Chhatrapati is a royal title from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
language.The word ‘Chhatrapati’ is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
language compound word (
tatpurusha
Sanskrit inherits from its parent, the Proto-Indo-European language, the capability of forming compound nouns, also widely seen in kindred languages, especially German, Greek, and also English.
However, Sanskrit, especially in the later stages o ...
in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
) of ''
chhatra
The ''chhatra'' (from sa, छत्र, meaning "umbrella") "jewelled/precious parasol" is an auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.
The ''chhatra'' in various traditions
According to Hindu mythology, it is the emblem of Varuna, ...
'' (''parasol'' or ''umbrella'') and ''pati'' (''master/lord/ruler''). This title was used by the
House of Bhonsle
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 ...
.
The title "Chhatrapati" was created 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 Adils ...
upon his coronation, and this was also held by his immediate successors, namely
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 ...
,
Rajaram, and
Shahu. After the death of
Shahu, however, the increasing power of the
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, ...
s reduced his successors to a nominal position although they continue to use the title to this day.
The states of Satara and Kolhapur came into being in 1707, because of the succession dispute over the royalty.
Shahuji
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 ...
, the heir apparent to the Maratha kingdom, captured by 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 ...
at the age of nine, remained their prisoner at the death of his father
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 ...
, the elder son of Shivaji the founder 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 Shi ...
, in 1689. The dowager Maharani
Tarabai
Tarabai Bhosale (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, ̪aːɾabaːi ''née'' Mohite) was the regent of the Maratha Empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram Chhatrapati, Rajaram Bhonsale, and daughter-in-law of the emp ...
(wife of
Rajaram I
Rajaram Bhosle I (Pronunciation: aːd͡ʒaɾaːm – 3 March 1700) was the third ''Chhatrapati'' of Maratha Empire, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of the Shivaji, the founder of the empire and younger half- ...
) proclaimed her son
Shivaji II
Shivaji II of Maratha Empire, later Shivaji I of Kolhapur (9 June 1696 – 14 March 1726) was the son of the Maratha Chhatrapati, Rajaram I, and his wife Tarabai.
Biography
He was born in Bhonsle family. Upon the death of his father, t ...
, as Chhatrapati under her regency. The Mughals released Shahu under certain conditions in 1707, and he returned to claim his inheritance. He defeated the regent at the Battle of Khed and established himself at Satara, forcing her to retire with her son to Kolhapur. By 1710 two separate principalities had become an established fact. Shivaji II and Tarabai were soon deposed by the other wife of Rajaram, Rajasbai. She installed her own son,
Sambhaji II
Sambhaji II or Sambhaji I of Kolhapur (1698 - 18 December 1760) was a Raja of Kolhapur from Bhonsle dynasty. He was a grandson of Shivaji and the second son of Chhatrapati Rajaram with his second wife, Rajasbai.
After defeat by Shahu, Sambh ...
as the new ruler of Kolhapur. Sambhaji II signed the "Treaty of Warana" in 1731 with his cousin
Shahuji
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 ...
to formalize the two separate seats of Bhonsle family.
Initial Chhatrapatis
This is the list of the initial Chhatrapatis.
Chhatrapatis of Satara
This is the list of the Chhatrapatis of
Satara.
[Maheshwari, K.K. & K.W. Wiggins (1989). ''Maratha Mints and Coinage'', Nashik: Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies, pp.205–6]
Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur
This is the list of the Chhatrapatis 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 kn ...
.
See also
*
House of Bhonsle
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 ...
*
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 M ...
*
Maratha titles
The following list includes a brief about the titles of nobility or orders of chivalry used by the Marathas of India and by the Marathis/ Konkanis in general.
Titles used by the Maratha Royals
The titles used by royalty, aristocracy and nobili ...
Notes
References
* V.S. Kadam, 1993. ''Maratha Confederacy: A Study in its Origin and Development''. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi.
* D.B. Kasar, ''Rigveda to Rajgarh – Making of Shivaji the Great''. Manudevi Prakashan, Mumbai.
{{MarathaEmpire
Titles in India
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Royal titles
Men's social titles
Hindu dynasties
Maratha Empire