao II, was dethroned and pensioned He was sent to Bithur, a place near Kanpur. All his territory was annexed by the British.

This was one of the last major wars fought and won by the British. With this, the British controlled most parts of India barring Punjab and Sindh directly or indirectly.