-> When Mughal Empire began to decay, the strongest power remained was Maratha. It alone possessed the strength to fill the political vacuum created by the disintegration of the Mughal Empire.

-> Maratha produced a number of brilliant commanders and statesmen, who can secure and handle the empire. There was no doubt on Maratha sardars and soldier’s Bravery and honesty but what they lacked was unity, outlook and programme necessary for founding all-India empire. So, they failed to replace the Mughals and continued war until the Mughal Empire got destroyed.

-> The grandson of chhatrapati Shivaji, Shahu had been a prisoner of Aurangzeb since 1689. In fact, Aurangzeb treated him and his mother with dignity, honour and consideration, paying full attention to their religious, caste and other needs, hoping perhaps to arrive at a political agreement with Shahu.

-> Shahu was released in 1707, after the death of Aurangzeb. Soon, a civil war broke out between shahu and his aunt for power, his aunt Tara Bai at Kolhapur had carried out an anti-mughal struggle since 1700 in the name of her son Shivaji-II, after the death of her husband Raja Ram.

-> The conflicts between Shahu and his rival at Kolhapur developed a new system of Maratha Government under the leadership of Balaji Vishwanath, The Peshwa of King Shahu. The Peshwa means chief minister. The period of this peshwa domination transformed Maratha state into empire.

Balaji Vishwanath

-> Balaji Vishwanath was a Brahmin and started his life as a petty revenue official and then rose step by step. He rendered shahu loyal and useful service in suppressing his enemies. He was great diplomate and won over many of the big Maratha sardars to shahu’s cause. In 1713, He was prompted to the Peshwa of King Shahu. Balaji soon consolidated shahu’s hold and his own over the Maratha sardars and most of the Maharashtra except for the region south of Kolhapur. The Peshwa concentrated power in his office and eclipsed the other ministers.

-> Balaji took full advantage of the internal conflicts of the Mughal officials to increase Maratha power. He had induced Zulfiqar khan (Mughal official) to grant the Chauth and sardeshmukhi of the Deccan. Later he signed a pact with Saiyid brothers, All the terretories that had earlier formed shivaji’s kingdom were restored to Shahu, who was also assigned the Chauth and sardeshmukhi of the six provinces of the Deccan. In return Shahu had agreed to provide 15,000 cavalry at the emperor’s service, to prevent rebellion and plundering in the Deccan and to pay 10 lakh Rs annually.

-> In 1719, Balaji Vishwanath, at the head of Maratha force, accompanied Saiyid Hussain Ali Khan to Delhi and helps Saiyid brothers in overthrowing Farrukh Siyar. As Balaji and other Maratha sardars understood the weakness of the Empire, the ambition of expanding in north has grown.

-> Balaji assigned the separate area to different Maratha sardars to collect Chauth an sardeshmukhi which increased personal power of Peshwas. It created more number of ambitious sardars which in turn started increasing their area by conquering the area of Mughal empire. Thus, the conquest of Maratha outside their original kingdom were not made by a central army directly controlled by the Maratha king or the Peshwa.

-> Balaji Vishwanath died in 1720. He was succeeded as Peshwa by his 20 year old son, Baji Rao-I. He was a bold and brilliant commander and an ambitious and clever statesman. He has been described as “the greatest exponent of guerrilla tactics after Shivaji”.

Baji Rao - I

-> Maratha waged numerous campaigns against the Mughal, trying to compel Mughal officials first, give them the right to collect Chauth of vast area, second, to cede these area to the Maratha kingdom.

-> All his tenure Baji Rao worked to contain Nizam-ul-Mulk’s power in Deccan. Twice he fought on the field and both time Nizam was worsted and compelled to grant the Marathas the Chauth and sardeshmukhi of Deccan province.

-> In 1733, Baji Rao started a long campaign against the Sidis of Janjira and expelled them from mainland.

-> By 1740, the Marathas had won control over Malwa, Gujrat, and some parts of Bundelkhand.

-> In 1740, Baji Rao died. In short period of 20 years, he had changed the character of the Maratha state. From the kingdom of Maratha it had been transformed into an empire.

Maratha Empire

-> Son of Baji Rao was Nana Saheb (Balaji Baji Rao), who succeeded his father. King Shahu died in 1749 and by his will, administration was left in hands of Peshwa. Peshwa was the de facto ruler of the state. Peshwa became the official head of administration and shifted the government to Poona at his headquarters.

-> Nana Saheb followed in the footsteps of his father and further extended the empire in different directions, taking Maratha power to new heights.

-> In 1752, the Nawab of Bengal had to cede Orissa and in south, the state of Mysore and other minor state were forced to pay tribute.

-> in 1760, the Nizam of Hyderabad was defeated at Udgir and compelled to cede vast territories yielding an annual income of Rs 62 lakh.

-> In the north, the Maratha soon became the power behind Mughal throne. Maratha also controlled Rajputana and Gangetic Doab and in 1752, they reached Delhi and helped Imad-ul-Mulk to become Wazir, who became puppet in their hands.

-> In this post we have discussed the rise of Maratha empire, Soon, we will be having post on decay of Maratha empire. You can observe the area of Maratha empire got reduced between 1759 to 1765. 

Maratha Territory in 1765


Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj