Overview
The Maratha Empire, also known as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian power that rose in the Deccan during the seventeenth century and expanded across much of the Indian subcontinent in the eighteenth century. Founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1674, it played a central role in the decline of the Mughal Empire and shaped the political landscape of India until its defeat by the British East India Company in the early nineteenth century.
Key Facts
| Common name | Maratha Empire |
|---|---|
| Founder | Chhatrapati Shivaji |
| Founded | 1674 (coronation of Shivaji at Raigad) |
| Capital | Raigad; later Satara and Pune (as the seat of the Peshwa) |
| Official language | Marathi |
| Region | Indian subcontinent, with strongholds in the Deccan |
| Government | Monarchy under the Chhatrapati; later a confederacy led by the Peshwa |
| Dissolution | 1818, following the Third Anglo-Maratha War |
Background
The Marathas emerged in the western Deccan, a region historically ruled by the Bahmani Sultanate and its successor states, including the Adil Shahi of Bijapur and the Nizam Shahi of Ahmadnagar. Marathi-speaking warrior families served these sultanates as commanders and revenue holders. In this environment, Shivaji Bhonsle began carving out an independent polity in the mid-seventeenth century, drawing on hill forts, light cavalry, and a system of territorial administration.
History
Foundation under Shivaji
Shivaji captured a series of forts in the Sahyadri ranges from the Bijapur Sultanate and resisted Mughal expansion under Emperor Aurangzeb. He was crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad in 1674, formalising the Maratha state. His administration included a council of ministers known as the Ashta Pradhan, and he organised systems of revenue collection, naval defence along the Konkan coast, and a network of forts.
Successors and the Mughal-Maratha Wars
After Shivaji's death in 1680, his son Sambhaji succeeded him and continued the conflict with the Mughals until his capture and execution in 1689. Rajaram and later his widow Tarabai led the Maratha resistance during a long war with Aurangzeb in the Deccan. The prolonged campaign drained Mughal resources and is regarded as a significant factor in the empire's decline.
Rise of the Peshwas
Under Chhatrapati Shahu, grandson of Shivaji, real executive power gradually shifted to the office of the Peshwa (prime minister). Balaji Vishwanath and his son Bajirao I led major expansions northward in the early eighteenth century. Bajirao I is associated with rapid cavalry campaigns that extended Maratha influence into Malwa, Gujarat, and Bundelkhand.
Confederacy and northern expansion
Under Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb), the Marathas became the dominant power across large parts of north and central India. The empire functioned increasingly as a confederacy, with semi-autonomous houses including the Scindias of Gwalior, the Holkars of Indore, the Gaekwads of Baroda, and the Bhonsles of Nagpur, each acknowledging the authority of the Chhatrapati and the Peshwa.
Third Battle of Panipat
In 1761, a large Maratha army was defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali at the Third Battle of Panipat. The battle resulted in heavy casualties among the Maratha leadership and temporarily checked their northward expansion, although the confederacy recovered under Madhavrao I.
Anglo-Maratha Wars and decline
Conflict with the British East India Company defined the empire's final phase. The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) ended with the Treaty of Salbai. The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) saw major British victories against the Scindias and Bhonsles. The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) ended with the defeat of the Peshwa Bajirao II and the formal dissolution of the Maratha state, with most of its territories absorbed into British India or reduced to princely states.
Administration
The Maratha state combined a hereditary monarchy with a developed bureaucracy. Key features included:
- The Ashta Pradhan, a council of eight ministers introduced under Shivaji, covering finance, military affairs, foreign relations, and judicial matters.
- A revenue system based on assessments such as chauth and sardeshmukhi levied on territories under Maratha influence.
- An extensive network of forts in the Sahyadri and Konkan regions.
- A naval establishment, associated particularly with commanders such as Kanhoji Angre.
Military
The Maratha military was known for its light cavalry, mobility, and use of guerrilla tactics in difficult terrain. Over time it incorporated infantry trained on European lines, particularly under the Scindias of Gwalior, as well as artillery units. The fort system formed the backbone of territorial defence in the Deccan.
Culture and language
Marathi was the principal language of administration and literature, and the empire patronised Marathi as well as Sanskrit scholarship. The bhakti tradition associated with saints such as Tukaram and Ramdas formed an important cultural background to the Maratha polity. Temple patronage, especially at sites such as Kashi, Prayag, and various Deccan shrines, was a significant aspect of Maratha rule.
Significance
The Maratha Empire was one of the principal Indian powers of the eighteenth century and contributed to the political reconfiguration of the subcontinent after the decline of Mughal authority. Its administrative practices, military innovations, and cultural patronage left a lasting imprint on western and central India, and several of its constituent houses continued as princely states under the British paramountcy.