115-585: (Redirected from Orange Flag ) Orange flag may refer to: Symbolic flag of the Maratha Empire One of the main symbols of Christian democracy political ideology Flag of the Orange Order Flag of the Orange Free State Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
230-744: A Deshmukh. Aurangzeb regarded Shahu, whose real name was Shivaji as 'Sav or Sadhu Shivaji' in contrast to his grandfather Shivaji I , resulting in his popular title 'Raja Shahu' meaning Honest or Saint King. Shahu was married to two daughters of high ranking Maratha Sardars in the Mughal service. Aurangzeb gifted Shahu the Bhavani sword of Shivaji , the sword of Afzal Khan , and another gold-hilted sword. Aurangzeb also granted him Sanads to lands and revenue rights around Parganas of Akkalkot, Supa, Baramati, and Nevase for his maintenance. After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, one of his sons, Prince Azam Shah , released Shahu in
345-454: A conclusive treaty. An open field known as the Jakhinwadi plain was chosen as the meeting place of the two cousins. Jakhinwadi was bedecked with pavilions and equipage of the nobles of Maharashtra, who on this occasion, vied with each other in the splendour of their trappings and the profusion of their jewelry. There were over 200,000 soldiers, alone with horses and countless baggage trains. On
460-560: A confrontation. On 3 August 1707, Jotyaji Kesarkar received the formal sanads for Raja Shahu at Burhanpur from Bahadur Shah , who had finally killed Azam Khan in the Battle of Jajau. Shahu and his successors were recognized by the Mughal Emperors as the rightful heirs to Shivaji. The Mughals of Delhi yielded a quarter of their total revenue as Chauth tax, and an additional 10% for their protection to Chhatrapati Shahu. They would later become
575-570: A hero of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Muzaffar Jang , Nizam-ul-mulk's grandson, is recorded to have spoken the following eulogy when he heard of Shahu's death. "Shahu at the Maratha Court, and Nizam-ul-mulk at the Mughal Court, are the only two great men, the like of whom is hardly to be met with. He carefully looked after the interests of his State: There has been no equal to him. He rightly deserves
690-568: A judicious ploy and threatened Sheikh Mira, saying that he would blow off the Sheikh's wife and children from the mouth of cannons if he did not surrender the fortress. Sheikh Mira then showed his readiness to do the bidding of Shahu. However, since the Pratinidhi resisted, Sheikh Mira, in a minor coup, threw him into prison and opened the gates to Shahu on 1 January 1708. It is said that even Dhanaji Jadhav, who had seen Aurangzeb’s vast army battering against
805-534: A plain frugal ascetic's life, he felt highly rejoiced in seeing people enjoying their various trades and avocations. Indeed he could be called a saint in this respect. Even when faced with murderers that came to attack him, he let them go unpunished and thus created a genuine feeling of reverence for his personality in the minds of the public." At that time of his death, his widow Sakvarbai and his concubines committed sati because of political intrigues between Tarabai and Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao regarding succession at
920-817: A political mediator and sought an alliance with Awadh to keep the Marathas out of Rohilkhand. He bound himself to pay on behalf of the Rohillas. However, after he refused to pay, Oudh attacked the Rohillas. Shah Alam II , the Mughal Emperor spent six years in the Allahabad fort and after the capture of Delhi in 1771 by the Marathas, left for his capital under their protection. He was escorted to Delhi by Mahadaji Shinde and left Allahabad in May 1771. During their short stay, Marathas constructed two temples in Allahabad city, one of them being
1035-579: A puppet government of the Marathas. On his march from Pune to the field of Khed Kudus, Shahu faced resistance from the town of Parad, which had a small fortress from which a feeble cannonade was directed upon his forces by the Patil Sayaji Lokhande. The fortress was stormed and levelled to the ground, and the besieged were put to the sword. The Patil Sayaji's widow placed her son Ranoji in Shahu's palanquin. Shahu, who regarded this as his first victory, named
1150-468: A rule, Shahu went out hunting every morning, which was his only exercise and mode of recreation. Breakfast was followed by office work, where the Chhatrapati carefully disposed of every matter that came before him, and patiently heard every petition that was submitted. At the lighting time in the evening, a full Court was held, after formal obeisance had first been made to Agni . Music and dancing concluded
1265-628: A separate treaty on 26 July 1802, supported the new regime. He made a treaty with the British. Also, Yashwant Rao successfully resolved the disputes with Scindia and the Peshwa. He tried to unite the Maratha Confederacy but to no avail. In 1802, the British intervened in Baroda to support the heir to the throne against rival claimants and they signed a treaty with the new Maharaja recognising his independence from
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#17328686328471380-511: A truce but this was rejected by Aurangzeb. Rajaram died in 1700 at Sinhagad . His widow, Tarabai , assumed control in the name of her son, Ramaraja (Shivaji II). After Aurangzeb died in 1707, Shahu , the son of Sambhaji (and grandson of Shivaji), was released by Bahadur Shah I , the new Mughal emperor. However, his mother was kept a hostage of the Mughals to ensure that Shahu adhered to the release conditions. Upon release, Shahu immediately claimed
1495-563: A war cost to the Marathas and an annual tribute of 1.2 million rupees, in addition to returning all the territory captured by Hyder Ali . In 1791–92, large areas of the Maratha Confederacy suffered a massive population loss due to the Doji bara famine . In 1791, irregulars like lamaans and pindaris of the Maratha army raided and looted the temple of Sringeri Shankaracharya , killing and wounding many people, including Brahmins, plundering
1610-508: Is known today as Maharashtra . Shivaji's monarchy was initially referred to as the Maratha Kingdom , which expanded into a large realm in the 18th century under the leadership of Peshwa Bajirao I . The Marathas were a Marathi -speaking peasantry group from the western Deccan Plateau (present-day Maharashtra ) who rose to prominence by establishing Hindavi Swarajya (meaning "self-rule of Hindus"). The Marathas became prominent in
1725-604: The British Raj as princely states that retained internal sovereignty under British paramountcy. Other small princely states of Maratha knights were retained under the British Raj as well. Shahu I Shahu I (Shivaji Sambhaji Raje Bhonsale; Marathi pronunciation: [ʃaːɦuː] ; 18 May 1682 – 15 December 1749) was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Confederacy founded by his grandfather, Shivaji I . He
1840-572: The Chhatrapati of the Marathas. Balaji also gained the release of Shahu's mother, Yesubai , from Mughal captivity in 1719. During Shahu's reign, Raghoji Bhonsle expanded the kingdom eastwards. Khanderao Dabhade and later his son, Triambakrao, expanded it Westwards into Gujarat. Peshwa Bajirao and his three chiefs, Pawar ( Dhar ), Holkar ( Indore ), and Scindia ( Gwalior ) expanded it northwards. Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath as Peshwa in 1713. Balaji Vishwanath's first major achievement
1955-606: The First Anglo-Maratha War ended in 1782 with a restoration of the pre-war status quo and the East India Company's abandonment of Raghunathrao's cause. In 1799, Yashwantrao Holkar was crowned King of the Holkars and he captured Ujjain. He started campaigning towards the north to expand his dominion in that region. Yashwant Rao rebelled against the policies of Peshwa Baji Rao II . In May 1802, he marched towards Pune
2070-533: The Ganga-Yamuna Doab . Shahu advanced the interests of the ryots and brought barren tracts under cultivation, encouraged the plantation of trees, and relieved the suffering of the poor classes by abolishing irksome taxes. Shahu, widely regarded as "Bhola Shankar" (benevolent incarnation of Shiva ), was reputed for his proverbial equitable disposition, and freely socialised with civilians. During festivals, celebrations, dinners, and marriage ceremonies, Shahu
2185-460: The Hooghly River and during their occupation of western Bengal , the Marathas perpetrated atrocities against the local population. The Maratha atrocities were recorded by both Bengali and European sources, which reported that the Marathas demanded payments, and tortured or killed anyone who couldn't pay. Raghuji was able to annex Odisha to his kingdom permanently as he successfully exploited
2300-634: The Maratha Empire , was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent . It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states often subordinate to the former. It was established in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as the Maratha Chhatrapati and recognised by Emperor Bahadur Shah I as a tributary state in 1707 following a prolonged rebellion . Following this,
2415-473: The Portuguese and Chikka Deva Raya of Mysore . To nullify the alliance between his rebel son, Akbar, and the Marathas, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb headed south in 1681. With his entire imperial court, administration and an army of about 500,000 troops, he proceeded to expand the Mughal empire, gaining territories such as the sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda . During the eight years that followed, Sambhaji led
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#17328686328472530-683: The Raja of Baroda of the House of Gaekwad , the Raja of Indore of the House of Holkar , and the Raja of Nagpur of the House of Bhonsle , (in order of territory and jurisdiction they hold), while the Peshwa's dominions included the territories that later became the Bombay Province and Central Provinces . After he was defeated by the Holkar dynasty in 1802, the Peshwa Baji Rao II sought protection from
2645-603: The Rohillas and the Nawab of Oudh to assist him in driving out the Marathas from Delhi. Huge armies of Muslim forces and Marathas collided with each other on 14 January 1761 in the Third Battle of Panipat . The Maratha Army lost the battle, which halted their imperial expansion. The Jats and Rajputs did not support the Marathas. Historians have criticised the Maratha treatment of fellow Hindu groups. Kaushik Roy says, "The treatment by
2760-781: The Scindia Dynasty of the Maratha Confederacy, as Mahadaji Shinde was deputed the Vakil-i-Mutlaq (Regent of the empire) of Mughal affairs in 1784. Following the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1806, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington drafted a treaty granting independence to the Sikh clans east of the Sutlej River in exchange for their allegiance to the British General Gerard Lake acting on his dispatch. At
2875-663: The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) resulted in the loss of Maratha independence. It left the British in control of most of the Indian subcontinent. The Peshwa was exiled to Bithoor (Marat, near Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh ) as a pensioner of the British. The Maratha heartland of Desh, including Pune, came under direct British rule, except the states of Kolhapur and Satara , which retained local Maratha rulers (descendants of Shivaji and Sambhaji II ruled over Kolhapur). The Maratha-ruled states of Gwalior, Indore, and Nagpur all lost territory and came under subordinate alliances with
2990-750: The Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon to the British East India Company leading to the Company rule in India . In 1788, Mahadaji's armies defeated Ismail Beg , a Mughal noble who resisted the Marathas. The Rohilla chief Ghulam Kadir , Ismail Beg's ally, took over Delhi, capital of the Mughal dynasty and deposed and blinded the king Shah Alam II, placing a puppet on the Delhi throne. Mahadaji intervened and killed him, taking possession of Delhi on 2 October restoring Shah Alam II to
3105-551: The Tungabhadra river. The strong fort of Gwalior was then in the hands of Chhatar Singh , the Jat ruler of Gohad . In 1783, Mahadaji besieged the fort of Gwalior and conquered it. He delegated the administration of Gwalior to Khanderao Hari Bhalerao. After celebrating the conquest of Gwalior, Mahadaji Shinde turned his attention to Delhi again. The Maratha-Sikh treaty in 1785 made the small Cis-Sutlej states an autonomous protectorate of
3220-456: The 'Watans', certain privileges and trade revenue being carried on in ports of Colaba district called 'Khadi of Kundalika'. They had also received 'Sanads' from the Chhatrapati to carry on the trade in different precious commodities such as fish, salt, rice, spices, and cocoa-nuts to and from their tax-free ports of Roha and Ashtami. Disturbances, attacks, and onslaughts by Abyssinians, Europeans were frequent. The queens were often requested to check
3335-530: The Angre fiefdom. Delighted with Balaji's success, Shahu dismissed Bahiroji Pingale , and appointed Balaji Vishwanath as Peshwa on 16 November 1713. Upon the death of Athani's Maratha lord Himmat Bahadur Vithoji Chavan, his son Udaji Chavan succeeded to his fief and his title of Himmat Bahadur. During the Maratha-Mughal Wars , Udaji's father had been a close friend of Ramchandra Amatya , and Udaji had joined
3450-613: The Bhau or Bhao in sources) responded to the news of the Afghans' return to North India by sending a large army north. Bhau's force was bolstered by some Maratha forces under Holkar , Scindia , Gaekwad and Govind Pant Bundele with Suraj Mal . The combined army of over 50,000 regular troops re-captured the former Mughal capital, Delhi, from an Afghan garrison in August 1760. Delhi had been reduced to ashes many times due to previous invasions, and there
3565-579: The British East India Company , whose intervention destroyed the confederacy by 1818 after the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars . The stable borders of the confederacy after 1737 extended from modern-day Maharashtra in the south to Gwalior in the north after the Battle of Bhopal (1737), to Orissa in the east or about a third of the subcontinent. The Maratha Confederacy is also referred to as
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3680-657: The British conquer Mysore in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799. After the British conquest, however, the Marathas launched frequent raids in Mysore to plunder the region, which they justified as compensation for past losses to Tipu Sultan. In 1775, the British East India Company , from its base in Bombay, intervened in a succession struggle in Pune, on behalf of Raghunathrao (also called Raghobadada), who wanted to become Peshwa of
3795-554: The Chhatrapati's throne in 1708 and emerged victorious. Following the death of Aurangzeb, Shahu grew impatient about returning to his homeland. He was advised by Zinat-un-Nissa and Zulfiqar Khan to not wait for formal sanads of appointment from Azam Shah, but to quit the Mughal camp at once and proceed to his home country. He readily acted upon this advice and left the Mughal camp at Doraha on 8 May 1707. The rulers of Bharatpur , Jaipur , Jodhpur and Udaipur received Shahu on his way to Pune with warm hospitality. Shahu visited
3910-645: The English and the Marathas did not fare well at the Battle of Ramghat. The Maratha and British armies fought in Ram Ghat, but the sudden demise of the Peshwa and the civil war in Pune to choose the next Peshwa forced the Marathas to retreat. Madhavrao Peshwa 's victory over the Nizam of Hyderabad and Hyder Ali of Mysore in southern India established Maratha dominance in the Deccan. On
4025-547: The Maratha Confederacy in return for his acknowledgement of British paramountcy. Before the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805), the Peshwa Baji Rao II signed a similar treaty. The defeat in the Battle of Delhi, 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War resulted in the loss of influence over Delhi for the Marathas. The Second Anglo-Maratha War represents the military high-water mark of the Marathas who posed
4140-516: The Maratha Empire. Historian Barbara Ramusack notes, "neither term is fully accurate since one implies a substantial degree of centralisation and the other signifies some surrender of power to a central government and a longstanding core of political administrators". Although at present, the word Maratha refers to a traditionally Marathi peasantry group, in the past the word has been used to describe all Marathi people . Shivaji (1630–1680)
4255-408: The Maratha alliance at Agra before the start of the great battle and withdrew their troops as Maratha general Sadashivrao Bhau did not heed the advice to leave soldiers' families (women and children) and pilgrims at Agra and not take them to the battlefield with the soldiers, rejected their co-operation. Their supply chains (earlier assured by Raja Suraj Mal ) did not exist. Peshwa Madhavrao I
4370-414: The Maratha throne and challenged his aunt Tarabai and her son. The spluttering Mughal-Maratha war became a three-cornered affair. This resulted in two rival seats of government being set up in 1707 at Satara and Kolhapur by Shahu and Tarabai respectively. Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath as his Peshwa. The Peshwa was instrumental in securing Mughal recognition of Shahu as the rightful heir of Shivaji and
4485-540: The Marathas continued to recognise the Mughal emperor as their nominal suzerain , similar to other contemporary Indian entities, though in practice, imperial politics at Delhi were largely influenced by the Marathas between 1737 and 1803. Although Shivaji came from the Maratha community , the Maratha government also included warriors, administrators, and other nobles from the Maratha and several other Marathi groups from what
4600-524: The Marathas of their co-religionist fellows – Jats and Rajputs was definitely unfair and ultimately had to pay its price in Panipat where Muslim forces had united in the name of religion." The Marathas had antagonised the Jats and Rajputs by taxing them heavily, punishing them after defeating the Mughals and interfering in their internal affairs. The Marathas were abandoned by Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur , who quit
4715-481: The Marathas successfully against the Mughals. In early 1689, Sambhaji called his commanders for a strategic meeting at Sangameshwar to consider an onslaught on the Mughal forces. In a meticulously planned operation, Ganoji and Aurangzeb's commander, Mukarrab Khan, attacked Sangameshwar when Sambhaji was accompanied by just a few men. Sambhaji was ambushed and captured by the Mughal troops on 1 February 1689. He and his advisor, Kavi Kalash , were taken to Bahadurgad by
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4830-599: The Marathas were now major players. After the 1758 Battle of Attock , the Marathas captured Peshawar defeating the Afghan troops in the Battle of Peshawar on 8 May 1758. Just prior to the battle of Panipat in 1761, the Marathas looted "Diwan-i-Khas" or Hall of Private Audiences in the Red Fort of Delhi, which was the place where the Mughal emperors used to receive courtiers and state guests, in one of their expeditions to Delhi. The Marathas who were hard pressed for money stripped
4945-489: The Mughals from the invasion of the Marathas, but was defeated decisively in the Battle of Bhopal . The Marathas extracted a large tribute from the Mughals and signed a treaty which ceded Malwa to the Marathas. The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and the Portuguese rulers of Vasai , a village lying on the northern shore of Vasai creek, 50 km north of Mumbai . The Marathas were led by Chimaji Appa , brother of Baji Rao. The Maratha victory in this war
5060-420: The Mughals to defend his kingdom. He was crowned as Chhatrapati (sovereign) of the new Maratha Kingdom in 1674. The Maratha dominion under him comprised about 4.1% of the subcontinent, but it was spread over large tracts. At the time of his death, it was reinforced with about 300 forts, and defended by about 40,000 cavalries, and 50,000 soldiers, as well as naval establishments along the west coast. Over time,
5175-757: The Portuguese Viceroy was killed in action by the Maratha Army in Goa. After the successful campaign of Karnataka and the Trichinopolly , Raghuji returned from Karnataka. He undertook six expeditions into Bengal from 1741 to 1748. The resurgent Maratha Confederacy launched brutal raids against the prosperous Bengali state in the 18th century , which further added to the decline of the Nawabs of Bengal. During their invasions and occupation of Bihar and western Bengal up to
5290-414: The Pratinidhi. Tarabai , Rajasbai, Sambhaji’s wife Jijabai, Bhagwantrao Ramchandra, and Vyankatrao Joshi were taken as prisoners to Chhatrapati Shahu who chivalrously sent Sambhaji’s mother and wife to Panhala . The dispirited Tarabai chose to reside with Shahu in the palace prepared for her at Satara, concluding her role in the civil war. Shahu's forces took Vishalgad next, compelling Sambhaji to agree to
5405-587: The Pune-based Peshwa Balaji Bajirao . Shahu had adopted Ranoji Lokhande, later known as Fatehsinh I Raje Sahib Bhonsle, the son of Meherban Sayaji Lokhande, the Patil of Parud. Sayaji Patil had died in Chhatrapati Shahu's sack of Parud during the Maratha civil war, and his mother handed him over to Shahu who was seated on his palanquin. Fatehsinh thus became the first Raja of Akkalkot around
5520-446: The Raja of Jaipur but withdrew after the inconclusive Battle of Lalsot in 1787. The Battle of Gajendragad was fought between the Marathas under the command of Tukojirao Holkar (the adopted son of Malharrao Holkar) and Tipu Sultan from March 1786 to March 1787 in which Tipu Sultan was defeated by the Marathas. By the victory in this battle, the border of the Maratha territory was extended to
5635-456: The Sringeri temple continued for many years, and he was still writing to the Swami in the 1790s. The Maratha Confederacy soon allied with the British East India Company (based in the Bengal Presidency ) against Mysore in the Anglo-Mysore Wars . After the British had suffered a defeat against Mysore in the first two Anglo-Mysore Wars, the Maratha cavalry assisted the British in the last two Anglo-Mysore Wars from 1790 onwards, eventually helping
5750-408: The Terai whence the remaining Sardar Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech sought assistance in an agreement formed with the Nawab of Oudh , Shuja-ud-Daula, by which the Rohillas agreed to pay four million rupees in return for military help against the Marathas. Hafiz Rehmat, abhorring unnecessary violence, unlike the outlook of his fellow Rohillas such as Ali Muhammad and Najib Khan, prided himself on his role as
5865-450: The admiral. Balaji and Kanhoji met at Lonavala . The newly appointed Peshwa appealed to the old sailor's patriotism for the Maratha cause. Kanhoji Angre agreed to become the Sarkhel (grand admiral) of Shahu's navy with control of the Konkan. Balaji and Kanhoji then jointly attacked the Muslim Siddis of Janjira. Their combined contingents captured most of the Konkan coast, including Balaji's birthplace of Shrivardhan, which then became part of
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#17328686328475980-527: The appointed day, Shahu and Sambhaji set out from their respective camps on elephants with jewel-studded howdahs. When they came in sight of each other, their elephants kneeled and their riders left them to mount richly saddled Arab steeds. When the horses met, the two princes alighted. Sambhaji put his head on Shahu’s feet as a visible token of submission. Chhatrapati Shahu bent down and lifting up his cousin and embraced him. Then, Shahu and Sambhaji decked each other with golden coins and garlands of flowers bringing
6095-440: The aristocracy. After the death of Peshwa Madhavrao I , various chiefs and jagirdars became de facto rulers and regents for the infant Peshwa Madhavrao II . Under the leadership of Mahadaji Shinde, the ruler of the state of Gwalior in central India, the Marathas defeated the Jats, the Rohilla Afghans and took Delhi which remained under Maratha control for the next three decades. His forces conquered modern day Haryana. Shinde
6210-442: The assassins a gold bracelet, and made them pick up their arms and take them back to Udaji along with a certificate from himself that stated they were good and faithful servants while deciding to mount up the conflict against Sambhaji. Shambhusimha Jadhav and Pratinidhi launched a rapid assault on Sambhaji's camp at Warana riverbanks and wiped out most of the Kolhapur army. All of Sambhaji’s military chest and stores were captured by
6325-424: The battle, Shahu visited the Khandoba Temple at Jejuri to pay homage and assumed the title "Kshatriyakulavatansa Sriyut Raja Shahu Chhatrapati". Shahu, riding on a wave of success, went on to capture Raigad, Torna, Vichitragad, and Chandan-Vandan forts, along with a few minor ones, in record time. Within a month of the Battle of Khed, he then appeared before Satara. Camped at the foot of Satara Fort , in almost
6440-413: The battles of Sira and Madgiri. He also rescued the last queen of the Keladi Nayaka Kingdom , who had been kept in confinement by Hyder Ali in the fort of Madgiri. In early 1771, ten years after the collapse of Maratha authority over North India following the Third Battle of Panipat, Mahadaji Shinde recaptured Delhi and installed Shah Alam II as a puppet ruler on the Mughal throne receiving in return
6555-483: The boy Fatesinh and adopted him as his own son. Upon reaching Khed, Shahu sneaked into Dhanaji Jadhav's camp in disguise and had an interview with Dhanaji's comptroller Naroram Ranga Rao, who held favor of his master. Naroram represented the legitimacy of Shahu's claims to the Maratha throne and persuaded Dhanaji to espouse the right cause at the right time. Thereafter, Dhanaji also pledged his allegiance to Shahu. The Battle of Khed then took place on 12 October 1707 between
6670-409: The ceiling of Diwan-i-Khas of its silver and looted the shrines dedicated to Muslim maulanas. During the Maratha invasion of Rohilkhand in the 1750s The Marathas defeated the Rohillas, forced them to seek shelter in hills and ransacked their country in such a manner that the Rohillas dreaded the Marathas and hated them ever afterwards. In 1760, the Marathas under Sadashivrao Bhau (referred to as
6785-419: The ceremony to a close. The formal treaty was concluded two months later at Satara known as "Treaty of Warana", which terminated the Maratha Civil War, and made Kolhapur a firmly subordinate sector of Satara Chhatrapati's realm. Fatehsingh Bhonsle was ordered to escort Sambhaji back to Panhala. Shahu accompanied Sambhaji for eight miles, and the path was set ablaze with the jewels and silks of the Maratha nobles in
6900-464: The chaotic conditions prevailing in Bengal after the death of its governor Murshid Quli Khan in 1727. Constantly harassed by the Bhonsles, Odisha, Bengal and parts of Bihar were economically ruined. Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal made peace with Raghuji in 1751 ceding Cuttack (Odisha) up to the river Subarnarekha, and agreeing to pay Rs. 1.2 million annually as the Chauth for Bengal and Bihar. Balaji Bajirao encouraged agriculture, protected
7015-564: The conclusion of the war, the frontier of British India was extended to the Yamuna. Mahadaji Shinde had conquered Rania , Fatehabad and Sirsa from the governor of Hissar. Haryana then came under the Marathas. He divided Haryana into four territories: Delhi (Mughal emperor Shah Alam II , his family and areas surrounding Delhi), Panipat (Karnal, Sonepat, Kurukshetra and Ambala), Hisar (Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad, parts of Rohtak), Ahirwal (Gurugram, Rewari, Narnaul, Mahendragarh) and Mewat. Daulat Rao Scindia ceded Haryana on 30 December 1803 under
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#17328686328477130-467: The confederacy under a loose coalition under the orders of the Chhatrapati. In 1689, at the age of seven, Shahu was taken prisoner along with his mother by Mughals after the Battle of Raigarh . Aurangzeb was fighting the decentralised Marathas and hoped to use the crown heir Shahu as a pawn in his battle. Therefore, he treated Shahu and his mother well. Even in Mughal captivity, Shahu's mother, Empress Yesubai , continued to rule her private territories as
7245-438: The confederacy. The British also wanted to end any potential anti-British, French-Maratha alliance at its crib. Maratha forces under Tukojirao Holkar and Mahadaji Shinde defeated a British expeditionary force at the Battle of Wadgaon , but the heavy surrender terms, which included the return of annexed territory and a share of revenues, were disavowed by the British authorities at Bengal and fighting continued. What became known as
7360-561: The countryside. Shahu, who was hunting in the neighborhood, sent for Udaji Chavan, promising him a safe conduct. After receiving bitter chiding by Shahu for his actions, Udaji Chavan decided to having him assassinated. A few days later, four assassins entered Shahu's tent, who was seated alone. Shahu was so indifferent to the danger posed by the assassins that the assassins lost heart and threw down their guns at his feet, pleading for mercy. Shahu enquired about their employer and they admitted that they had been sent by Udaji Chavan. Shahu gave each of
7475-407: The day. It was computed that Chhatrapati Shahu passed orders on at least 500 matters or cases every day. Shahu had four wives, two sons, and four daughters. His Shirke queens, Sakwarbai and Sagunabai, owned their own residences called 'Dareemi Mahal' and 'Dhakta Mahal', respectively. They had their own 'Chitnis/Chitnavis' ministers to look after their establishments. They derived their income from
7590-480: The death of Saadat Khan by the Marathas and was forced to flee to the camp of Shuja-ud-Daula and his country was ravaged by Marathas. Mahadaji Shinde captured the family of Zabita Khan, desecrated the grave of Najib ad-Dawlah and looted his fort. With the fleeing of the Rohillas, the rest of the country was burnt, with the exception of the city of Amroha, which was defended by some thousands of Amrohi Sayyid tribes. The Rohillas who could offer no resistance fled to
7705-439: The exact place where Aurangzeb had camped seven years earlier, Shahu sent off a peremptory demand to Tarabai's Pratinidhi to surrender the fort without resistance. However, since the latter would not yield, Shahu laid siege to it. Determined to conquer it in eight days, Shahu discovered that the military commander (Havaldar) of the fort, Sheikh Mira, had kept his family in Wai, a village not far from his camp. Shahu decided to apply
7820-458: The faction of Tarabai (and thereby of her son Sambhaji). From his castle at Battis Shirale , Udaji frequently mounted raids in Shahu's territories, terming the exactions as the "Chavan Chauth". In the 1730s, after the death of Senapati Trymbakrao Dabhade and Bajirao's distant campaigns, Udaji Chavan obtained sanction from Tarabai's son Sambhaji to lead a force across the Warana river against Shahu. He pitched his camp at Shirol and began to plunder
7935-523: The famous Alopi Devi Mandir . After reaching Delhi in January 1772 and realising the Maratha intent of territorial encroachment, however, Shah Alam ordered his general Najaf Khan to drive them out. In retaliation, Tukoji Rao Holkar and Visaji Krushna Biniwale attacked Delhi and defeated Mughal forces in 1772. The Marathas were granted an imperial sanad for Kora and Allahabad. They turned their attention to Oudh to gain these two territories. Shuja was, however, unwilling to give them up and made appeals to
8050-420: The forces of Tarabai and Raja Shahu, who personally commanded his contingents. Tarabai's forces were led by Pratinidhi Parshuram Trymbak and Sarsenapati Khanderao Dabhade and suffered major casualties, while Dhanaji Jadhav only engaged in nominal skirmishes due to his prior oath of allegiance to Shahu. Shahu thus achieved a resounding victory causing Parshuram Trymbak Pratinidhi to flee to Satara Fort. Following
8165-405: The fort of Satara for nine months before it capitulated, is said to have expressed surprise at the ease and rapidity with which Shahu managed to conquer it. Satara thus became the capital of Shahu's realms. Kanhoji Angre seized the opportunity of warring between Tarabai and Shahu to effectively free himself of the suzerainty of either. Instead, he captured the major trading center of Kalyan , and
8280-402: The hope of starting an internecine conflict between the Marathas, and also to have Shahu on his side for his own succession battle for the Mughal throne. At that time, his aunt Tarabai , who governed the Maratha realm in the name of her son (also named Shivaji), denounced Shahu as an impostor substituted by the Mughals for the son of Sambhaji. Shahu then waged a civil-war against Tarabai to gain
8395-584: The imperial army, where they were executed by the Mughals on 21 March 1689. Aurangzeb had charged Sambhaji with attacks by Maratha forces on Burhanpur . Upon Sambhaji's death, his half-brother Rajaram ascended the throne. The Mughal siege of Raigad continued, and he had to flee to Vishalgad and then to Gingee for safety. From there, the Marathas raided Mughal territory, and many forts were recaptured by Maratha commanders such as Santaji Ghorpade , Dhanaji Jadhav , Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi , Shankaraji Narayan Sacheev and Melgiri Pandit. In 1697, Rajaram offered
8510-455: The kingdom would increase in size and heterogeneity; by the time of his grandson's rule, and later under the Peshwas in the early 18th century, it became a vast realm. Shivaji had two sons: Sambhaji and Rajaram , who had different mothers and were half-brothers. In 1681, Sambhaji succeeded to the crown after his father's death and resumed his expansionist policies. Sambhaji had earlier defeated
8625-470: The last serious opposition to the formation of the British Raj . The real contest for India was never a single decisive battle for the subcontinent, rather, it turned on a complex social and political struggle for the control of the South Asian military economy. The victory in 1803 hinged as much on finance, diplomacy, politics and intelligence as it did on battlefield manoeuvring and war itself. Ultimately,
8740-606: The major Maratha powers jointly fighting Nizam's forces. The Marathas came into conflict with Tipu Sultan and his Kingdom of Mysore , leading to the Maratha–Mysore War in 1785. The war ended in 1787 with Tipu Sultan being defeated by the Marathas. The Maratha-Mysore war ended in April 1787 following the finalizing of the treaty of Gajendragad , as per which the Tipu Sultan of Mysore was obligated to pay 4.8 million rupees as
8855-652: The monastery of all its valuable possessions, and desecrating the temple by displacing the image of goddess Sāradā . The incumbent Shankaracharya petitioned Tipu Sultan for help. A bunch of about 30 letters written in Kannada , which were exchanged between Tipu Sultan's court and the Sringeri Shankaracharya were discovered in 1916 by the Director of Archaeology in Mysore . Tipu Sultan expressed his indignation and grief at
8970-456: The nefarious activities of many upstarts with military support. Accounts reveal that the queens were well informed of the events taking place on the Western Indian coast, and that they maintained close contact with influential Maratha Sardars and other figures like Brahmendra Swami to maintain their hold over the political situation of Konkan sphere. Shahu adopted Parvati Kolhatkar when she
9085-459: The neighboring forts of Rajmachi and Lohagad. Shahu sent a large force under his Peshwa , or Prime Minister, Bahiroji Pingale . Kanhoji defeated Pingale, imprisoned him at Lohagad, and started to advance towards Shahu's capital of Satara. Shahu commanded his Senakarta Balaji Vishwanath to raise another standing army (Huzurat) to subdue opponents. Balaji preferred the path of negotiation and was appointed as Shahu's plenipotentiary to negotiate with
9200-549: The new city with good drinking water brought in pipes from the Mahadara and Yavteshvar hills. There was also a mint established in the city. Shahu was fond of sports such as hunting wild game and shooting birds, and used to have a daily ride outside Satara into the jungles for this purpose, thereby getting both fresh air and exercise. During the monsoon season this was accompanied by fishing. Shahu patronised singers, instrument-players, bards, and actors. He kept well-trained hounds and
9315-577: The news of the raid: People who have sinned against such a holy place are sure to suffer the consequences of their misdeeds at no distant date in this Kali age in accordance with the verse: "Hasadbhih kriyate karma rudadbhir-anubhuyate" (People do [evil] deeds smilingly but suffer the consequences crying). Tipu Sultan immediately ordered the Asaf of Bednur to supply the Swami with 200 rahati s ( fanam s) in cash and other gifts and articles. Tipu Sultan's interest in
9430-619: The north of the Indian subcontinent. After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Shivaji's grandson Shahu under the leadership of Peshwa Bajirao revived Maratha power and confided a great deal of authority to the Bhat family, who became hereditary peshwas ( prime ministers ). After he died in 1749, they became the effective rulers. The leading Maratha families – Scindia, Holkar, Bhonsle, and Gaekwad – extended their conquests in northern and central India and became more independent and difficult to control. The Marathas' rapid expansion
9545-598: The order of Chattrapati Shahuji-1. The Battle of Palkhed was fought on 28 February 1728 at the village of Palkhed, near Nashik , Maharashtra , India , between the Maratha Confederacy and the Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad , wherein the Marathas defeated the Nizam. After the Battle of Bundelkhand , the Marathas became major players in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab . During Shahu's lifetime, Marathas conquered Bundelkhand , Bundi , Malwa , Gujarat , Gwalior , Kota , and
9660-473: The other hand, Mahadaji's victory over Jats of Mathura, Rajputs of Rajasthan and Pashtun-Rohillas of Rohilkhand ( Bareilly division and Moradabad division of present-day Uttar Pradesh ) re-established the Marathas in northern India. With the Capture of Delhi in 1771 and the capture of Najibabad in 1772 and treaties with Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II as a restricted monarch to the throne under Maratha suzerainty,
9775-585: The politics of the Indian subcontinent during the seventeenth century under the leadership of Shivaji , who revolted against the Adil Shahi dynasty and the Mughals to carve out a kingdom with Raigad as his capital. The religious attitude of Emperor Aurangzeb estranged non-Muslims , and the Maratha insurgency came at a great cost for his men and treasury and eventually ensured Maratha ascendency and their control over sizeable portions of former Mughal dominions in
9890-447: The resurrection of Maratha power in the North was complete. Madhav Rao died in 1772, at the age of 27. His death is considered to be a fatal blow to the Maratha Confederacy and from that time Maratha power started to move on a downward trajectory, less an empire than a confederacy. In a bid to effectively manage the large empire, Madhavrao Peshwa gave semi-autonomy to the strongest of
10005-461: The royal family as captives. The Marathas invaded Rohilkhand to avenge the Rohillas' atrocities in the Panipat war. The Marathas under the leadership of Mahadaji Shinde entered the land of Sardar Najib-ud-Daula which was held by his son Zabita Khan after his death. Zabita Khan initially resisted the attack with Sayyid Khan and Saadat Khan behaving with gallantry, but was eventually defeated with
10120-502: The sacred city of Ujjain and paid his obeisance to Shri Mahakaleshwar . At Burhanpur, Jotyaji Kaskar was left behind by Shahu to receive the sanads from the Mughals. Shahu then arrived at Bijagad, about thirty miles south of Narmada , and was joined by its ruler Rawal Mohansinh, who had long rebelled against Aurangzeb and cooperated with the Marathas. Mohansinh was the first to espouse the cause of Shahu and help him with troops and funds. From Bijagad, Shahu proceeded to Sultanpur, where he
10235-624: The same plain white garments as in private life, with long grey hairs which hung down gracefully on his shoulders. There was virtually nothing private about his life and he was approachable for any civilian. He travelled around his kingdom on horseback, or his palanquin with a slender retinue, with his secretary and clerks always accompanying him. His daily routine was a permanent fixture. The poor had free access to him and received quick and impartial justice. He never disregarded any impromptu lowest-class applicants, and on his tours he stopped his palanquin whenever he saw anyone making an appeal to him. As
10350-431: The seat of the Peshwa. This gave rise to the Battle of Poona in which the Peshwa was defeated. After the Battle of Poona, the flight of the Peshwa left the government of the Maratha state in the hands of Yashwantrao Holkar.( Kincaid & Pārasanīsa 1925 , p. 194) He appointed Amrutrao as the Peshwa and went to Indore on 13 March 1803. All except Gaekwad, chief of Baroda , who had already accepted British protection by
10465-476: The six Mogul provinces of Deccan, and full possession of the territories controlled by Shivaji in 1680. After Balaji Vishwanath's death in April 1720, his son, Baji Rao I , was appointed Peshwa by Shahu. Bajirao is credited with expanding the Maratha Kingdom tenfold from 3% to 30% of the modern Indian landscape during 1720–1740. The Battle of Palkhed was a land battle that took place on 28 February 1728 at
10580-484: The south. From Damalcherry, the Marathas proceeded to Arcot, which surrendered to them without much resistance. Then, Raghuji invaded Trichinopoly in December 1740. Unable to resist, Chanda Sahib surrendered the fort to Raghuji on 14 March 1741. Chanda Saheb and his son were arrested and sent to Nagpur. Rajputana also came under Maratha attacks during this time. In June 1756 Luís Mascarenhas, Count of Alva (Conde de Alva),
10695-432: The throne and acting as his protector. Jaipur and Jodhpur , the two most powerful Rajput states, were still out of direct Maratha domination, so Mahadaji sent his general Benoît de Boigne to crush the forces of Jaipur and Jodhpur at the Battle of Patan . Another achievement of the Marathas was their victories over the Nizam of Hyderabad's armies. The last of these took place at the Battle of Kharda in 1795 with all
10810-502: The title Orange flag . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Orange_flag&oldid=927883048 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Maratha Empire The Maratha Confederacy , also referred to as
10925-486: The title of "enemy-less" (Ajatashatru). By selecting right men for right duties Shahu increased the valour of his soldiers and giving them ample field for expansion, extended the Maratha dominions in all quarters of India, thus fulfilling the ardent wishes of his grandfather Shivaji . One peculiar trait of Shahu's character was that he felt the highest pleasure in making others happy, not only his dependents and subjects, but even aliens in race, religion and rule. Himself living
11040-492: The title of deputy Vakil-ul-Mutlak or vice-regent of the Empire and that of Vakil-ul-Mutlak being at his request conferred on the Peshwa. The Mughals also gave him the title of Amir-ul-Amara (head of the amirs). After taking control of Delhi, the Marathas sent a large army in 1772 to punish Afghan Rohillas for their involvement in Panipat. Their army devastated Rohilkhand by looting and plundering as well as taking members of
11155-558: The train of the two monarchs. According to scholar C. A. Kincaid : "Even the splendours of the French nobles, when Henry met Francis on the Field of the Cloth of Gold , would have paled before the magnificence of Sambhaji’s reception by Shahu." Over the next fifty years, Peshwa Balaji's son, Bajirao I , and grandson, Balaji Bajirao , expanded Maratha power in all directions of the Indian subcontinent on
11270-461: The village of Palkhed, near the city of Nashik, Maharashtra, India between Baji Rao I and Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated the Nizam . The battle is considered an example of the brilliant execution of military strategy. In 1737, Marathas under Bajirao I raided the suburbs of Delhi in a blitzkrieg in the Battle of Delhi (1737). The Nizam set out from the Deccan to rescue
11385-452: The villagers and brought about a marked improvement in the state of the territory. Raghunath Rao , brother of Nanasaheb, pushed into the wake of the Afghan withdrawal after Ahmed Shah Abdali 's plunder of Delhi in 1756. Delhi was captured by the Maratha army under Raghunath Rao in August 1757, defeating the Afghan garrison in the Battle of Delhi . This laid the foundation for the Maratha conquest of North-west India . In Lahore , as in Delhi,
11500-541: The year 1708. Upon his adoption, Fatehsinh received the town of Akkalkot and surrounding areas. The descendants of Fatehsinh later went on to establish the Lokhande Bhonsle dynasty in Akkalkot state of Maharashtra. Satara (Sapta Tara) was the name of the citadel, while the capital city below the fort was actually named Shahunagar. Shahu shifted his throne from the citadel to the city's Rangmahal Palace in 1721. He supplied
11615-429: The young man was her grandson and thus a descendant of Shivaji, but later disowned him as an imposter when he would not be a pawn for her politics. Ultimately, she admitted to his legitimacy in the presence of other Maratha Sardars. Due to the controversy of this event, after Shahu's death, Tarabai vengefully arrested Ramaraja Chhatrapati to take over Satara court. Thus, the executive powers were indirectly legitimised with
11730-512: Was 3 years old. She was the daughter of a Konkanastha Brahmin mamledar of Pen, Raigad. He trained her in warfare and administration. He later had her married to Sadashivrao Bhau when she was 15 years old. Even though her father was alive, he performed her kanyadan . He also adopted two sons, Ranoji Lokhande who was renamed Fatehsinh I, and Rajaram II of Satara (who succeeded him as Ramaraja Chhatrapati). Rajaram II had been brought to him by Shahu's paternal aunt, Tarabai , who initially claimed that
11845-516: Was a Maratha aristocrat of the Bhonsle clan and was the founder of the Maratha state. Shivaji led a resistance against the Sultanate of Bijapur in 1645 by winning the fort Torna, followed by many more forts, placing the area under his control and establishing Hindavi Swarajya (self-rule of Hindu people ). He created an independent Maratha state with Raigad as its capital and successfully fought against
11960-434: Was a father and protector to young and old, to man and woman, to nobles and servants, great and small. Such a King never lived before. Under his government even criminals were not harshly treated. He had no enemy. Unprecedented lamentations were heard." A statue of Chhatrapati Shahu was erected over his cremation spot. Many stories were told of Shahu's lavish generosity, and his court he used to compare him with Karna ,
12075-494: Was a major achievement of Baji Rao's time in office. Baji Rao's son, Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb), was appointed as the next Peshwa by Shahu despite the opposition of other chiefs. In 1740, the Maratha forces, under Raghoji Bhonsle, came down upon Arcot and defeated the Nawab of Arcot , Dost Ali, in the pass of Damalcherry. In the war that followed, Dost Ali, one of his sons Hasan Ali, and several other prominent people died. This initial success at once enhanced Maratha prestige in
12190-473: Was an acute shortage of supplies in the Maratha camp. Bhau ordered the sacking of the already depopulated city. He is said to have planned to place his nephew and the Peshwa's son, Vishwasrao , on the Mughal throne. By 1760, with the defeat of the Nizam in the Deccan , Maratha power had reached its zenith with a territory of over 2,500,000 square kilometres (970,000 sq mi). Ahmad Shah Durrani called on
12305-468: Was born into the Bhonsle family, and was the son of Sambhaji I and Yesubai . At a young age, he was taken into custody at the Siege of Raigad by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb , and held captive. He was released from captivity after the death of Aurangzeb in the hope of engineering an internecine struggle among the Maratha factions of Tarabai and Shahu. Shahu emerged victorious in the bloody Battle of Khed and
12420-524: Was crowned as Chhatrapati. Under the reign of Shahu, Maratha power and influence extended to much of central and western India, which had then created a strong Maratha Confederacy. After his death, his ministers and generals such as the Peshwa Bhats and their lieutenants of the Shinde and Holkar house, Senasahibsubha Bhonsles of Nagpur , and Senakhaskhel Gaikwad of Baroda administered their own sections of
12535-525: Was famous for taking an active role and observing how his people fared. People across all classes felt entitled to invite him for their intimate life events like marriages or other celebrations, and he heartily joined them, spent for them, and aided them whenever help was needed. Shahu was titled "Punyashloke" (of pious legacy) by more than one contemporary writer. He was extolled for appointing qualified officers and delegating due authority while also censuring misdeeds appropriately. He appeared in public dressed in
12650-465: Was halted with the great defeat of Panipat in 1761, at the hands of the Afghan Empire , following which the effective power of Peshwas over other chiefs came to an end. The structure of the Maratha state was that of a confederacy of four Rajas under the leadership of the Peshwa at Poona (now Pune) in western India from 1721 till 1818. These were the Raja of Gwalior of the House of Scindia ,
12765-623: Was instrumental in resurrecting Maratha power after the débâcle of the Third Battle of Panipat, and in this, he was assisted by Benoît de Boigne . After the growth in power of feudal lords like the Malwa sardars, the landlords of Bundelkhand and the Rajput kingdoms of Rajasthan who refused to pay tribute to him, he sent his army to conquer states such as Bhopal , Datiya, Chanderi, Narwar, Salbai and Gohad. However, he launched an unsuccessful expedition against
12880-709: Was joined by several Maratha chiefs such as Amritrao Kadambande, Rawal Sujansinh of Lamkani, the Bokils, the Purandares. and other Brahmin families. After reaching Maharashtra, Senasahibsubha Parsoji Bhonsle, commander of 15,000 troops, pledged himself to Shahu. Parsoji’s example was quickly followed by Sardar Nimaji Shinde, Sarlashkar Haibatrao Nimbalkar, Rustamrao Jadhavrao (Shahu’s father-in-law), Sekhoji Thorat and Chimnaji Damodar who were all operating in Baglana, Khandesh and Nashik region. The forces of Tarabai assembled near Kudas Khed for
12995-634: Was particular about their pedigree. He was equally fond of well bred horses and birds, and knew their qualities and features. Rarities of various kinds such as candles, scents, knives, swords, tobacco, gunpowder used to be ordered by him through his admiral Kanhoji Angre from European traders. He also purchased elephant tusks. He was equally fond of good gardens, and ordered the planting of rare fruit and flower trees imported from different places. Chhatrapati Shahu died on 15 December 1749 in Shahunagar. In his records after Shahu's death, Malhar Chitnis states, "He
13110-626: Was the conclusion of the Treaty of Lonavala in 1714 with Kanhoji Angre , the most powerful naval chief on the Western Coast who later accepted Shahu as Chhatrapati. In 1719, Marathas under Balaji marched to Delhi with Sayyid Hussain Ali , the Mughal governor of Deccan, and deposed the Mughal emperor, Farrukhsiyar . The new teenage emperor, Rafi ud-Darajat and a puppet of the Sayyid brothers, granted Shahu rights to collecting Chauth and Sardeshmukhi from
13225-508: Was the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He worked as a unifying force in the Confederacy and moved to the south to subdue Mysore and the Nizam of Hyderabad to assert Maratha power. He sent generals such as Bhonsle, Scindia and Holkar to the north, where they re-established Maratha authority by the early 1770s. Madhav Rao I crossed the Krishna River in 1767 and defeated Hyder Ali in
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