The Rise of the Marathas
In the last chapter we watched the mighty Mughal Empire begin to crack. This chapter is the story of who filled the gap, the Marathas, who rose from the hills of the western Deccan to become, for a time, the most powerful force in India. At the heart of the story is Chhatrapati Shivaji, a leader of rare vision who turned scattered hill-forts into a kingdom built on the idea of Swarajya, “self-rule.” We follow his rise, his dramatic coronation at Raigad, and the careful systems of government he built. Then we see how his successors, and remarkable figures like Tarabai, held the Marathas together against Aurangzeb’s full might; how the Peshwas expanded Maratha power from Tamil Nadu to Punjab; what the Marathas gave to art and culture; and finally why their power collapsed before the rising British. It is a story of how a determined regional power can reshape an entire subcontinent.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- explain the rise of Shivaji and the meaning of his ideal of Swarajya (self-rule);
- describe his coronation at Raigad (1674) and why it mattered;
- outline Shivaji’s administration, including the Ashta Pradhan council and his salary-based, merit-based system;
- trace how his successors (Sambhaji, Rajaram, Tarabai) resisted Aurangzeb, and how the Peshwas and the Maratha Confederacy expanded across India;
- explain the Marathas’ cultural contributions and the causes of their decline before the British.
Topics in this chapter
Timeline at a Glance
Tap any milestone to reveal what happened. From Shivaji’s birth to the end of Maratha independence.