
The Maratha Conquests were a series of conquests in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...
which led to the building of the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
. These conquests were started by
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
in 1659, from the victory at the
Battle of Pratapgad
The Battle of Pratapgad was a battle fought on 10 November 1659, at the fort of Pratapgad, near the town of Satara, Maharashtra, India, between the forces of the Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Adilshahi troops under the Adilshahi ...
against Bijapur. The expansion of the empire was limited and interrupted by the Mughal conquests of south India by Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
. Marathas were forced to defend their territories against the overwhelmingly strong Mughal army in the 27 years long Deccan wars. They were able to defend their territories and gain an upper hand over Mughals in the sustained conflict.
Afterwards, the Marathas conclusively defeated and overtook major territories of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...
and its vassals. It ended with the eventual fall of the Maratha Empire after the
Anglo-Maratha Wars.
Background
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
's father
Shahji
Shahaji Bhonsale (Pronunciation: �əɦad͡ʒiː c. 1594 – 1664) was a military leader of India in the 17th century, who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire at various points in his career. As a membe ...
had earlier served as a
Jagirdar under Adil Shah. Shivaji inherited this land and later revolted against the
Adil Shahi dynasty, carving out a kingdom with
Raigad as his capital. After
Treaty of Purandar signed on 11 June 1665, Shivaji was incorporated as a vassal and had to send his son
Sambhaji to fight for the Mughals in the Deccan as a mansabdar along with 5,000 horsemen, Shivaji seeing that he wasn't getting much prestige in Mughal Darbar, revolted and fought against the Mughals and raided the rich city of
Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is no ...
. He crowned himself in 1674 as a
Chhatrapati
Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit language.The word ‘Chhatrapati’ is a Sanskrit language compound word ( tatpurusha in Sanskrit) of ''chhatra'' (''parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and ''pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). This title was used ...
, establishing the
Maratha Kingdom Shivaji died in 1680.
After Shivaji,
Sambhaji took up throne. He built strong army as well as navy. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb shifted his capital from Delhi to Aurangabad. Sambhaji defeated Mughals,Chikkadevaraja of Mysore and portugals in many battles but captured at sangameshwar in 1689 when Ganoji Shirke(brother in law of Sambhaji) informed his secret location to Mughals.After that Sambhaji was brutelly tortured and later killed.The Mughals invaded, fighting an
War of 27 years
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regu ...
from 1681 to 1707 in which the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
under
Tarabai were victorious.
Shahu I, a grandson of Shivaji, ruled as emperor until 1749. During his reign, Shahu appointed the first Peshwa as head of the government, under certain conditions. After the death of Shahu, the Peshwas became the ''de facto'' leaders of the Empire from 1749 to 1761, while Shahu's successors continued as nominal rulers from their base in
Satara. Covering a major part of the
subcontinent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
, the Maratha Empire kept the
British forces at bay during the 18th century, until internal relations between the Peshwas and their
sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been u ...
s (army commanders) deteriorated, provoking its gradual downfall.
The Maratha Empire was at its height in the 18 th century under Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao. Losses at the
Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 suspended further expansion of the empire in the
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...
and reduced the power of the Peshwas. In 1761, after severe losses in the Panipat war, the Peshwas slowly started losing the control of the kingdom. Many military chiefs of the Maratha Empire like
Shinde
Shinde (pronunciation: �in̪d̪e is a clan of the Maratha clan system of Kunbi (Kurmi) origin; variations of the name include Scindia and '' Sindhia'', '' Sindia''. The ''Shinde'' last name may be also found in the Dalit community.
The Scind ...
,
Holkar
The Holkar (Pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Mar ...
,
Gaikwad
The Gaekwads of Baroda (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) (IAST: ''Gāyakavāḍa'') are a Hindu Maratha dynasty origin of the former Maratha Empire and its subsequent Princely States. A dynasty belonging to this clan ruled the prin ...
,
PantPratinidhi,
Bhosale of Nagpur, Dev (Gade) of
Wardha,
Pandit
A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...
of
Bhor,
Patwardhan
Patwardhan may refer to the surname most commonly used by members of Indian Chitpavan Brahmin families belonging to the Kaundinya gotra. The Karhade Patwardhans belong to the Kashyapa and Naidhruva Gotra and their history in the Rajapur region of ...
, and
Newalkar started to work towards their ambition of becoming kings in their respective regions. However, under
Madhavrao Peshwa, Maratha authority in North India was restored, 10 years after the battle of Panipat. After the death of Madhavrao, the empire gave way to a loose Confederacy, with political power resting in a 'pentarchy' of five mostly Maratha dynasties: the Peshwas of
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
; the
Sindhias (originally "Shindes") of
Malwa
Malwa is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the Vind ...
and
Gwalior
Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the ...
; the
Holkar
The Holkar (Pronunciation: �o(ː)ɭkəɾ dynasty was a Maratha clan of Dhangar origin in India. The Holkars were generals under Peshwa Baji Rao I, and later became Maharajas of Indore in Central India as an independent member of the Mar ...
s of
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
; the
Bhonsles of
Nagpur
Nagpur (pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nag ...
; and the
Gaekwads of
Baroda. A rivalry between the Sindhia and Holkar dominated the confederation's affairs into the early 19th century, as did the clashes with the British and the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
in the three
Anglo-Maratha Wars. In the
Third Anglo-Maratha War, the last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British in 1818 and the empire ceased to exist.
Battles under Shivaji
Battle of Pratapgad
The Battle of Pratapgad was a battle fought on 10 November 1659 at the fort of Pratapgad near the town of Satara, Maharashtra, India between the forces of the Marathas under the Maratha leader Shivaji and the Adilshahi troops under the Adilshahi general Afzal Khan. The Marathas defeated the Adilshahi forces. It was their first significant military victory against a major regional power, and led to the eventual establishment of the Maratha Empire.
Battle of Kolhapur
Battle of Kolhapur was a land battle that took place on 28 December 1659 near the city of Kolhapur, Maharashtra between the Maratha king Shivaji and the Adilshahi forces. The battle is known for brilliant movement of flanks by Shivaji.
Battle of Pavankhind
The Battle of Pävankhind was a rearguard last stand that took place on 13 July 1660 at a mountain pass in the vicinity of fort
Vishalgad
Vishalgad (also called Vishalgarh, Khelna or Khilna) was a jagir during the Maratha Empire and then later part of the Deccan States Agency of the British Raj. It was governed by Deshastha Brahmins, who were feudatories of Kolhapur State.
Fort
A ...
, near the city of
Kolhapur
Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'.
Kolhapur is k ...
,
Maharashtra, India between the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
Baji Prabhu Deshpande,and warriors Bandal and
Siddi Masud
Siddi Masud or Siddi Masood was a general in the Adilshahi sultanate and he was the son-in-law of famous general Siddi Jauhar. He went on to become the Wazir of Bijapur Sultanate during Sikandar Adil Shah's reign.
Early life and Siege of Panhala ...
of
Adilshah
The Adil Shahi or Adilshahi, was a Shia,Salma Ahmed Farooqui, ''A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century'', (Dorling Kindersley Pvt Ltd., 2011), 174. and later Sunni Muslim,Muhammad Qasim Firishta's ...
Sultanate. The engagement ended with the destruction of 5000 bijapur forces resulted in a major set back in capturing shivaji.
Battle of Chakan
The Mughal army advancing towards Pune had to overcome the fort of Chakan around 30 km from the city.
The fort of Chakan was a Bhuikot, i.e. a land fort and was occupied by around 800 infantry.Mughal forces laid siege to the fort hoping for a quick surrender by the numerically inferior Maratha garrison.
However the Mughal artillery was unable to force the fort into submission.Several assaults by the Mughals were repulsed with high casualties.After almost two and half months without success the Mughals finally resorted to mining the Buruj or tower of the fort.With the towers demolished the Maratha force agreed to come to terms. The remainder of the garrison withdrew from the fort
Battle of Umberkhind
The Battle of Umberkhind took place on 3 February 1661 in the mountain range of Sahyadri near the city of Pen, Maharashtra, India. The battle was fought between the Maratha under Shivaji and Kartalab Khan of the Mughal Empire. The Marathas decisively defeated the Mughal forces. This battle was a great example of guerrilla warfare.
Battle of Surat
The Battle of Surat took place on 5 January 1664, near the port city of
Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is no ...
between
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
ruler
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
and Inayat Khan, a
Mughal captain. The Marathas defeated the Mughal force, and sacked the city of Surat for six days.The loot was then transferred to
Rajgad fort. It was also a battle were many died
Battle of Purandar
The Battle of Purandar was fought between the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
and
Maratha Army in 1665. The Mughal Emperor,
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
, sent his general
Jai Singh to besiege
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
's fortress at
Purandar. After Mughal forces killed Maratha General
Murarbaji on 2 June 1665,
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
took treaty with Mughals and gave up 23 of his fortresses.
Battle of Sinhagad
The Battle of Sinhagad took place during the night on 4 February 1670 on the fort of
Sinhagad (then known as Kondhana) between subedar
Tanaji Malusare, commander of the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
. and Udaybhan Singh Rathore, the fortkeeper under
Jai Singh I who worked for the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
. Climbing up the fort, the Marathas were intercepted by the Mughal garrison and combat ensued between the guards and the few infiltrators that had managed to climb up by this time. Both Tanhaji and Udaybhan were killed in the battle but the overwhelming Maratha forces managed to capture the fort after the reinforcements penetrated the gateway of the fort from another route.
Battle of Salher
The Battle of Salher which was a battle fought between the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
and the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
in February 1672 CE. The battle was fought near the fort of
Salher in the
Nashik
Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nash ...
district. The result was a decisive victory for the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
. This battle is considered particularly significant as it is the first battle in which the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
lost on an open field. Mughal empire started to decline after this battle and the battle of Dindori fought one year earlier.
Maratha occupation of Kolistan
Maratha occupation of Kolistan (lit. Land of the Koli people) in the year 1672 was a campaign in which the Maratha army under Shivaji's son Prince Sambhaji defeated the allied forces of Koli kings of Jawhar and Ramnagar and the Mughal Empire. The Marathas captured the region called Kolistan encompassing the Jawhar, Mokhada, Wada, Talasari, Vikramgad talukas in present-day Palghar district of Maharashtra and the regions Southern Gujarat controlled by the Koli king of Ramnagar.
Battle of Vikramgad
Battle of Vikramgad was a land battle that took place in the year 1672 near
Vikramgad, Palghar district, Maharashtra between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal Empire. The Marathas were led by prince
Sambhaji and the Mughals were led by Khijr Khan. The Marathas won a decisive victory and it consolidated their territorial gains in Kolwan.
Battle of Bhupalgarh
The Battle of Bhupalgarh occurred between the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
and
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
in 1679. The battle resulted in the defeat of the Marathas and capture, loot and razing of the fort of
Bhupalgarh under
Firangoji Narsala by the Mughal forces led by
Diler Khan.
Battle of Sangamner
The Battle of
Sangamner was fought between the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
and
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
in 1679. This was the last battle in which the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
king
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
fought. The
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
had ambushed
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
when he was returning from a sack on
Jalna. The
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
engaged in battle with the
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
for three days until
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
General,
Sidhoji Nimbalkar was killed alongside 2,000
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
soldiers. The
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
force was largely decimated defending their king, however
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
managed to retreat with 500 men.
Battle of Dindori
A fierce obstinate battle was fought for hours between the two sides between Vani and Dindori. Daud Khan, Ikhilas Khan, Sangram Khan and other important Mughal nobles fought with great courage using their artillery, though with limited advantage. On the Maratha side, Shivaji himself was conducting the operations in this one of the few open battles fought man to man. The battle ended with about 3000 Mughal troops dead and a number of Mughal officers captured. The Marathas also captured about 4000 horses. The Mughal governor of Dindori, Sangram Khan, was allowed to join Shivaji's service. In this way Shivaji won a great victory in this battle which neutralized Mughal power in this region for quite some time.
Battles after the death of Shivaji
War of 27 Years
War of 27 years
was a series of battles fought between
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
and
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
from 1680 to 1707 in the Indian subcontinent. It was a series of battles. The war started in 1680 with the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
’s invasion of the Maratha enclave in
Bijapur established by
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
.
The war can be broken down into three distinct phases :
*Marathas under Sambhaji (1681–1689).
*Marathas under Rajaram (1689–1700).
*Marathas under Maharani Tarabai (1700–1707).
It was a long snakes and ladders war game involving a quarter of a century and innumerable long and short battles. The war ended after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, because of unstable later Mughals. It also paved the way for the Maratha expansion in the North.
Battles under Sambhaji
Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji, after his death in April 1680. His son
Sambhaji also called as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was also a genius military commander like Shivaji.He fought his first battle(battle of vikramgad) at the age of 15 years in which he defeated Outnumbered Mughals. After that Sambhaji fought many victorious battles in his short life. Sambhaji managed to defend the Maratha Empire against the overwhelmingly strong Mughal Empire. Sambhaji fought many battles in his reign against his enemies such as Mughal Empire, Siddis of Janjira, Portuguese of Goa and North Konkan(Mumbai & Ghodbunder fort), Chikkadevaraya of Mysore.
Sacking of Burhanpur
The Sacking of Burhanpur (31 January 1681 – 2 February 1681) refers to the looting of the wealthy Mughal city Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh by the Maratha ruler Sambhaji. The Maratha army commanded by Sambhaji and
Hambirrao Mohite attacked and plundered the city for three days. The Marathas got a huge loot and returned to Raigad by evading Mughal forces.
Siege of Janjira (1682)
Siege of Janjira (1682) was a military conflict and a part of the Mughal-Maratha war. It was fought between the Maratha Empire led by Sambhaji and
Siddis of Janjira, allies of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
. Sambhaji personally besieged the fort of Murud-Janjira in 1682 to stop Siddi's intrusions into Maratha Territories and to capture the strategically important fort of Janjira.
Battle of Kalyan
The Battle of Kalyan occurred between the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
and
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
between 1682 and 1683. General
Bahadur Khan of the Mughal Empire defeated the Maratha army and took over
Kalyan
Kalyan (Pronunciation: əljaːɳ is a city on the banks of Ulhas River in Thane district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It is governed by Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Kalyan is a subdivision (Taluka) of Thane district. K ...
fort. The Marathas attempted a counter offensive, but failed and they were repulsed and their army was destroyed by
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
forces.
Siege of Ramsej
Siege of Ramsej (1682-1688) was a sustained military conflict between
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
and
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
for the control of
Ramsej fort in Nashik district of Maharashtra. The 600 Marathas under Killedar Suryaji Jedhe were able defend the fort against the overwhelmingly strong Mughal army for six years. After 5 years Suryaji Jedhe was transferred to another fort according to the rotation policy of the Maratha Administration. Mughals bribed the new Killedar and captured the fort in 1688.
Maratha-Mysore War
The king of Mysore
Chikka Devaraja had allied with the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
. Marathas and Mysore were already fighting for supremacy in southern India. The earlier conflicts were inconclusive with wins and losses for both sides.
Sambhaji with his allies
Abul Hasan Qutb Shah and Basappa Nayaka invaded Mysore in June 1682. Chikka Devaraja defeated the allies at the
Battle of Banavar
Battle of Banavar was a land battle fought between the Maratha Empire and the Kingdom of Mysore in the year 1682. The Mysore forces under King Chikka Devaraja defeated the Maratha forces and their allies under Sambhaji, forcing him to retreat tempo ...
but Sambhaji bounced back to score a major victory at the
Battle of Trichinopoly (1682)
Battle of Trichinopoly (1682) was a battle fought between the Maratha Empire and the Kingdom of Mysore. The Maratha forces under Sambhaji and his allies, besieged and captured the city of Tiruchirappalli.
Background
Shahaji had conquered territo ...
. After this victory, Sambhaji's forces captured many forts in the northern
Madurai
Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...
region. Some allies of Mysore also joined the Marathas in this campaign. Chikka Devaraha had to pay a tribute of 1 Crore Honas to the Marathas. Sambhaji returned to Maharashtra after the
Dusshera of 1682.
Maratha invasion of Goa
Maratha Invasion of Goa (1683) or Sambhaji's Invasion of Goa refers to the Maratha invasion of Portuguese controlled Goa and the Konkan region. The battles were fought between the Maratha Empire and Portuguese India. The conflicts between the two powers were ongoing in the region of Northern Konkan in 1682-1683. The Portuguese viceroy Francisco de Távora attacked the Maratha controlled Ponda Fort in late 1683. The Maratha King Sambhaji arrived with reinforcements and tried to press on the advantage of the victory at Ponda. He stormed the colony of Goa, Marathas captured many forts in the colony of Goa. The Maratha army was preemptively mobilized for this event. The Portuguese situation became dire. Sambhaji stayed in the region for over a month, his forces also pillaged Salcete and Bardez region. Sambhaji came very close to capturing the City of Old Goa, but his forces retreated from Goa and the Konkan on 2 January 1684 to avoid the large Mughal army under prince Muazzam (later Bahadur Shah I)
Mughal invasion of Konkan
Mughal invasion of Konkan (1684) was a part of the Deccan wars. It was a campaign launched by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb to capture the Konkan region from the Maratha Empire under Sambhaji. The Mughal forces were led by Mu'azzam and Shahbuddin Khan. The harsh climate and the Maratha guerrilla strategy forced the numerically strong Mughal army into a slow retreat. The Mughal army suffered great losses in this unsuccessful campaign.
Battle of Wai
Battle of Wai was fought in the fall of 1687 as a part of the Mughal–Maratha Wars. Sambhaji sent his forces under his senapati, Hambirao Mohite, to oppose Mughal army led by Sarja Khan. The Mughal's were drawn into the dense jungles near Wai and Mahableshwar where the Mughals were defeated. However, among the dead was Hambirao, a serious blow to Sambhaji's cause.
Battles under Baji Rao I
Battle of Palkhed
Battle of Palkhed was a land battle that took place on 28 February 1728 at the village of Palkhed, near the city of Nashik, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha Peshwa,
Baji Rao I
Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul ...
and the
Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated the Nizam. The battle is considered an example of brilliant execution of military strategy.
Battle of Jaitpur
In
Bundelkhand,
Chhatrasal had rebelled against the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the ...
and established an independent kingdom. In December 1728, a Mughal force led by the distinguished commander
Muhammad Khan Bangash attacked him, and besieged his fort with his family. Chhatrasal had repeatedly sought Peshwa Baji Rao's assistance, but the latter was busy in Malwa at that time.
In March 1729, the Peshwa Baji Rao I finally responded to Chhatrasal's request and marched towards Bundelkhand. Chhatrasal also escaped his captivity and joined the Maratha forces. After they marched to Jaitpur, as a result Bangash was forced to retreat from Bundelkhand. Chhatrasal's position as the ruler of Bundelkhand was restored.
Battle of Dabhoi
In the year 1731,
Asaf Jah I the
Nizam of Hyderabad had managed to secure the defections of influential Maratha leaders such as Trimbak Rao Dabhade and Sanbhoji who threatened to abandon the Marathas and join the forces with the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah instead.This move was considered unacceptable by
Baji Rao I
Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul ...
and his brother
Chimnaji Appa who led a large well armed brigade of Marathas to intercepted Trimbak Rao Dabhade and Sanbhoji during the Battle of Dabhoi, where the defecting factions were all defeated, overrun and eliminated.
Battle of Mandsaur
The
Battle of Mandsaur
The Battle of Mandsaur took place in Mandsaur, India between the Maratha Army and Jai Singh II of Amber.
Battle
In February 1732, the Marathas completely surrounded Jai Singh with their enormous cavalry and started cutting of his supplies. The ...
took place in
Mandsaur, modern day
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital city, capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar, and Rewa, India, Rewa being the othe ...
between Marathas, commanded by
Malharrao Holkar
Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1693 – 20 May 1766) was a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He was one of the early officers along with Ranoji Scindia to help spread the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the ...
, and Jai Singh of Amber, in which Jai Singh was defeated in February, 1733.
Malhar Rao Holkar
Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1693 – 20 May 1766) was a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He was one of the early officers along with Ranoji Scindia to help spread the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the ...
then conquered
Bundelkhand and
Bundi.
Battle of Delhi
In November 1736, the Maratha
Peshwa
The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...
Baji Rao I
Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul ...
advanced on
Old Delhi to attack the Mughal capital. Mughal emperor
Muhammad Shah sent
Saadat Ali Khan I with a 150,000-strong army to stop the Maratha advance on Delhi. But Baji Rao's subordinate chiefs
Malhar Rao Holkar
Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1693 – 20 May 1766) was a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He was one of the early officers along with Ranoji Scindia to help spread the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the ...
and Pilaji Jadhav crossed the river
Yamuna and looted
Ganga-Yamuna Doab. Saadat Khan then retired to
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the to ...
, thinking the Marathas had retreated towards
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
. But Baji Rao's army advanced to Delhi and encamped near
Talkatora
Talkatora Garden is a Mughal-era garden situated on the Mother Teresa Crescent (previously Willingdon Crescent) in New Delhi. In Mughal times, it used to be a tank and a swimming pool. The Marathas defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Delhi ...
.
Muhammad Shah sent Mir Hasan Khan Koka with an army to intercept Baji Rao. The Mughals were devastated by the fierce Maratha attack, and lost half of their army, which compelled them to ask for all regional rulers to help against the army of the Marathas. After the battle, when the news of Saadat Ali Khan's approaching large Mughal army reached Baji Rao, he retreated to
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
.
Battle of Bhopal
The Battle was fought between the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
and Mughal forces led by
Nizam of Hyderabad near
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
in December 1737. The Marathas poisoned the water and the replenishment supplies of the besieged Mughal forces. Chimaji was sent with an army of 10,000 men to stop any reinforcements while Bajirao blockaded the city instead of directly attacking the Nizam. The Nizam was forced to sue for peace after he was denied reinforcements from Delhi. The battle resulted in decisive Maratha victory mainly through the swift tactics of Maratha
Peshwa
The Peshwa (Pronunciation: e(ː)ʃʋaː was the appointed (later becoming hereditary) prime minister of the Maratha Empire of the Indian subcontinent. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha king); later ...
Baji Rao.
Battle of Vasai
The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and the
Portuguese rulers of
Vasai, a village lying near
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the '' de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the sec ...
in the present-day state of Maharashtra, India. The Marathas were led by
Chimaji Appa, brother of Peshwa Baji Rao I. Maratha victory in this war was a major achievement of Baji Rao I reign.
Maratha invasions of Bengal
First Battle of Katwa
The Battle of Katwa occurred between the
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
and
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
Empire in 1742. The
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
's initially attacked and captured
Katwa and
Hooghly, in
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. The
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
Ali Vardi Khan responded with a direct attack at the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
camp at
Katwa in the nightfall, so much that the entire
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
army evacuated out of
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
on September 17, 1742 believing a much larger force had charged them.
Second Battle of Katwa
The Second Battle of Katwa occurred between the
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
and
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
Empire in 1745. After the initial evacuation of the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
's at the
First Battle of Katwa, the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
General,
Raghuji Bhonsle attempted, once again, to conquer
Katwa. Bhonsle, with 20,000 horsemen attacked
Murshidabad
Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
Duri ...
then moved onwards to
Katwa, where
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
Ali Vardi Khan fought
Raghuji and his men, with Marathas moving in towards Medinipur in
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
.
Battle of Burdwan
The Battle of Burdwan occurred between the
Nawab of Bengal
The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
and
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
empires in 1747. After the dismissal of
Mir Jafar by
Ali Vardi Khan, an army was amassed to defend against the invading
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
forces of
Janoji Bhonsle at
Orissa
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...
.
Ali Vardi Khan managed to heavily repulse and defeat the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
's in this battle.
Maratha conquest of Northwest India
Battle of Delhi, 1757
The
Battle of Delhi was fought on 11 August 1757 between
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
under the command of
Raghunathrao and
Rohilla Afghans under
Najib-ud-Daula. The battle was waged by the Marathas for the control of Delhi, the Mughal capital which was now under the control of
Rohilla
Rohillas are a community of Pashtun ancestry, historically found in Rohilkhand, a region in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It forms the largest Pashtun diaspora community in India, and has given its name to the Rohilkhand region. The ...
chief
Najib-ud-Daula, as a consequence of fourth invasion of
Ahmad Shah Abdali.
Malharrao Holkar
Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1693 – 20 May 1766) was a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He was one of the early officers along with Ranoji Scindia to help spread the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the ...
,
Raghunathrao, Shamsher Bahadur, Gangadhar Tatya, Sakharambapu, Naroshankar and Maujiram Bania attacked Delhi and defeated
Najib Khan and Ahmed Khan became the Mir Bakshi in his place. In March, 1758, they conquered
Sirhind. On 20 April 1758, Malharrao Holkar and Raghunathrao attacked and conquered
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...
. Subsequently Marathas conquered
Attock
Attock (Punjabi and Urdu: ), formerly known as Campbellpur (), is a historical city located in the north of Pakistan's Punjab Province, not far from the country's capital Islamabad. It is the headquarters of the Attock District and is 61st larges ...
on 28 April and
Peshawar
Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...
8 May. In Lahore, as in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...
, the Marathas were now major players. The Maratha Empire had reached its peak, the empire's territories covered most of
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;; ...
.
Third Battle of Panipat

The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 at
Panipat (Haryana State, India), about 60 miles (95.5 km) north of Delhi. The battle pitted the pitted the artillery and cavalry of the Marathas against the heavy cavalry and mounted artillery (zamburak and jezail) of the Afghans led by
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...
, an ethnic Pashtun, also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali. The famished, burdened and outnumbered Marathas were defeated with heavy casualties. There were near 100,000 soldiers dead adding both sides and the battle resulted in retreat of Marathas from Delhi for next ten years.
Maratha Resurrection
Restoration of Maratha suzerainty in the North
Under
Madhavrao Peshwa, Maratha authority in North India (including Delhi) was restored ten years after the battle of Panipat. The Rohillas were defeated and were forced to pay a heavy war indemnity.
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders wi ...
was captured by
Mahadji Scindia in late 1770 and restored
Mughal emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled ...
Shah Alam II to the throne of Delhi in 1772.
Battle of Alegaon
The Battle of Alegaon was fought between
Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad and
Raghunathrao of the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
against
Peshwa Madhavrao
Peshwa Madhavrao Bhat I (February 15, 1745 – November 18, 1772) was the 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire fully recovered from the losses they suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat, a phenomenon kn ...
of the Maratha Empire.
Raghunathrao had established an alliance with
Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad.
When conflict arose between
Raghunathrao and
Madhavrao I, a joint campaign between
Nizam Ali Khan and
Raghunathrao resulted in
Madhavrao I being heavily defeated.
Peshwa Madhavrao
Peshwa Madhavrao Bhat I (February 15, 1745 – November 18, 1772) was the 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire fully recovered from the losses they suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat, a phenomenon kn ...
surrendered on November 12, 1762.
Nizam Ali Khan got all of his previously lost territories that were lost at the
Battle of Udgir.
Peshwa Madhavrao
Peshwa Madhavrao Bhat I (February 15, 1745 – November 18, 1772) was the 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire fully recovered from the losses they suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat, a phenomenon kn ...
submitted to his uncle,
Raghunathrao.
Battle of Rakshasbhuvan
The
Battle of Rakshasbhuvan
The Battle of Rakshasbhuvan in India was fought on 10 August 1763. After the defeat of the Marathas at the Battle of Panipat, their rivals started seizing the opportunity to recover their losses in the past at the hands of Marathas. Particula ...
was fought on 10 August 1763. While the Marathas were fighting amongst themselves during a civil war, the Nizam decided to attack.
The Nizam however failed. The Nizam gave up territory he gained during the Battle of Alegaon in an attempt to sue for peace.
Capture of Delhi, 1771
The forces of
Mahadji Shinde
Mahadaji Shinde (b. 23 December 1730 – 12 February 1794), later known as Mahadji Scindia or Madhava Rao Sindhia, was a Maratha statesman and ruler of Ujjain in Central India. He was the fifth and the youngest son of Ranoji Rao Scindia, the ...
captured Delhi in 1771 and the
Mughal Emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled ...
Shah Alam II was restored to the throne. Marathas capture Delhi by defeating Afghans under Najib khan. With this battle they regained their lost supremacy in North India after the Third Battle of Panipat and conquered much of the lost territories which they lost after the Third Battle of Panipat.
Marathas in Rohilkhand
After taking control of Delhi, Marathas sent a large army in 1772 to "punish" Afghan
Rohilla
Rohillas are a community of Pashtun ancestry, historically found in Rohilkhand, a region in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It forms the largest Pashtun diaspora community in India, and has given its name to the Rohilkhand region. The ...
s for Panipat. Maratha army devastated Rohilkhand by looting and plundering and also took the members of royal family as captives. Maratha general Mahadaji was "very much pleased with the revenge taken by his men" for Panipat
Conflict with the Kingdom of Mysore
Battle of Rutehalli Fort
In 1764, following the attack by Hyder Ali on
Nawabs of Savanur, who were a tributary to the Marathas, Maratha army led by Peshwa Madhav Rao met the forces of Hyder Ali at Rutehalli Fort. Hydar Ali tried to avoid pitched battles against Maratha Forces however Maratha forces intercepted Mysore forces near Rutehalli Fort in Karnatic and a crushing defeat was imposed upon them, Hydar Ali lost well over 1,000 men and himself fled into the local forest to save his life.
Battle of Sira and Madgiri
In 1767, Maratha army led by Peshwa Madhav Rao defeated the forces of Hyder Ali at Sira and Madgiri. Marathas conquered the forts of Haskote and Nandigarh and laid siege to Bednur where Hyder Ali was taking shelter.
Siege of Saunshi
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the at ...
of Mysore attempted to try to regain his lost territories of
Malabar and
Coorg
Kodagu (also known by its former name Coorg) is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.
It occupies ...
from the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
.
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the at ...
who was the prime minister to maharaja of Mysore decided to attack the
Marathas
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
at
Saunshi
Saunshi is a village in the northern state of Karnataka, India.Village code= 685100 Saunshi, Dharwad, Karnataka It is located in the Kundgol taluk of Dharwad district in Karnataka. largest gram Panchayat in Dharwad District. Demographics
As of ...
.
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the at ...
decided to send his General, Muhammad Ali to attack the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
position. The result of the battle was a victory for
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
against the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
forces. Maratha Chief Konher Rao was killed and Pandurang Rao was caught by the
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
forces.
Siege of Nargund
The Siege of Nargund occurred when the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...
sent its General, Burhanuddin to besiege Nargund. In 1778, and ended with a stalemate
Siege of Adoni
The Siege of Adoni occurred between the forces of
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He in ...
of the
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a realm in southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. From 1799 until 1950, it was a princely state, until 1947 in a subsidiary alliance with Brit ...
and the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
allied with the Nizam of Hyderabad.
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He in ...
surprised Haripant when he decided to advance for
Adoni
Adoni is a city in the Kurnool district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality and the headquarters of Adoni mandal, administered under the Adoni Revenue Division. In the 2011 census of India, Adoni had a population of 166 ...
. In 1786, Adoni was
besieged for one month and then captured by
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He in ...
.
Battle of Savanur
The Battle of Savanur concluded in October, 1786, with the victory of Tipu Sultan over the Marathas. Tipu strategically lured the Marathas out of their position on a height near Savanur and unleashed a barrage of heavy fire on them. This devastated the Maratha army, making them retreat and Tipu Sultan conquered Savanur soon after.
Siege of Bahadur Benda
The Siege of Bahadur Benda happened between the forces of
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He in ...
of
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
and the
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
forces of Haripant. Tipu Sultan defeated the Maratha forces. Following this battle, a peace agreement was signed between the
ingdom of Mysoreand the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
, which allowed for Tipu Sultan to focus his resources into combating the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading post ...
.
Battle of Gajendragad
The
Battle of Gajendragad
Gajendragad (also called Gajendragada) is a town and a sub-district place in Gadag District, Karnataka, India. This place is known for its hill station and hill strip. Highest populated city after Gadag in the district. It is about 55 kilomet ...
was fought in June 1786, during the Maratha-Mysore War. An army of the Maratha Empire led by
Tukoji Rao Holkar, defeated the army of Tipu Sultan and captured the town and fortress at Gajendragad. Mysore was obligated to pay 4.8 million rupees as a war cost to the Marathas, and an annual tribute of 1.2 million rupees. The ''treaty of Gajendragad'' signed after the battle ended the Maratha-Mysore conflict.
First Anglo Maratha War (1775 - 1783)
Battle of Wadgaon
The East India Company's force from Bombay consisted of about 3,900 men (about 600 Europeans, the rest Asian) accompanied by many thousands of servants and specialist workers. They were joined on the way by Raghunath's forces, adding several thousand more soldiers, and more artillery. The Maratha army included forces contributed by all the partners in the federation, tens of thousands in all, commanded by Tukojirao Holkar and General Mahadji Shinde (also known as Mahadji Sindia).
Mahadji slowed down the British march and sent forces west to cut off its supply lines. When they found out about this, the British halted at Talegaon, a few hours' brisk march from Pune, but days away for the thousands of support staff with their ox-drawn carts. Now the Maratha cavalry harassed the enemy from all sides. The Marathas also utilized a scorched earth policy, burning farmland and poisoning wells.
The British began to withdraw from Talegaon in the middle of the night, but the Marathas attacked, forcing them to halt in the village of Wadgaon (now called Vadgaon or Vadgaon Maval), where the British force was surrounded on 12 January 1779. By the end of the next day, the British were ready to discuss surrender terms, and on 16 January signed the Treaty of Wadgaon that forced the Bombay government to relinquish all territories acquired by the Bombay office of the East India Company since 1773.
Battle of Patan
The Battle of Patan was fought on June 20, 1790 between the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
and the
Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
s of Jaipur and their
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
allies. Many Rajput kingdoms like those of
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known as ...
and
Malwa
Malwa is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the Vind ...
were threatened by the Marathas. In early 1790, hoping to completely rid the Rajputana off Maratha interference, Rajput nobility allied with Mughal general Ismail Beg.The European armed and trained battalion of
Benoît de Boigne defeated the Jaipur army at battle of Patan. Marathas managed to conquer
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
and
Malwa
Malwa is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the Vind ...
from Rajputs. Marathas recovered over 105 pieces of artillery from the enemy, along with 21 elephants, 1300 camels and 300 horses.
Battle of Merta, 1790
The forces of Mahadji Shinde under de Boigne routed the Marwar army.
Capture of Ajmer, 1790
The forces of Mahadji Shinde captured
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "''Aj ...
.
Capture of Shimoga
The Capture of Shimoga, a town and fortress held by forces of the Kingdom of Mysore, occurred on 3 January 1792 after a preliminary battle with the attacking forces of the British East India Company and the Marathas not far from the town on 29 December had scattered much of its defending army. The defenders surrendered after the fort's walls were breached. The battle was part of a campaign during the Third Anglo-Mysore War by Maratha leader Purseram Bhow to recover Maratha territories taken by Hyder Ali in an earlier conflict between Mysore and the Marathas. By the end of the siege Reza Sahib a leading Mysore commander was among the captured.
Battle of Kharda
The Battle of Kharda took place in February 1795 between the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah II and Peshwa Madhavrao II, in which Nizam was badly defeated. Governor General John Shore followed the policy of non-intervention despite that Nizam was under his protection. So this led to the loss of trust with British and rout of the Hyderabad army. This was the last battle fought together by all Maratha cheiftans together.
Battle of Malpura
Combined force of
Rathores
The Rathore is a Rajput clan found in Northern India.
Subclans
Jodhana, Vadhel, Jaitawat, Kumpawat, Champawat, Meratiya, Udawat, Karamsot etc. are the branches or subclans of Rathore Rajputs. Coverage
This article discusses the "Kanaujiy ...
and
Kachhawaha Rajput
Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...
s were defeated by the Maratha Force under
Daulat Rao Scindia.
[Sinh, Raghubir. A History Of Jaipur. pp. 310–313]
Second Anglo Maratha War (1803 - 1805)
Battle of Delhi, 1803
The
Battle of Delhi took place on 11 September 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and
Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a ...
s of Scindia's army under French General Louis Bourquin. The battle was fought at Patparganj, right across Yamuna River from Humayun's Tomb, also giving the battle its local name.
The Marathas occupied a strong position with the Jumna in their rear, and Lake, feigning a retreat, drew them from their lines, and then turning upon them drove them with the bayonet into the river, inflicting more losses upon them. The city of Delhi surrendered three days later. A monument was later erected at the site in
Patparganj, marked out by a surrounding ditch, commemorating Cornet Sanguine and British soldiers who fell during the battle.
Battle of Bharatpur
Yashwantrao Holkar
Yashwant Rao Holkar (c. 1776-1811) also known as Jaswantrao Holkar belonging to the Holkar dynasty of the Maratha Empire was the Maharaja of the Maratha Empire. He was a gifted military leader and educated in accountancy as well as literate in ...
defeated the British army, led by Colonel Fawcett, at
Kunch, in
Bundelkhand. On 8 June 1804, the Governor General, in a letter to Lord Lake, wrote that the defeat caused a great insult to the
British prestige in India. On 8 July 1804, Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the army of Colonel Manson and Leukan at
Mukundare and Kota. Bapuji Scindia surrendered before Holkar. From June till September 1804, he defeated the British at different battles. On 8 October 1804, Holkar attacked Delhi to free
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
Emperor
Shah Alam II, who was imprisoned by the British. He attacked the army of Colonel Actorloni and Berne. The battle lasted for a week, but Yashwantrao Holkar could not succeed as Lord Lake came to help Colonel Actorloni.
On 16 November 1804, Yashwantrao Holkar reached Deeg by defeating the army of Major Frazer. After the death of Major Frazer, Manson took the charge of the British army. In
Farrukhabad, Lord Lake was a mute spectator, watching Holkar proceeding towards Deeg; he didn't attack Holkar. Lord Lake attacked Deeg on 13 December 1804 (see- ''
Battle of Bharatpur''); the army of Holkar and Jat resisted successfully and reached the Bharatpur Durg. Lord Lake attacked
Bharatpur on 3 January 1805, along with General Manson, Colonel Marey, Colonel Don, Colonel Berne, Major General Jones, General Smith, Colonel Jetland, Setan, and others. However, Holkar had to leave Bharatpur as the
Jat King
Ranjit Singh of Bharatpur defeated the British army on 17 April 1805.
Covering a large part of the subcontinent, the Maratha Empire kept the British forces at bay during the 18th century, until dissension between the Peshwas and their
sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been u ...
s (army commanders) saw a gradual downfall of the empire with the eventual defeat in the third Anglo-Maratha war the
First Anglo-Maratha War ended in a stalemate with both sides signing the
treaty of Salbai. This led to a period of relative peace between the two powers till the decisive second Anglo-Maratha war took place.
Third Anglo-Maratha War

The
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818) was the final and decisive conflict between the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
and the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha territory by 110,400 British East India Company troops, the largest such British controlled force amassed in India. The troops were led by the
Governor General
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy ...
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...
and he was supported by a force under
General Thomas Hislop. It resulted in the formal end of the Maratha empire and the firm establishment of the British East India Company in almost the entire Indian subcontinent. Then they defeated small states in north.
See also
*
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of S ...
*
List of Maratha dynasties and states
*
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adi ...
*
Sambhaji
*
Baji Rao I
Baji Rao I (18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740), born as Visaji, also known as Bajirao Ballal (Pronunciation: ad͡ʒiɾaːʋ bəlːaːɭ, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul ...
*
Mahadaji Shinde
*
Rajaram I
References
38.^ a b c d Sarkar,Jadunath(1992).Shivaji and His Times. Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-1347-1
Further reading
* "The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India : The Struggle for Control of the South Asian Military Economy" by Randolf G. S. Cooper, Publisher: Cambridge University,
*Purandare, Babasaheb - ''Raja ShivChatrapati''
*Duff, Grant - ''History of Marhattas'', London
*Samant, S. D. - ''Vedh Mahamanavacha''
*Parulekar, Shyamrao - ''Yashogatha Vijaya durg'', Vijay Durg (1982)
*Kasar, D.B. - ''Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great'', Mumbai: Manudevi Prakashan (2005)
*Apte, B.K. (editor) - ''Chhatrapati Shivaji: Coronation Tercentenary Commemoration Volume'', Bombay: University of Bombay (1974–75)
*Desai, Ranjeet - ''Shivaji the Great, Janata Raja'' (1968), Pune: Balwant Printers - English Translation of popular
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
book.
*Fanshawe, Herbert Charles
''Delhi past and present''''p. 68''
*Marshman, John Clark
''The History of India, from the earliest period to the close Lord Dalhousie's administration'', Volume 2*Moor, Edward (1794)
''A narrative of the operations of captain Little's detachment, and of the Mahratta army''(a detailed British account of the capture)
*Mill, James
''A history of British India'', Volume 5*Duff, James Grant
''A history of the Mahrattas'', Volume 2*http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/KingListsFarEast/IndiaMarathas.htm
{{MarathaEmpire