Maratha Empire

News: A map showing the extent of the Maratha Empire in 1759 in the new NCERT Class 8 social science textbook has run into a controversy. Maratha Empire history and rulers

About Maratha Empire

• The Marathas emerged as a formidable power in the 17th century in the Deccan region (modern-day Maharashtra).
• Founder: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630–1680), who established Hindavi Swarajya by challenging Mughal and Bijapur rule.
• Geographical extent: Initially centered in Maharashtra, the Maratha influence expanded to parts of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and beyond.
• Coronation and title: Shivaji assumed the title Chhatrapati in 1674 at Raigad Fort, marking the formal establishment of the Maratha Empire.

Marathas after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

• Shivaji had two sons – Sambhaji and Rajaram.
• Sambhaji’s reign
  • After Shivaji’s death, Sambhaji became the Chhatrapati.
  • The Marathas were then the only obstacle to total Mughal control of the Deccan.
  • Aurangzeb invaded the Deccan and conquered the Bijapur (or Adil Shahi) and Golconda (or Qutb Shahi) Sultanates.
  • He then captured Sambhaji and, after torturing him brutally, executed
  • After this, he captured Raigad, the Maratha capital.
• Rajaram’s reign
  • After Sambhaji, Rajaram became the Chhatrapati and fled to Gingee (in present-day Tamil Nadu).
  • Aurangzeb was unable to leave the Deccan and died without having succeeded in subduing the Marathas.
• Decentralized empire
  • The centralised state from Shivaji’s time gave way to a more decentralised structure, still nominally centred around the Chhatrapati, but with the chiefs wielding more power.
  • In particular, the Peshwa (a Persian term for ‘prime minister’) wielded great influence, even over the Chhatrapati himself.
  • In particular, Peshwa Bajirao I and his son Nanasaheb Peshwa were instrumental in the pan-Indian expansion of the Marathas.

Important Battles of the Maratha Dynasty

Civilian administration

• Shivaji instituted a relatively centralised administration for his kingdom.
• He abolished the hereditary posts (generally practiced under the Sultans or the Mughals) and land assignments and paid a salary to every government official out of the state treasury.
• Many officials were periodically transferred as well, ensuring that they would not have enough power to dictate terms to the king.
• Shivaji also gave pensions to widows of soldiers who died in battles, even offering military posts to their sons, thus demonstrating his care for the soldiers and their families.
• Council of ministers: To assist the king, there was a council of state ministers known as ashtaptadhana:
  • Peshwa (Prime Minister): He was the head of both civil and military affairs.
  • Mazumdar (auditor): He looked into the income and expenditure of the state.
  • Wakins: He was the in-charge of king’s private affairs.
  • Dabir : Foreign secretary
  • Sumis (superintendent): He used to take care of all the official correspondences.
  • Pandit Rao: Ecclesiastical head
  • Senapati: Commander in chief
  • Nyayadhish: Chief Justice
• Tex system: The Marathas often levied taxes called chauth (25 per cent) and sardeshmukhi (an additional 10 per cent to chauth) from provinces that were not directly under them, including places in the Deccan and north India.
• In return, the Marathas protected those provinces and did not intervene in their internal administration.
• The Mughals also approved of this arrangement through various treaties, and over time, some of these provinces became a part of the Maratha Empire.

Judicial system

• The Marathas had an efficient judicial system, remarkable for its moderation in using capital punishment (the death penalty).
• The panchayat was a local gathering of officials and prominent men, and the main body that delivered justice.
• An appeal could be made to a Maratha chief in case of an unsatisfactory verdict.
• Additionally, in various prominent towns such as Pune, Indore, etc., the kotwāl or the police was also deployed to ensure law and order within the city.

Military administration

• The Maratha armed forces were divided into three parts – infantry, cavalry and navy.
• Cavalry: The cavalry was made up of two types of soldiers –
  • the bārgīrs, whose horses and equipment were paid for by the state,
  • the shiledārs, whose horses and equipment were paid for by the soldiers themselves.
• In the 18th century, the Marathas also noticed the superiority of European style disciplined troops and artillery, and they tried to raise and recruit such troops.
  • In particular, Mahadji Shinde had a large European-style army.
• Swords and lances were the preferred weapons of the Marathas. However, they also used guns in sizable numbers.
• Rockets were used in military campaigns from the days of Shivaji himself, and by 1770, metal tube rockets were also being used.
• The forts were initially the mainstay of Maratha power.
  • Shivaji controlled and built a considerable number of forts, as they were essential to strategically control important routes and shelter the army when engaging in guerrilla warfare.

Trade networks

• Shivaji encouraged trade and actively participated in maritime foreign trade himself.
• He and his officials had their own ships, which they regularly sent to ports as far away as Mocha in Yemen, Muscat in Oman, and Malacca in Malaysia.
• Some of these ships carried cargo like gold, textiles, etc.
• Roads were constructed and maintained.
• In places such as Odisha in the 18th century, a network of ferries was maintained for riverine transport.
• Bridges were built over rivers and small streams.

The Maratha legacy

• The Maratha rule challenged Mughal dominance and established the largest Indian empire before the British took over the Subcontinent, controlling much of central and northern India.
• They set up a new way of governing with an efficient administration, and also revived the local Hindu traditions without religious discrimination.
• Their brave fight against oppressive rule and foreign power was driven by the fiery ideal of Swarājya.
• Later it inspired many Indians to believe they could govern themselves, planting the early seeds for India’s freedom movement.