Tukkoji Bhonsle (1677–1736) was the fourth
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 ...
ruler of
Thanjavur
Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...
, located in
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
. He was from the
Bhonsle dynasty and was the son of
Ekoji I as well as the younger brother of
Shahuji I and
Serfoji I. Tukkoji ruled Thanjavur from 1728 to 1736.
Reign
Tukkoji succeeded his brother
Serfoji I to the throne of Thanjavur on the former's death in 1728 and is believed to have reigned until 1736. However, the available records don't agree with each other. While the Tanjore Marathi inscriptions assign eight years to his rule the Madras Tamil manuscript assigns only 6 years.
Tukkoji concluded the Marava war commenced by Serfoji I. Unlike his brother, however, he switched over to Bhavani Shankar's side and helped the latter attain the throne.
Marathi inscriptions of this period record Tukkoji's aid to Meenakshi the Queen of
Tiruchirapalli
Tiruchirappalli () ( formerly Trichinopoly in English), also called Tiruchi or Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with bein ...
against the
Palaiyakkarar
Palaiyakkarars, or Poligar, (as the British referred to them) in Tamil Nadu refers to the holder of a small kingdom as a feudatory to a greater sovereign. Under this system, ''palayam'' was given for valuable military services rendered by any in ...
who rose in revolt against her. He also fought against
Chanda Sahib
Chanda Sahib (died 12 June 1752) was a subject of the Mughal Empire and the Nawab of the Carnatic between 1749 and 1752. Initially he was supported by the French during the Carnatic Wars. After his defeat at Arcot in 1751, he was captured by ...
on the side of the Hindu rajas of South India. Chanda Sahib's first expedition in 1734 was bought off. But the second expedition in 1736 resulted in the fall of Tiruchirapalli.
Tukkoji was a good linguist. He is also credited with having introduced Hindusthani music in Thanjavur. He wrote a work on music called ''Sangeetha Samamrita''. His minister Ghansyama Pandit wrote a commentary on the ''Uttaramacharitra'' of Bhavabhuti.
Death and succession
Tukkoji died in 1736. He left behind one legitimate son
Ekoji who succeeded to the throne on the death of his father. But he ruled for not more than a year. However he had a number of offspring from his concubines. A three-year-long period of anarchy followed his death. It came to an end only with the accession of
Pratapsingh in 1739.
See also
*
Bhonsle
*
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 ...
*
List of Maratha dynasties and states
This is a list of Maratha dynasties and Maratha princely states.
Historical Maratha dynasties with original clans spread globally
† - States annexed by the British East India Company
Maratha Princely States
The Marathas ruled much of ...
*
Thanjavur Maratha kingdom
The Thanjavur Maratha kingdom ruled by the Bhonsle dynasty was a principality of Tamil Nadu between the 17th and 19th centuries. Their native language was Marathi. Venkoji was the founder of the dynasty.
Maratha conquest of Thanjavur
Follo ...
References
# 'The Maratha Rajas of Tanjore' by K.R.Subramanian, 1928.
{{MarathaEmpire
1677 births
1736 deaths
Maharajas of Thanjavur