Chhatrapati Shahu Bhosale I (Pronunciation:
">aːɦuː CE) was the fifth
Chhatrapati 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 ...
founded by his grandfather, Chhatrapati
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 ...
Maharaj. Born into the
Bhonsle family, he was the son of Chhatrapati
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 ...
Maharaj, Shivaji Maharaj's eldest son and successor. He was captured at a very young age and held captive by the Mughals till the death of the Mughal emperor
Aurangzeb. At that time, he was released from captivity in the hope of keeping the Marathas locked in an internecine struggle.
Under Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj's reign, Maratha power and influence extended to all corners of the Indian subcontinent, which eventually turned into a strong
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 ...
during his time. After his death, his ministers and generals such as
the Peshwas,
Bhonsle of Nagpur,
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
carved out their own fiefdoms and turned the empire into a confederacy.
Early life
Shahu, as a seven year old child, was taken prisoner along with his mother in 1689 by Mughals after the
Battle of Raigarh.
The Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, then fighting the Marathas, hoped to use Shahu as a pawn in his struggle with them, and therefore treated Shahu and his mother well. During captivity, he was married to two daughters of Maratha
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 in the Mughal service. The Mughals also granted him lands and revenue rights, around Akkalkot and Khargone respectively, for his maintenance. After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, one of his sons, Prince Azam Shah, released Shahu in the hope of starting an internecine conflict between the Marathas, and also to have Shahu on his side for a succession battle for the Mughal throne. At that time his aunt
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 ...
, the widow of Rajaram who governed the Maratha realm in the name of her son Shivaji, denounced Shahu as an impostor substituted by the Mughals for the son of Sambhaji. He fought a brief war with Tarabai to gain the Maratha throne in 1708.
Expansion of the Maratha Empire
Kanhoji Angre
Kanhoji Angre (Marathi: कान्होजी आंग्रे, anʱod͡ʒiː aːŋɡɾe, also known as Conajee Angria or Sarkhel Angré (August 1669 – 4 July 1729) was a chief of the Maratha Navy in present-day India. Kanhoji became k ...
seized the opportunity of war between Tarabai and Shahu to effectively free himself of the suzerainty of either. Instead, he captured the major trading center of
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 ...
and the neighboring forts of Rajmachi and Lohgad. Shahu sent a large force under his ''Peshwa'' or Prime Minister,
Bahiroji Pingale
Bhaironji Pant Pingale was the younger son of Moropant Trimbak Pingle. His father, Moropant Pingle was the first Peshwa of Chhattrapati Shivaji.
When Kanhoji Angre attacked Satara in 1711, Bahiroji was taken a prisoner by him. Immediately Shah ...
. Kanhoji defeated Pingale and imprisoned him at Lohagad, and started to advance towards Shahu's capital of Satara. Shahu commanded
Balaji Vishwanath to raise another army to subdue Kanhoji. Balaji preferred the path of negotiation and was appointed as Shahu's
plenipotentiary
A ''plenipotentiary'' (from the Latin ''plenus'' "full" and ''potens'' "powerful") is a diplomat who has full powers—authorization to sign a treaty or convention on behalf of his or her sovereign. When used as a noun more generally, the wor ...
to negotiate with the admiral. Balaji and Kanhoji met at
Lonavala
Lonavala (ISO: Loṇāvaḷā) is a hill station town and a Municipal Council in the Pune district, Maharashtra, India. It is about west of Pune and to the east of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy ''chikki'' and is als ...
. The newly appointed Peshwa appealed to the old sailor's patriotism for the Maratha cause. Angre agreed to become the ''Sarkhel'' (admiral) of Shahu's navy with control of the Konkan. Balaji and Angre then jointly attacked the Muslim Siddis of Janjira. Their combined forces captured most of the Konkan coast, including Balaji's birthplace of Shrivardhan, which became part of the Angre fiefdom. Delighted with Balaji's success, Shahu dismissed
Bahiroji Pingale
Bhaironji Pant Pingale was the younger son of Moropant Trimbak Pingle. His father, Moropant Pingle was the first Peshwa of Chhattrapati Shivaji.
When Kanhoji Angre attacked Satara in 1711, Bahiroji was taken a prisoner by him. Immediately Shah ...
and appointed Balaji Vishwanath as Peshwa on 16 November 1713.
Shahu and his successors were recognized by the Mughal Emperors as the rightful heirs to Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Mughals became a puppet government of the Marathas, and gave a quarter of their total revenue as
Chauth
Chauth (from Sanskrit, meaning ''one fourth'') was a regular tax or tribute imposed from the early 18th century by the Maratha Empire in the Indian subcontinent. It was an annual tax nominally levied at 25% on revenue or produce, hence the name, ...
and an additional 10% for their protection.
Over the next fifty years, Balaji, followed by his son
Bajirao 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 grandson
Balaji Bajirao and with the help of capable military leaders from the clans of
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Pawar
Pawar (also spelled as Pavar and Puar) is an Indian surname found among Koli, Maratha or Mahar castes in Maharashtra. Maratha Pawar claim descent from the Parmar clan of Rajput's. In the north region of Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, the ...
and
Bhonsle of Nagpur, expanded Maratha power in all directions of the Indian subcontinent. The
Battle of Palkhed
The Battle of Palkhed was fought on February 28, 1728 at the village of Palkhed, near the city of Nashik, Maharashtra, India between the Maratha Empire and the Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad wherein, the Marathas defeated the Nizam.
Ba ...
was fought on February 28, 1728 at the village of Palkhed, near the city of
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 ...
,
Maharashtra,
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 ...
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 Sh ...
and the
Nizam-ul-Mulk, 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 ...
of
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
, wherein the Marathas defeated the Nizam.
After the
Battle of Bundelkhand, the Marathas became major players in the all-important
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 ...
.
During Shahu's lifetime, Marathas conquered
Bundelkhand,
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 ...
,
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
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 ...
.
Family
Shahu had four wives, who gave him two sons and four daughters. Shahu adopted
Parvatibai
Parvatibai (6 April 1734 – 23 September 1763) was second wife of Sadashivrao Bhau. She was from the Kolhatkar family of Pen and was married to Sadashivrao Bhau after the death of his first wife Umabai and hence became a member of the Peshwa ...
when she was 3 years old. She was the daughter of a mamledar of Pen, Raigad. He trained her in warfare and administration. He later had her married to
Sadashivrao Bhau
Sadashivrao Bhau Peshwa (3 August 1730 – 14 January 1761) was son of Chimaji Appa (younger brother of Bajirao I) and Rakhmabai (Pethe family) and the nephew of Baji Rao I. He was a finance minister during the reign of Maratha emperor Chhatr ...
when she was 15 years old. Even though her father was alive, he did her
kanyadan
Kanyādāna is a Hindu wedding ritual.Enslin, Elizabeth. "Imagined Sisters: The Ambiguities of Women’s Poetics and Collective Actions". Selves in Time and Place: Identities, Experience, and History in Nepal. Ed. Debra Skinner, Alfred Pach III ...
. He also adopted two sons, Fatehsinh I and
Rajaram II of Satara
Rajaram Bhonsle II, also known as Ramaraja, was the sixth monarch of Maratha Empire.V.S. Kadam, 1993. ''Maratha Confederacy: A Study in its Origin and Development.'' Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi. He was an adopted son of Chhattrapa ...
(who succeeded him as the Raja of Satara). Rajaram II had been brought to him by Shahu's paternal aunt,
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 ...
, who initially claimed that the young man was her grandson and a descendant of Shivaji Maharaj, but later disowned him as an imposter.
After Shahu's death, the powers were indirectly shifted to 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 ...
Balaji Bajirao.
Shahu also adopted Ranoji Lokhande, later known as Fatehsinh I Raje Sahib Bhonsle, the son of Meherban Sayaji Lokhende, the Patil of Paru
Fatehsinh became the first Raja of
Akkalkot State, Akalkot around the year 1708. Upon his adoption, Fatehsinh received the town of Akkalkot and surrounding areas. The descendants of Fatehsinh later went on to establish the
Bhonsle dynasty in
Akkalkot state
Akkalkot State during the British Raj, was a Maratha princely state ruled by the Bhonsle dynasty. The non-salute state came under the Deccan States Agency and was bordered by Hyderabad State and the Bombay Presidency.
See also
* Maratha Empi ...
.
Death and succession
Shahu died in December 1749. At that time his widow, Sakvarbai and his concubines committed sati because of political intrigues by Tarabai and Peshwa
Balaji Baji Rao
Baji Bajirao (8 December 1720 – 23 June 1761), also known as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy in India. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his illustrious father, the Peshwa Bajirao I.
During ...
regarding succession at the Satara court.
His adopted son
Rajaram II of Satara
Rajaram Bhonsle II, also known as Ramaraja, was the sixth monarch of Maratha Empire.V.S. Kadam, 1993. ''Maratha Confederacy: A Study in its Origin and Development.'' Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi. He was an adopted son of Chhattrapa ...
, claimed by
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 ...
to be her grandson, succeeded to the Satara throne. But the actual power was held by others: first by Tarabai and then by Peshwa
Balaji Baji Rao
Baji Bajirao (8 December 1720 – 23 June 1761), also known as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy in India. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his illustrious father, the Peshwa Bajirao I.
During ...
.
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Imperial Gazetteer of India v. 2, p. 441.
* Kasar, D.B. Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great, Mumbai: Manudevi Prakashan, Rs. 165 (2005).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahu, Chattrapati
Chattrapati Shahuji
Chattrapati Shahuji
Maharajas of Satara
18th-century Indian monarchs