| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Birth & Family | Born 1627 (Shivneri fort, Maharashtra); son of Shahji Bhonsle (Bijapur Sultanate commander) and Jijabai; inspired by Ramdas Swami (spiritual guru) and Tukaram |
| Early Conquests | Captured Torna fort (1646) at age 16; gradually captured Rajgad, Kondana, Javali; built naval fleet; known as 'Father of Indian Navy' |
| Battle of Pratapgad (1659) | Defeated and killed Afzal Khan (Bijapur general) with concealed tiger claws (baghnakh) |
| Surat Sack (1664) | Sacked Mughal trading centre Surat twice (1664, 1670); enormous wealth; embarrassed Mughal empire |
| Treaty of Purandar 1665 | Jai Singh I (Mughal commander) besieged Shivaji; treaty — Shivaji surrendered 23 forts; agreed to serve Mughals; went to Agra to meet Aurangzeb |
| Agra Escape (1666) | Aurangzeb kept Shivaji under house arrest; Shivaji escaped in fruit/sweet baskets; extraordinary escape story; declared Mughal enemy; recaptured forts |
| Coronation (1674) | Crowned Chhatrapati ('Lord of the Umbrella' — sovereign ruler) at Raigad fort; first Hindu coronation in centuries; gave moral boost to Marathas and Hindus across India; received title Haindava Dharmoddhaarak (upholder of Hindu dharma) |
| Military Method | Guerrilla warfare (Ganimi Kava — 'enemy tactics'); mountain warfare expertise; hit and run; avoided pitched battles; small mobile forces; excellent navy (first Indian ruler with significant sea power) |
Maratha Empire
1674–1818 AD | Shivaji to Peshwas | Swarajya · Guerrilla Warfare · Chauth & Sardeshmukhi | UPSC GS Paper I
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Shivaji Maharaj (1627–1680) — Founder of Maratha State
Ashtapradhan — Shivaji's Council of Eight Ministers
| # | Title | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peshwa (Prime Minister) | Head of administration; later became de facto ruler |
| 2 | Amatya (Finance Minister) | Revenue, accounts, treasury |
| 3 | Sachiv (Secretary) | Royal correspondence and records |
| 4 | Mantri (Chronicler/Internal Affairs) | Intelligence, personal security of king |
| 5 | Senapati (Commander-in-Chief) | Military affairs, army command |
| 6 | Sumant (Foreign Minister) | Foreign relations, diplomacy |
| 7 | Nyayadhish (Chief Justice) | Civil and military justice |
| 8 | Panditrao (Religious Affairs) | Religious duties, charity, appointments of religious officers |
Revenue System:
→ Chauth: 1/4 of revenue collected from non-Maratha territories (protection money — 'in exchange for not raiding')
→ Sardeshmukhi: Additional 1/10 of revenue; claimed as Shivaji was 'sardeshmukh' (head deshmukh/revenue collector) of Maharashtra
→ Revenue collected directly: Shivaji abolished tax farming; direct collection; fixed rates; peasant-friendly
Sambhaji & Later Chhatrapatis
→ Sambhaji (1680–1689): Shivaji's son; brave warrior; captured by Aurangzeb through treachery; refused to convert to Islam; tortured for 40 days and executed (1689) — became a martyr and symbol; Aurangzeb thought this would end Maratha resistance but instead galvanised them
→ Rajaram (1689–1700): Younger brother; kept resistance alive from Jinji fort; constant guerrilla warfare against Aurangzeb
→ Tarabai (1700–1707): Rajaram's widow; regent for infant son; continued Maratha resistance brilliantly while Aurangzeb was still alive; never defeated
→ Shahu (1707–1749): Sambhaji's son; held captive by Aurangzeb; released after Aurangzeb died; his accession led to power struggle with Tarabai
Peshwa Era — Peak of Maratha Power
| Peshwa | Period | Key Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| Balaji Vishwanath (1st Peshwa) | 1713–1720 | First Peshwa to make office hereditary and de facto ruler; supported Shahu over Tarabai; helped Sayyid Brothers bring Mughal Emperor to Delhi; negotiated sarpanpatti and chauth collection rights for Deccan with Mughals |
| Baji Rao I (2nd Peshwa) | 1720–1740 | Greatest Peshwa; brilliant military strategist; never lost a battle; expanded Maratha power to Malwa, Gujarat, Rajputana, Bundelkhand, Central India; Battle of Palkhed (1728) — defeated Nizam; reached Delhi gates in lightning raid (1737); died young at 39; introduced permanent Maratha presence in North India |
| Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Saheb, 3rd Peshwa) | 1740–1761 | Capital effectively shifted to Pune; greatest territorial expansion; Marathas controlled most of India; disaster at Third Battle of Panipat (1761) — Marathas defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali; Nana Saheb died of shock/grief 2 months after the battle |
| Madhav Rao I (4th Peshwa) | 1761–1772 | Restored Maratha power after Panipat humiliation; reconquered North India; forced Hyder Ali of Mysore to pay tribute; brilliant ruler who died young (28) of TB — called 'Thorle Madhavrao' |
| Peshwa Dynasty End | 1772–1818 | Struggle after Madhav Rao's death; Anglo-Maratha Wars (First: 1775–82; Second: 1803–05; Third: 1817–18); Third Anglo-Maratha War ended with defeat; last Peshwa Baji Rao II surrendered; Peshwaship abolished by British; pensioned off in Bithur near Kanpur |
Maratha Confederacy — Five Chiefs
During Peshwa era, five semi-autonomous Maratha chiefs formed the Confederacy:
→ Bhonsles of Nagpur: Raghuji Bhonsle expanded into Bengal, Bihar, Orissa
→ Holkars of Indore: Malhar Rao Holkar; Ahilyabai Holkar (1765–95) — one of India's greatest female rulers; built temples across India; Indore development
→ Scindias (Shinde) of Gwalior: Mahadji Scindia (1761–94) — dominant in post-Panipat era; controlled Mughal emperor; modern army trained by French; recovered lost territories
→ Gaekwads of Baroda: Gujarat; relatively peaceful; cooperated with British; Baroda state
→ Peshwas of Pune: Nominal head of Confederacy; Brahmin origin; Pune capital
Anglo-Maratha Wars — Detailed
| War | Period | Key Events & Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| First Anglo-Maratha War | 1775–1782 | Started when British backed Raghunathrao (pretender Peshwa) against the Pune regency; Treaty of Surat (1775); Battle of Wadgaon (1779) — British suffered humiliating defeat near Pune; Treaty of Salbai (1782) — status quo restored; Mahadji Scindia emerged as key figure |
| Second Anglo-Maratha War | 1803–1805 | Lord Wellesley's aggressive expansion policy; Battle of Assaye (1803) — Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington, victor of Waterloo) defeated Scindias — called it his 'bloodiest battle'; Battle of Laswari; Treaty of Surji-Arjungaon with Scindias; Treaty of Deogaon with Bhonsles; British gained Delhi, Agra, parts of Gujarat, Central India |
| Third Anglo-Maratha War | 1817–1818 | Last Peshwa Baji Rao II attempted to reassert authority; Battle of Khadki (Kirkee); Battle of Koregaon (1818) — small British force resisted Peshwa; Peshwa surrendered at Gwalior; Peshwaship abolished; Maratha Confederacy dissolved; British supremacy established across India |
Shivaji's Administration in Detail
Land Revenue:
→ Abolished Jagirdari system; introduced direct collection (Ryotwari)
→ 2/5 of produce as tax (later reduced)
→ Kathi system for measurement — used measuring rod, not estimation
Fort System:
→ Built or captured approximately 350 hill forts
→ Classified as hill forts (Giridurg), forest forts (Vandurg), and sea forts (Jaladurg)
→ Key forts: Raigad (capital), Pratapgad, Sinhagad, Rajgad, Torna, Sindhudurg (sea fort)
Navy:
→ First Indian ruler with significant naval power
→ Fleet captain: Kanhoji Angre — most feared naval commander in the Arabian Sea
→ Important sea forts: Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg
→ Warships called "Ghurabs" and "Gallivats"
Religious Policy:
→ Tolerant toward all religions; protected mosques and dargahs
→ Muslim soldiers served in his army
→ Condemned conversion by force; respected the Quran
→ Appointed Muslims in administration
Judicial System:
→ Based on ancient Hindu practices
→ Nyayadhish was the chief justice
→ Punishments were fair; no discrimination based on caste in justice
Quick Revision — UPSC Key Facts
→ Coronation year: 1674 at Raigad fort
→ Shivaji's capital: Raigad fort
→ Afzal Khan killed at: Battle of Pratapgad (1659)
→ 'Tiger claws' (baghnakh): Used to kill Afzal Khan
→ Ashtapradhan: 8 minister council; Peshwa = PM
→ Chauth: 1/4 of revenue; Sardeshmukhi = additional 1/10
→ Greatest Peshwa: Baji Rao I — never lost a battle
→ Third Battle of Panipat (1761): Marathas vs Ahmad Shah Abdali; Maratha defeat; end of Maratha dominance of north India
→ Ahilyabai Holkar: Holkar chief; great ruler of Indore; renowned for justice and philanthropy
→ Anglo-Maratha Wars: First (1775–82), Second (1803–05), Third (1817–18) — ended Maratha independence
→ Shivaji & Navy: Called 'Father of Indian Navy'; built forts on sea (Sindhudurg, Vijaydurg); fleet commander Kanhoji Angre very important
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