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Maratha Empire(1674-1818), at its peak, ruled over much of the Indian Subcontinent(modern-day Republic of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as bordering Nepal and Afghanistan). Apart from capturing various regions, the Marathas maintained a large number of tributaries who were bounded by agreement to pay a certain amount of regular tax, known as "Chauth". Apart from capturing the Mughal Empire, the Maratha Empire defeatedSultanate of MysoreunderHyder AliandTipu Sultan,Nawab of Oudh,Nawab of Bengal,Nizam of HyderabadandNawab of Arcotas well as the Polygarkingdoms of South India. They extractedchauthfromDelhi,Oudh,Bengal, Bihar,Odisha, Punjab,Hyderabad,Mysore, Uttar Pradesh and Rajput states.
Maratha Empire in East India Company Map
Subjugation of the Mughal Empire:The victory in the Decan Wars(1680-1707) against Aurangzeb made the Marathas the numero uno power in India. Thereafter, in 1714, an army of Marathas commanded by Parsoji Bhosale marched up to Delhi unopposed and later removed the Mughal Emperor Furrukhsiyar with the help of the Mughal nobels of Delhi. From then on, Marathas had a veto power over the throne. Again, in 1772 Marathas installedShah Alam II(who fled after being scared of his own safety)as the puppet ruler on the Mughal throne and declared themselves as the the Protector/Guardian of the Thorne.
Subjugation of Nizam of Hyderabad: PeshwaBajiraofought over 41 battles and is reputed to have never lost one.Battle of Palkhed(1728) took place between Baji Rao I and the Nizam-ul-Mulkof Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated theNizam. Nizam decided to pay tributes and taxes to the Marathas. TheBattle of Rakshasbhuvan(1763) and TheBattle ofKharda(1795) are the two battle where Marathas again defeated the Nizam when he revolted and slapped penalties on him by taking away lands and increasing the tax rates.
Subjugation of the Portuguese:The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and thePortugueserulers ofVasai, a village lying nearBombayin the present-day state of Maharashtra, India. The Marathas were led byChimaji Appa, a brother of Peshwa Baji Rao I. Maratha victory in this war was a major achievement of Baji Rao I reign.
Subjugation of Rajputs:After the Battle of Bhopal(1737), Rajputs accepted the supremacy of the the Marathas. They decided to pay tributes and taxes to the Marathas. Later, when some Rajput kings revolted, Marathas again decisively defeated them in the Battle of Patan(1790).
Subjugation of the Nawab of Arcot: In 1740, the Maratha forces came down uponArcotand defeated theNawab of Arcot, Dost Ali in the pass of Damalcherry. In the war that followed, Dost Ali, one of his sons Hasan Ali, and a number of prominent persons lost their lives.
Subjugation of the Nawab of Bengal: After the successful campaign of Karnatak andBattle of Trichinopolly, Raghuji returned from Karnatak. He undertooksix expeditions in Bengalfrom 1741–1748. Raghuji was able to annexOdishato his kingdom permanently as he successfully exploited the chaotic conditions prevailing inBengal, Bihar and Odisha after the death of their GovernorMurshid Quli Khanin 1727. Constantly harassed by the Bhonsles, Odisha or Cuttack, Bengal and parts of Bihar were economically ruined. Alivardi Khan,Nawab of Bengalmade peace with Raghuji in 1751 ceding in perpetuity Cuttack up to the river Subarnarekha, and agreeing to pay Rs.1.2 million annually in lieu of theChauthof Bengal and Bihar.
Three encounters with the Afghans:
1) In 1758, the Marathas started their successful north-west conquestand expanded their boundary till Afghanistan. The fall of Sirhind at the hands of Marathas alarmedTimur Shah Durraniand Jahan Khan at Lahore. The Afghan chiefs lost their heart and fled toPeshawar, leaving behind their troops in Lahore under Aziz Khan. On 20 April 1758,Malharrao Holkar and Raghunathrao attacked and conquered Lahore. Tukoji Holkar conquered Multan,Dera Ghazi Khan,Kashmir,Attockand Peshawar by 8 May 1758.Thus, by May 1758,Timur Shah Durrani, the son of Ahmad Shah Durrani was ousted and the Afghans were chased beyond theKhyber pass. The Afghans were numbered around 25,000–30,000 and were led byTimur Shah, the son ofAhmad Shah Durrani. The Marathas massacred and looted thousands of Afghan soldiers. Thereafter a strong body of Maratha troops, commanded by Datta Patel was left on the bank of Industo protect the Indian borders from Afghan intruders beforeRaghunathraoandAdina Beg Khanreturned toLahorewith the bulk of their armies. Tukoji Holkar with 10,000 Maratha soldiers inPeshawar, Narsoji Pandit with 4000 Maratha troops atAttock, Babuji Trimbak with 6000 Maratha troops atMultan and Nekaji Bhosle with 3000 Maratha troops inDera Ghazi Khanwere posted to guard the strategically important forts.
2) In 1761, in another encounter with the Afghans, Marathas lost the Third Battle of Panipath. They were outnumbered by the Afghans, Rohillas, Nawabs and the other Katuwas from North India and the present Pakistan and the battle location, Panipat was far away from the Maratha country, Maharashtra to receive the instant orders from the Peshwa. They were also harassed by Rajputs and Jats who cut off the Maratha supply line. But,it only halted the Maratha expansion in the north for some years . Abdali’s army was severely damaged. Post battle Ahmad Shah Abdaliin a letter to one Indian ruler claimed that Afghans were able to defeat the Marathas only because of the blessings of almighty and any other army would have been destroyed by the Maratha army on that particular day even though Maratha army was numerically inferior to Afghan army and its Indian allies.The letter is kept in theNational Archives of India.
3) Sitution again got tensed in 1772.This time the Maratha army was consolidated. Marathas destroyed Rohilla-Afghans of Rohillkhand. Mahadji recaptured Delhi and installed Shah Alam IIas the puppet ruler on the Mughal throne. Mahadji ruled the Punjab as it used to be a Mughal territory and Sikh sardars and other Rajas of the cis-Sutlej region paid tributes to him. They previously used to pay tributes to Durranis. But,this time seeing the Maratha positions, Durranis decided not to challenge the Maratha authority in those areas.
Subjugation of the Nawab of Oudh: The Marathas were requested bySafdarjung, theNawab of Oudh, in 1752 to help him defeat Afghani Rohilla. The Maratha force leftPoonaand defeated Afghan Rohilla in 1752. He decided to give Chauth to the Marathas as protection money. After, the Battle of Buxor against the British(1764), the Nawabs of Oudh(Lucknow) became backboneless.
Subjugation of the Jats: Jats decided to pay Chauth(1/4 of the revenue) to the Marathas in 1770s for protection when they were weak. The strong fort ofGwaliorwas then in the hands ofChhatar Singh, the Jat ruler ofGohad. In 1783, Mahadji besieged the fort of Gwalior and conquered it. But, After acquiring sufficient power, Jats discontinued the grant of Chauth to the Marathas, which resulted in strained relations between Marathas and Jats. However, they did not do anything which could have harmed the Marathas.
Formation of a strong Navy: Marathas set up for the first time in India a modern powerful navy. Marathas established naval bases in theAndaman Islandsand are credited with attaching the islands to India. They were very successful at keeping foreign naval ships, particularly of the Portuguese and British, at bay.
Subjugation of Pathans: In 1772,Marathas, led byMahadji Sindhia defeated Zabita Khanof Rohillkhand and the fort of Pathargarh was completely looted by the Marathas in the form of horses, elephants, guns and other valuable things, which the Rohillas had looted at Panipat, they also destroyedNajib-ul-Daula's grave, scattering the bones all around. Rohillas were were Pathan highlanders of theYusufzai tribe who were awarded theKatehrregion in northern India by theMughalemperorAurangzebAlamgir to suppressRajputuprisings.
Defeat of the British: TheFirst Anglo-Maratha War(1775–1782) was the first of three Anglo-Maratha wars fought between theBritish East India CompanyandMaratha Empirein India. The first war ended with defeat of the British forces.
Crushing of Tipu Sultan: TheBattle of Gajendragadwas fought between the Marathas under the command of Tukojirao Holkar andTipu Sultanfrom March 1786 to March 1787 in which Tipu Sultan was defeated by the Marathas. By the victory in this battle, the border of the Maratha territory extended tillTungabhadrariver.
Demise: After second Anglo-Maratha War (1805) Maratha power got weakened and finally after Third Anglo-Maratha War (1818),it ceased to exist as an independent power. All the War-Lords one after another made Treaties of Subsidiary Alliance. They all had a friendly relationship with the British from then. The chief of them was The Scindia Family. They even helped the British to crush the 1857 rebellion. Lord Canning (then Governor General) noted that
"If Scindia joins the rebels, I will pack off tomorrow".
@A Town as you wished.
Maratha Empire in East India Company Map
Subjugation of the Mughal Empire:The victory in the Decan Wars(1680-1707) against Aurangzeb made the Marathas the numero uno power in India. Thereafter, in 1714, an army of Marathas commanded by Parsoji Bhosale marched up to Delhi unopposed and later removed the Mughal Emperor Furrukhsiyar with the help of the Mughal nobels of Delhi. From then on, Marathas had a veto power over the throne. Again, in 1772 Marathas installedShah Alam II(who fled after being scared of his own safety)as the puppet ruler on the Mughal throne and declared themselves as the the Protector/Guardian of the Thorne.
Subjugation of Nizam of Hyderabad: PeshwaBajiraofought over 41 battles and is reputed to have never lost one.Battle of Palkhed(1728) took place between Baji Rao I and the Nizam-ul-Mulkof Hyderabad. The Marathas defeated theNizam. Nizam decided to pay tributes and taxes to the Marathas. TheBattle of Rakshasbhuvan(1763) and TheBattle ofKharda(1795) are the two battle where Marathas again defeated the Nizam when he revolted and slapped penalties on him by taking away lands and increasing the tax rates.
Subjugation of the Portuguese:The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and thePortugueserulers ofVasai, a village lying nearBombayin the present-day state of Maharashtra, India. The Marathas were led byChimaji Appa, a brother of Peshwa Baji Rao I. Maratha victory in this war was a major achievement of Baji Rao I reign.
Subjugation of Rajputs:After the Battle of Bhopal(1737), Rajputs accepted the supremacy of the the Marathas. They decided to pay tributes and taxes to the Marathas. Later, when some Rajput kings revolted, Marathas again decisively defeated them in the Battle of Patan(1790).
Subjugation of the Nawab of Arcot: In 1740, the Maratha forces came down uponArcotand defeated theNawab of Arcot, Dost Ali in the pass of Damalcherry. In the war that followed, Dost Ali, one of his sons Hasan Ali, and a number of prominent persons lost their lives.
Subjugation of the Nawab of Bengal: After the successful campaign of Karnatak andBattle of Trichinopolly, Raghuji returned from Karnatak. He undertooksix expeditions in Bengalfrom 1741–1748. Raghuji was able to annexOdishato his kingdom permanently as he successfully exploited the chaotic conditions prevailing inBengal, Bihar and Odisha after the death of their GovernorMurshid Quli Khanin 1727. Constantly harassed by the Bhonsles, Odisha or Cuttack, Bengal and parts of Bihar were economically ruined. Alivardi Khan,Nawab of Bengalmade peace with Raghuji in 1751 ceding in perpetuity Cuttack up to the river Subarnarekha, and agreeing to pay Rs.1.2 million annually in lieu of theChauthof Bengal and Bihar.
Three encounters with the Afghans:
1) In 1758, the Marathas started their successful north-west conquestand expanded their boundary till Afghanistan. The fall of Sirhind at the hands of Marathas alarmedTimur Shah Durraniand Jahan Khan at Lahore. The Afghan chiefs lost their heart and fled toPeshawar, leaving behind their troops in Lahore under Aziz Khan. On 20 April 1758,Malharrao Holkar and Raghunathrao attacked and conquered Lahore. Tukoji Holkar conquered Multan,Dera Ghazi Khan,Kashmir,Attockand Peshawar by 8 May 1758.Thus, by May 1758,Timur Shah Durrani, the son of Ahmad Shah Durrani was ousted and the Afghans were chased beyond theKhyber pass. The Afghans were numbered around 25,000–30,000 and were led byTimur Shah, the son ofAhmad Shah Durrani. The Marathas massacred and looted thousands of Afghan soldiers. Thereafter a strong body of Maratha troops, commanded by Datta Patel was left on the bank of Industo protect the Indian borders from Afghan intruders beforeRaghunathraoandAdina Beg Khanreturned toLahorewith the bulk of their armies. Tukoji Holkar with 10,000 Maratha soldiers inPeshawar, Narsoji Pandit with 4000 Maratha troops atAttock, Babuji Trimbak with 6000 Maratha troops atMultan and Nekaji Bhosle with 3000 Maratha troops inDera Ghazi Khanwere posted to guard the strategically important forts.
2) In 1761, in another encounter with the Afghans, Marathas lost the Third Battle of Panipath. They were outnumbered by the Afghans, Rohillas, Nawabs and the other Katuwas from North India and the present Pakistan and the battle location, Panipat was far away from the Maratha country, Maharashtra to receive the instant orders from the Peshwa. They were also harassed by Rajputs and Jats who cut off the Maratha supply line. But,it only halted the Maratha expansion in the north for some years . Abdali’s army was severely damaged. Post battle Ahmad Shah Abdaliin a letter to one Indian ruler claimed that Afghans were able to defeat the Marathas only because of the blessings of almighty and any other army would have been destroyed by the Maratha army on that particular day even though Maratha army was numerically inferior to Afghan army and its Indian allies.The letter is kept in theNational Archives of India.
3) Sitution again got tensed in 1772.This time the Maratha army was consolidated. Marathas destroyed Rohilla-Afghans of Rohillkhand. Mahadji recaptured Delhi and installed Shah Alam IIas the puppet ruler on the Mughal throne. Mahadji ruled the Punjab as it used to be a Mughal territory and Sikh sardars and other Rajas of the cis-Sutlej region paid tributes to him. They previously used to pay tributes to Durranis. But,this time seeing the Maratha positions, Durranis decided not to challenge the Maratha authority in those areas.
Subjugation of the Nawab of Oudh: The Marathas were requested bySafdarjung, theNawab of Oudh, in 1752 to help him defeat Afghani Rohilla. The Maratha force leftPoonaand defeated Afghan Rohilla in 1752. He decided to give Chauth to the Marathas as protection money. After, the Battle of Buxor against the British(1764), the Nawabs of Oudh(Lucknow) became backboneless.
Subjugation of the Jats: Jats decided to pay Chauth(1/4 of the revenue) to the Marathas in 1770s for protection when they were weak. The strong fort ofGwaliorwas then in the hands ofChhatar Singh, the Jat ruler ofGohad. In 1783, Mahadji besieged the fort of Gwalior and conquered it. But, After acquiring sufficient power, Jats discontinued the grant of Chauth to the Marathas, which resulted in strained relations between Marathas and Jats. However, they did not do anything which could have harmed the Marathas.
Formation of a strong Navy: Marathas set up for the first time in India a modern powerful navy. Marathas established naval bases in theAndaman Islandsand are credited with attaching the islands to India. They were very successful at keeping foreign naval ships, particularly of the Portuguese and British, at bay.
Subjugation of Pathans: In 1772,Marathas, led byMahadji Sindhia defeated Zabita Khanof Rohillkhand and the fort of Pathargarh was completely looted by the Marathas in the form of horses, elephants, guns and other valuable things, which the Rohillas had looted at Panipat, they also destroyedNajib-ul-Daula's grave, scattering the bones all around. Rohillas were were Pathan highlanders of theYusufzai tribe who were awarded theKatehrregion in northern India by theMughalemperorAurangzebAlamgir to suppressRajputuprisings.
Defeat of the British: TheFirst Anglo-Maratha War(1775–1782) was the first of three Anglo-Maratha wars fought between theBritish East India CompanyandMaratha Empirein India. The first war ended with defeat of the British forces.
Crushing of Tipu Sultan: TheBattle of Gajendragadwas fought between the Marathas under the command of Tukojirao Holkar andTipu Sultanfrom March 1786 to March 1787 in which Tipu Sultan was defeated by the Marathas. By the victory in this battle, the border of the Maratha territory extended tillTungabhadrariver.
Demise: After second Anglo-Maratha War (1805) Maratha power got weakened and finally after Third Anglo-Maratha War (1818),it ceased to exist as an independent power. All the War-Lords one after another made Treaties of Subsidiary Alliance. They all had a friendly relationship with the British from then. The chief of them was The Scindia Family. They even helped the British to crush the 1857 rebellion. Lord Canning (then Governor General) noted that
"If Scindia joins the rebels, I will pack off tomorrow".
@A Town as you wished.
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In reality, they first fragmented India by weakening the Maratha Empire and conquer all of it easily.
