The Maratha Conquests were a series of conquests in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

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 Sh ...

. 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 Adil ...

in 1659, from the victory at the Battle of Pratapgad against Bijapur. The expansion of the empire was limited and interrupted by the Mughal conquests of south India by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 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 d ...

in the

and its vassals. It ended with the eventual fall of the Maratha Empire after the Anglo-Maratha Wars.

Background

's father Shahji had earlier served as a Jagirdar under Adil Shah. Shivaji inherited this land and later revolted against the

Adil Shahi dynasty 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 ...

, 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 Sambhaji Bhosale (14 May 1657 – 11 March 1689) was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, ruling from 1681 to 1689. He was the eldest son of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. Sambhaji's rule was largely shaped by the ongoing ...

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. He crowned himself in 1674 as a Chhatrapati, establishing the

Maratha Kingdom 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 Sh ...

Shivaji died in 1680. After Shivaji,

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 regular ...

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 Tarabai Bhosale (Pronunciation: ̪aːɾabaːi ''née'' Mohite) was the regent of the Maratha Empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram Bhonsale, and daughter-in-law of the empire's founder Shivaji. She is acclaimed ...

were victorious.

Shahu I Chhatrapati Shahu Bhosale I (Pronunciation: �aːɦuː CE) was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire founded by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Born into the Bhonsle family, he was the son of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj ...

, 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 The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, su ...

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 ...

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 bordere ...

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 Scindia ...

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 Mara ...

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 The Bhonsle (or Bhonsale, Bhosale, Bhosle) are a prominent group within the Maratha clan system of kunbi origin. They claimed descent from the Sisodia Rajputs but were likely Kunbi tiller-plainsmen. History Earliest members The earliest a ...

of Nagpur, Dev (Gade) of

Wardha Wardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Wardha district. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows at the north, west and south bounda ...

, Pandit of

Bhor Bhor () is a town and a municipal council in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Geography Bhor is located at . It has an average elevation of 588 metres (1929 feet). Demographics India census, Bhor had a populati ...

, Patwardhan, and

Newalkar Newalkar dynasty were Marathi Karhade Brahmins, who were the Maharajas of Jhansi from 1769 to 1858. Their family deity was goddess Mahalakshmi. The Newalkars were sardars under Peshwa Madhavrao I, and later became Maharajas of Jhansi in Central ...

started to work towards their ambition of becoming kings in their respective regions. However, under

Madhavrao Peshwa 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 ...

, 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

Sindhia The Scindia dynasty (anglicized from Shinde) is a Hindu Maratha dynasty of maratha origin that ruled the erstwhile State of Gwalior. It had the Patil-ship of Kumberkerrab in Wai. It was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who started as a personal serva ...

s (originally "Shindes") of

Malwa Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also syn ...

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 s ...

; the

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: 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, Nagpur is projected to ...

; and the

Gaekwad Gaekwad (also spelt Gaikwar and Gaikwad; mr, Gāyǎkǎvāḍǎ) is a surname native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The surname is found among the Marathas, Kolis and in Scheduled castes. It is also a common surname among Bharadis, Dhor, an ...

s of

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...

. 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 South ...

in the three Anglo-Maratha Wars. In the

Third Anglo-Maratha War The Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819) was the final and decisive conflict between the English East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The war left the Company in control of most of India. It began with an invasion of Maratha ter ...

, 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 ...

, 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 ...

, 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 ...

Baji Prabhu Deshpande Baji Prabhu Deshpande ( 1615–1660) was a commander of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha empire. Baji Prabhu is linked with an important rear guard battle enabling Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's escape from Panhala fort; he wa ...

,and warriors Bandal and Siddi Masud 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 between

ruler

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 Rajgad (literal meaning ''Ruling Fort'') is a Hill region fort situated in the Pune district of Maharashtra, India. Formerly known as ''Murumdev'', the fort was the first capital of the Maratha Empire under the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji for ...

. It was also a battle were many died

Battle of Purandar

The Battle of Purandar was fought between the

and

Maratha Army The Maratha Army was the land-based armed forces of the Maratha Empire, which existed from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries in India. 17th century Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire, raised a small yet effective l ...

in 1665. The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, sent his general Jai Singh to besiege

's fortress at Purandar. After Mughal forces killed Maratha General Murarbaji on 2 June 1665,

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 Sinhagad is an ancient hill fortress located at around 49 km southwest of the city of Pune, India. Previously known as ''Kondhana'', the fort had been the site of many battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1670. The Sinhagad ...

(then known as Kondhana) between subedar

Tanaji Malusare Tanaji Malusare was a warrior and commander of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A local poet Tulsidas, wrote a powada describing Tanaji's heroics and sacrifice of life in the Battle of Sinhagad, which has since made him a popular figure in Indian f ...

, commander of the

. and Udaybhan Singh Rathore, the fortkeeper under Jai Singh I who worked for the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 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

and the

in February 1672 CE. The battle was fought near the fort of

Salher Salher is a place located near Waghamba in Satana tehsil in Nashik district of Maharashtra, India.The old name of Salher was Gavalgarh, which was based on the name of the local Bhil king named Gaval Bhil, he was the discoverer of this place. I ...

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. Nashi ...

district. The result was a decisive victory for the

. This battle is considered particularly significant as it is the first battle in which 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

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 and

in 1679. The battle resulted in the defeat of the Marathas and capture, loot and razing of the fort of Bhupalgarh under

Firangoji Narsala Firangoji Narsala was a Maratha warrior and military leader in the army of Shivaji, in 17th century India. He is famous for his defence of Sangram Durg, a fort, against a Mughal army led by Shaista Khan in 1660 . Firangoji was a 'Killedar' ...

by the Mughal forces led by Diler Khan.

Battle of Sangamner

The Battle of

Sangamner Sangamner is a city and a municipal council located in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra state in India. It derives its name from the site of the ''sangam'' (confluence) of three rivers in the area: Pravara, Mhalungi, and Adhala. It is ...

was fought between the

and

in 1679. This was the last battle in which the

king

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

when he was returning from a sack on Jalna. The

engaged in battle with the

for three days until

General, Sidhoji Nimbalkar was killed alongside 2,000

soldiers. The

force was largely decimated defending their king, however

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

and

from 1680 to 1707 in the Indian subcontinent. It was a series of battles. The war started in 1680 with the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s invasion of the Maratha enclave in Bijapur established by

. 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

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 Hambirrao Mohite was the chief military commander of Chattrapati Shivaji's army. An able military general, he executed several campaigns for Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj and later served under Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Early life Hambirra ...

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 The Siddi (), also known as the Sheedi, Sidi, or Siddhi, or Habshi are an ethnic group inhabiting India and Pakistan. They are primarily descended from the Bantu peoples of the Zanj coast in Southeast Africa and Ethiopia, most whom arrived t ...

of Janjira, allies of 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

and

between 1682 and 1683. General

Bahadur Khan Ustad Bahadur Khan (born Bahadur Hossain Khan; 19 January 1931 – 3 October 1989) was an Indian sarod player and film score composer. Early life and family Ustad Bahadur Khan, a Bengali, was born on 19 January 1931 in Shibpur, Brahmanbaria, B ...

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 ...

fort. The Marathas attempted a counter offensive, but failed and they were repulsed and their army was destroyed by Mughal forces.

Siege of Ramsej

Siege of Ramsej (1682-1688) was a sustained military conflict between

and

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

. Marathas and Mysore were already fighting for supremacy in southern India. The earlier conflicts were inconclusive with wins and losses for both sides.

with his allies

Abul Hasan Qutb Shah Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, also known as Abul Hasan Tana Shah was the eighth and last ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, sovereign of the Kingdom of Golconda in South India. He ruled from 1672 to 1686. The last Sultan of this Shia Islamic dynasty, Tana ...

and Basappa Nayaka invaded Mysore in June 1682. Chikka Devaraja defeated the allies at the Battle of Banavar but Sambhaji bounced back to score a major victory at the Battle of Trichinopoly (1682). 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 Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...

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 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 Chhatrasal Bundela (4 May 1649 – 20 December 1731) was an Indian warrior and ruler from the Bundela Rajput clan, who fought against the Mughal Empire, and established his own kingdom in Bundelkhand during the 17th-18th centuries. Early l ...

had rebelled against the

and established an independent kingdom. In December 1728, a Mughal force led by the distinguished commander

Muhammad Khan Bangash Nawab Ghazanfar-Jang, Bangash Khan (1665 – 1743) was the first Nawab of Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh, India. He was a "Bawan Hazari Sardar" (Commander of 52,000 men strong force) in the Mughal Army. He served as governor of Malwa and Allahaba ...

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 Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi (11 August 16711 June 1748) also known as Chin Qilich qamaruddin Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah and Nizam I, was the 1st Nizam of Hyderabad. He was married to the daughter of a Syed nobleman of Gulbarga. He ...

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 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 took place in

Mandsaur Mandsaur is a city and a municipality in Mandsaur district located on Border of Mewar and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh state of central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Mandsaur District. The ancient Pashupatinath Temple is l ...

, modern day

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

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 es ...

, 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 e ...

then conquered Bundelkhand and

Bundi Bundi is a city in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan state in northwest India and capital of the former princely state of Rajputana agency. District of Bundi is named after the former princely state. Demographics According to the 2011 Indian cens ...

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 advanced on

Old Delhi Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan (the Mughal emperor at the time) decided to shift the Mughal capital from Agra. T ...

to attack the Mughal capital. Mughal emperor

Muhammad Shah Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...

sent

Saadat Ali Khan I Saadat Ali Khan Nishapuri (c. 1680 – 19 March 1739) was the Subahdar Nawab of Awadh (Oudh) from 26 January 1722 to 1739 and the son of Muhammad Nasir. At age 25 he accompanied his father on the final campaign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb a ...

with a 150,000-strong army to stop the Maratha advance on Delhi. But Baji Rao's subordinate chiefs

and Pilaji Jadhav crossed the river

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

and looted

Ganga-Yamuna Doab ''Doab'' () is a term used in South Asia Quote: "Originally and chiefly in South Asia: (the name of) a strip or narrow tract of land between two rivers; spec. (with) the area between the rivers Ganges and Jumna in northern India." for the tract ...

. Saadat Khan then retired to

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

, thinking the Marathas had retreated towards

. But Baji Rao's army advanced to Delhi and encamped near Talkatora. 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

Battle of Bhopal

The Battle was fought between the

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 i ...

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 so ...

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

Baji Rao.

Battle of Vasai

The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

rulers of

Vasai Vasai (Konkani and Marathi pronunciation: �əsəi formerly and alternatively Mahratti; ''Bajipur'', English: Bassein; Portuguese: Baçaim), is a historical place and City near Mumbai (Bombay)'s western suburbs, located in Palghar district ...

, 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 second-m ...

in the present-day state of Maharashtra, India. The Marathas were led by

Chimaji Appa Chimaji Balaji Bhat was born in a Chitpavan caste family in 1707 and died in 1740, commonly referred to as Appa or Bhau, was the son of Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa of Maratha Empire. He was an able military ...

, 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 and

Empire in 1742. The

's initially attacked and captured

Katwa Katwa is a sub-divisional town and railway junction in Purba Bardhaman district of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Katwa subdivision. The town was built at the confluence of Ganga and Ajay. Katwa is a border ci ...

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

Ali Vardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Mara ...

responded with a direct attack at the

camp at

in the nightfall, so much that the entire

army evacuated out of

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 and

Empire in 1745. After the initial evacuation of the

's at the First Battle of Katwa, the

General,

Raghuji Bhonsle Raghoji Bhonsle or Raghoji I Bhonsale or Raghuji the Great (1695 – February 1755) of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors rule ...

attempted, once again, to conquer

. 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. Durin ...

then moved onwards to

, where Nawab of Bengal

fought

Raghuji Raghoji I (''Raghoji Bhonsle''; ; 1695 – February 1755) or Raghuji the Great of the Bhonsale dynasty, was a Maratha general who took control of the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India during the reign of Shahu I. His successors ruled the ...

and his men, with Marathas moving in towards Medinipur in

Battle of Burdwan

The Battle of Burdwan occurred between the Nawab of Bengal and

empires in 1747. After the dismissal of Mir Jafar by

, an army was amassed to defend against the invading

forces of

Janoji Bhonsle The Kingdom of Nagpur was an Indian kingdom in the 18th and 19th centuries. It came under the rule of the Marathas of the Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century and became part of the Maratha Empire. The city of Nagpur was the capital of the st ...

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 ...

managed to heavily repulse and defeat the

's in this battle.

Maratha conquest of Northwest India

Battle of Delhi, 1757

The Battle of Delhi was fought on 11 August 1757 between

under the command of

Raghunathrao Raghunathrao Bhat (a.k.a. Ragho Ballal or Ragho Bharari) (18 August 1734 – 11 December 1783) was the 11th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire for a brief period from 1773 to 1774. He was known among the Hindus for his extremely successful North-west ...

and Rohilla Afghans under

Najib-ud-Daula Najib ad-Dawlah ( ps, نجيب الدوله), also known as Najib Khan Yousafzai ( ps, نجيب خان), was a Rohilla Yousafzai Afghan who earlier served as a Mughal serviceman but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmed S ...

. The battle was waged by the Marathas for the control of Delhi, the Mughal capital which was now under the control of Rohilla chief

, as a consequence of fourth invasion of

Ahmad Shah Abdali 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 ...

, Shamsher Bahadur, Gangadhar Tatya, Sakharambapu, Naroshankar and Maujiram Bania attacked Delhi and defeated

Najib Khan Najib ad-Dawlah ( ps, نجيب الدوله), also known as Najib Khan Yousafzai ( ps, نجيب خان), was a Rohilla Yousafzai Afghan who earlier served as a Mughal serviceman but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmed S ...

and Ahmed Khan became the Mir Bakshi in his place. In March, 1758, they conquered

Sirhind Sirhind-Fategarh is a town and a municipal council in the Fatehgarh Sahib district in the Indian state of Punjab. Demographics In the 2011 census Sirhind-Fatehgarh had a population of 60852. Males constituted 54% of the population and fema ...

. 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 city ...

. 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 lar ...

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 ...

, 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 Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

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, 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

, 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.

was captured by

Mahadji Scindia 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 f ...

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 t ...

Shah Alam II Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar (or Ali Gauhar), was the seventeenth Mughal Emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal empire. His powe ...

to the throne of Delhi in 1772.

Battle of Alegaon

The Battle of Alegaon was fought between

Nizam Ali Khan Mir Nizam Ali Khan Siddiqi, Asaf Jah II (7 March 1734 – 6 August 1803) was the 2nd Nizam of Hyderabad State in South India between 1762 and 1803. He was born on 7 March 1734 as fourth son to Asaf Jah I and Umda Begum. His official name is '' ...

of Hyderabad and

of the

against Peshwa Madhavrao of the Maratha Empire.

had established an alliance with

of Hyderabad. When conflict arose between

and Madhavrao I, a joint campaign between

and

resulted in Madhavrao I being heavily defeated. Peshwa Madhavrao surrendered on November 12, 1762.

got all of his previously lost territories that were lost at the

Battle of Udgir The Battle of Udgir occurred on 3 January 1760 in Udgir between Maratha Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The Marathas under the command of Sadashivrao Bhau defeated the army of Salabat Jung (brother of Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II); wherein ...

. Peshwa Madhavrao submitted to his uncle,

Battle of Rakshasbhuvan

The Battle of Rakshasbhuvan 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 f ...

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 t ...

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 Rohillas 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 Malabar may refer to the following: People * Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India * Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion Places * Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...

and Coorg from the

who was the prime minister to maharaja of Mysore decided to attack the

at Saunshi.

decided to send his General, Muhammad Ali to attack the

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

forces. Maratha Chief Konher Rao was killed and Pandurang Rao was caught by the

forces.

Siege of Nargund

The Siege of Nargund occurred when the Kingdom of Mysore 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 i ...

of the Kingdom of Mysore and the

allied with the Nizam of Hyderabad.

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 Besieged may refer to: * the state of being under siege * ''Besieged'' (film), a 1998 film by Bernardo Bertolucci {{disambiguation ...

for one month and then captured by

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

and the

forces of Haripant. Tipu Sultan defeated the Maratha forces. Following this battle, a peace agreement was signed between the ingdom of Mysoreand the

, 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 posts e ...

Battle of Gajendragad

The Battle of Gajendragad was fought in June 1786, during the Maratha-Mysore War. An army of the Maratha Empire led by

Tukoji Rao Holkar Tukoji Rao Holkar (26 June 1723 – 15 August 1797), belonging to the Holkar clan of the Marathas was the feudatory of Indore (r. 1795–1797). Tukoji Holkar was the adopted son of Malhar Rao Holkar, he was the second son of Shrimant Tan ...

, 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

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 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 ...

and

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 Benoît Leborgne (24 March 175121 June 1830), better known as Count Benoît de Boigne or General Count de Boigne, was a military adventurer from the Duchy of Savoy, who made his fortune and name in India with the Marathas. He was also named presid ...

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 "' ...

and

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

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 "Kanauji ...

and Kachhawaha

s were defeated by the Maratha Force under

Daulat Rao Scindia Shrimant Daulat Rao Shinde (also Sindhia; 1779 – 21 March 1827) was the Maharaja (ruler) of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremacy within the Maratha Empire, and war ...

. 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

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 Patparganj is a locality situated in East Delhi District of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India, and is located near the border with Uttar Pradesh. Patparganj has remained the Delhi Legislative Assembly constituency with East Delhi, ...

, 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 British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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 Emperor

, 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 Farrukhabad is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Farrukhabad tehsil. The city is on the banks of river Ganges and is from the national capital Delhi and from the state capital Lucknow. ...

, 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 Siege of Bharatpur took place between 2 January and 22 February 1805 in the Indian Princely state of Bharatpur State, Bharatpur (now part of Rajasthan), during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Forces of the British East India Company, led by Gen ...

''); 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 The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...

King

Ranjit Singh of Bharatpur Maharaja Ranjit Singh (2 May 1745 – 6 December 1805) was the ruling Maharaja of the Bharatpur State, princely state of Bharatpur, India, Bharatpur (r.1778–1805) and successor of Maharaja Kehri Singh, he was bestowed by the title of ''Farza ...

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

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 The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) was the first of three Anglo-Maratha Wars fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. The w ...

ended in a stalemate with both sides signing the

treaty of Salbai The Treaty of Salbai was signed on 17 May 1782, by representatives of the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company after long negotiations to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War it was signed between Warren Hastings and Mah ...

. 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

(1817–1818) was the final and decisive conflict between the

and 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 ...

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.

References

38.^ a b c d Sarkar,Jadunath(1992).Shivaji and His Times. Orient Longman. ISBN 978-81-250-1347-1

Background

Battles under Shivaji

Battle of Pratapgad

Battle of Kolhapur

Battle of Pavankhind

Battle of Chakan

Battle of Umberkhind

Battle of Surat

Battle of Purandar

Battle of Sinhagad

Battle of Salher

Maratha occupation of Kolistan

Battle of Vikramgad

Battle of Bhupalgarh

Battle of Sangamner

Battle of Dindori

Battles after the death of Shivaji

War of 27 Years

Battles under Sambhaji

Sacking of Burhanpur

Siege of Janjira (1682)

Battle of Kalyan

Siege of Ramsej

Maratha-Mysore War

Maratha invasion of Goa

Mughal invasion of Konkan

Battle of Wai

Battles under Baji Rao I

Battle of Palkhed

Battle of Jaitpur

Battle of Dabhoi

Battle of Mandsaur

Battle of Delhi

Battle of Bhopal

Battle of Vasai

Maratha invasions of Bengal

First Battle of Katwa

Second Battle of Katwa

Battle of Burdwan

Maratha conquest of Northwest India

Battle of Delhi, 1757

Third Battle of Panipat

Maratha Resurrection

Restoration of Maratha suzerainty in the North

Battle of Alegaon

Battle of Rakshasbhuvan

Capture of Delhi, 1771

Marathas in Rohilkhand

Conflict with the Kingdom of Mysore

Battle of Rutehalli Fort

Battle of Sira and Madgiri

Siege of Saunshi

Siege of Nargund

Siege of Adoni

Battle of Savanur

Siege of Bahadur Benda

Battle of Gajendragad

First Anglo Maratha War (1775 - 1783)

Battle of Wadgaon

Battle of Patan

Battle of Merta, 1790

Capture of Ajmer, 1790

Capture of Shimoga

Battle of Kharda

Battle of Malpura

Second Anglo Maratha War (1803 - 1805)

Battle of Delhi, 1803

Battle of Bharatpur

Third Anglo-Maratha War

See also

References

Further reading