The Land of the Brave

The Marathas

Chhattrapati Shivaji

founder of the Maratha Empire

Rise of the Maratha Empire

The Maratha Empire rose to power under the leadership of a brave warrior, efficient administrator - Chhattrapati Shivaji Bhonsle. Chattrapati Shivaji imbued the idea of 'Swarajya' in the hearts and minds of the Marathas and many decades after his death, the Peshwas too fought towards this goal of Swarajya.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the Maratha kingdom was the only one powerful enough to fill this political vacuum. In 1707 CE Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb died, in the event of which Shahu, the grandson of Chhattrapati Shivaji was released and the Maratha Kingdom was restored to him. Soon after his release there was an civil war amongst the Marathas succeeding which the Peshwas, under Balaji Vishwanath began to take control of the affairs of the State.

It was during the rule of the Peshwas that the Maratha region expanded to an Empire, conquering Orissa from the Nawab of Bengal, defeating the Nizam of Hyderabad and consolidating their hold over Malwa, Gujarat and Bundelkhand. The Marathas had also subjugated the rulers of Rajputana and the Nawab of Awadh as well as the rulers of Punjab, who were compelled to pay tributes to the them!

However, in 1761 CE, the Marathas faced a humiliating defeat in the Third Battle of Panipat. This defeat was a big blow for the Marathas and paved the way for the British to consolidate their power and control over Bengal.

Udaygiridurg

The Marathas defeated the Nizam of Hyderabad at Udaygiri in 1760, forcing him to cede much of his territory, along with an annual revenue of Rs. 62 lakhs.

In 1761 CE, the young Madhav Rao was declared the new Peshwa. He was a talented soldier and statesman and due to his efforts the Marathas regained their lost glory. However this too did not last long as Peshwa Madhav Rao died of consumption (Tuberculosis) in 1772 CE, leaving the Marathas in a state of confusion. A struggle for succession followed between Raghunath Rao (younger brother of Balaji Baji Rao) and Narayan Rao (younger brother of Madhav Rao). When Narayan Rao was killed in 1773, his infant son Sawai Madhav Rao was declared Peshwa. This event led Raghunath Rao to seek help from the British. This was the cause of the First Anglo Maratha War.

The Empire of the Marathas

The Anglo-Maratha Wars

The British felt threatened by the increasing power of the Marathas. Thus when Raghunath Rao approached them, they took every opportunity to exploit the internal struggles of the Maratha chiefs (sardars), finally succeeding in putting an end to their regime. However, quelling the Maratha threat was not an easy task as the British ended up fighting three wars against them. These wars came to be known as the Anglo-Maratha wars, fought from 1775-1818 CE.

The First Anglo-Maratha War

In 1770s the Bombay Government of the English East India Company was looking at establishing its base in Bombay. Hence they decided to aid Raghunath Rao's in claiming the title of Peshwa. Thus the Treaty Surat was signed between both parties. However, when news of this alliance reached the Governor General in Bengal, he condemned this move and a new agreement was drawn up. The war was brought to an end by the Treaty of Purandar in 1776 and the Peshwa Madhav Rao was recognized as the rightful Peshwa by the British. But unfortunately the Treaty of Purandar soon fell through and the British launched an attack on the Marathas. Finally the First Anglo-Maratha War came to an end in 1782, with the signing of the Treaty of Salbai. According to this treaty, the Marathas and the British agreed to support each-other and the British gained military support from the Maratha against Mysore. Thus this treaty ensured 20 years of peace between the two.

The Second Anglo-Maratha War

In 1800 CE, Nana Fadnavis, one of the wisest and ablest Maratha leaders passed away. This allowed the internal conflicts between the various Maratha Sardars and the Peshwa to come to the forefront. Then in 1801, a fight between the Holkars and the Peshwa broke out on account of the murder of Jaswantrao Holkar. Peshwa Baji Rao II, fled to take the aid of the British and in turn signed the Treaty of Bassein which was a Subsidiary Alliance treaty. This treaty virtually made the British the effective rulers of the last powerful Empire of India - the Marathas!

Peshwa Baji Rao II signing the Treaty of Bassein with the English.

The Third Anglo-Maratha War

It could be assumed that the British were looking for a means to completely wipe out the Marathas. An opportunity presented itself in 1813, under the Governor Generalship of Lord Hastings. He looked towards the Pindaris as being a major threat and hence launched an anti-Pindari campaign. However, the Pindaris were former Maratha soldiers who had turned highway robbers in the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Maratha war and the signing of the Subsidiary alliance Treaty of Bassien. Since the Marathas did not support the British in this campaign, Lord Hastings launched an attack on the Marathas, leading to the outbreak of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

The Marathas were completely routed in this war, which ended the rule of the Marathas. The concept of Peshwaship was abolished, the Peshwa himself was exiled to Bithoor and was given an annual pension to survive upon. Thus, with the use of their military strength and superiority, cunning diplomacy and strategic planning, the British soon became the masters of almost the whole of India!

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