1.
Second Anglo-Maratha War
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The Second Anglo-Maratha War was the second conflict between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The English had supported the fugitive Peshwa Raghunathrao in the First Anglo-Maratha War, continued with his fugitive son, though not as martial in his courage as his father, the son was a past master in deceit and intrigue. Coupled with his streak, Baji Rao II soon provoked the enmity of Malhar Rao Holkar when he had one of Holkars relatives killed. After the fall of Mysore in 1799–1800, the Marathas were the major power left outside British control in India. The Maratha chiefs were engaged in quarrels among themselves. Wellesley had repeatedly offered a treaty to the Peshwa and Scindia. In October 1802, the armies of Peshwa Baji Rao II and Scindia were defeated by Yashwantrao Holkar, ruler of Indore. The treaty would become the death knell of the Maratha Confederacy, the British strategy included Wellesley securing the Deccan Plateau, Lake taking Doab and then Delhi, Powell entering Bundelkhand, Murray taking Badoch, and Harcourt neutralizing Bihar. The British had available over 53,000 men to accomplish their goals. In September 1803, Scindia forces lost to Lord Gerard Lake at Delhi, on 18 October, British forces took the pettah of Asirgarh Fort with a loss of two killed and five wounded. The forts garrison surrendered on the 21st after the attackers had erected a battery. British artillery pounded ancient ruins used by Scindia forces as forward operating bases, in November, Lake defeated another Scindia force at Laswari, followed by Wellesleys victory over Bhonsale forces at Argaon on 29 November 1803. The Holkar rulers of Indore belatedly joined the fray and compelled the British to make peace, Wellesley, who went on to defeat Napoleon at Waterloo, would later remark that Assaye was tougher than Waterloo. On December 17,1803, Raghoji II Bhonsale of Nagpur signed the Treaty of Deogaon in Odisha with the British after the Battle of Argaon, the British started hostilities against Yashwantrao Holkar on 6 April 1804. The Treaty of Rajghat, signed on 24 December 1805, forced Holkar to give up Tonk, Rampura, at the Point of the Bayonet, A Tale of the Mahratta War. - historical fiction describing the war Third Anglo-Maratha War List of Maratha dynasties and states Fort of Ahmednagar Pettah of Ahmednagar Alexander Adams Citations Bibliography Chaurasian, new Delhi, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors
2.
Delhi
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Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi or NCT, is a city and a union territory of India. It is bordered by Haryana on three sides and by Uttar Pradesh to the east, the NCT covers an area of 1,484 square kilometres. According to 2011 census, Delhis city population was about 11 million, Delhis urban area is now considered to extend beyond the NCT boundary to include an estimated population of over 26 million people making it the worlds second largest urban area. As of 2016 recent estimates of the economy of its urban area have ranked Delhi either the top or second most productive metro area of India. Delhi is the second wealthiest city after Mumbai in India, with a wealth of $450 billion. Delhi has been inhabited since the 6th century BC. Through most of its history, Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and it has been captured, ransacked and rebuilt several times, particularly during the medieval period, and modern Delhi is a cluster of a number of cities spread across the metropolitan region. New Delhi is jointly administered by the government of India and the local government of Delhi. Delhi is also the centre of the National Capital Region, which is a unique interstate regional planning area created by the National Capital Region Planning Board Act of 1985, Delhi ranks among the cities with the worst air pollution in the world. There are a number of myths and legends associated with the origin of the name Delhi, one of them is derived from Dhillu or Dilu, a king who built a city at this location in 50 BC and named it after himself. The coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal, according to the Bhavishya Purana, King Prithiviraja of Indraprastha built a new fort in the modern-day Purana Qila area for the convenience of all four castes in his kingdom. He ordered the construction of a gateway to the fort and later named the fort dehali, another theory suggests that the citys original name was Dhillika. The people of Delhi are referred to as Delhiites or Dilliwalas, the city is referenced in various idioms of the Northern Indo-Aryan languages. Dilli dilwalon ka shehr or Dilli Dilwalon ki meaning Delhi belongs to the large-hearted/daring, aas-paas barse, Dilli pani tarse, literally meaning it pours all around, while Delhi lies parched. An allusion to the sometimes semi-arid climate of Delhi, it refers to situations of deprivation when one is surrounded by plenty. The area around Delhi was probably inhabited before the second millennium BC, the city is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata. According to Mahabharata, this land was initially a huge mass of forests called Khandavaprastha which was burnt down to build the city of Indraprastha, the earliest architectural relics date back to the Maurya period, in 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka was discovered near Srinivaspuri. Remains of eight cities have been discovered in Delhi
3.
Maratha Empire
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The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian power that existed from 1674 to 1818 and ruled over much of the Indian sub-continent. The Marathas are credited to an extent for ending the Mughal rule in India. The Marathas are Hindu warrior group from the western Deccan Plateau that rose to prominence by establishing a Hindavi Swarajya, known for their mobility, the Marathas were able to consolidate their territory during the Mughal–Maratha Wars and later controlled a large part of India. Chhattrapati Shahu, grandson of Shivaji, was released by Mughals after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, following a brief struggle with his aunt Tarabai, Shahu became ruler and appointed Balaji Vishwanath and later, his descendants, as the peshwas or prime ministers of the empire. Balaji and his descendants played a key role in expansion of Maratha rule, the empire at its peak stretched from Tamil Nadu in the south to Peshawar in the north, and Bengal and Andaman Islands in the east. In 1761, the Maratha Army lost the Third Battle of Panipat to Ahmad Shah Abdali of the Afghan Durrani Empire which halted their imperial expansion into Afghanistan, ten years after Panipat, the young Peshwa Madhavrao Is Maratha Resurrection reinstated Maratha authority over North India. In a bid to manage the large empire, Madhavrao I gave semi-autonomy to the strongest of the knights. They became known as the Gaekwads of Baroda, the Holkars of Indore and Malwa, the Scindias of Gwalior and Ujjain, the Bhonsales of the Nagpur and the Puars of Dhar and Dewas. In 1775, the East India Company intervened in a Peshwa family succession struggle in Pune, the Marathas remained the preeminent power in India until their defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars which left the East India Company in control of most of India. A large portion of the Maratha empire was coastline, which had secured by the potent Maratha Navy under commanders such as Kanhoji Angre. He was very successful at keeping foreign naval ships, particularly of the Portuguese and British, securing the coastal areas and building land-based fortifications were crucial aspects of the Marathas defensive strategy and regional military history. The Maratha Empire is also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, the historian Barbara Ramusack says that the former is a designation preferred by Indian nationalists, while the latter was that used by British historians. Maratha power was fragmented among several discrete fragments, although at present, the word Maratha refers to a particular caste of warriors and peasants, in the past the word has been used to describe Marathi people, including Marathas themselves. Shivaji was a Maratha aristocrat of the Bhosle clan who is considered to be the founder of the Maratha empire. Shivaji led a resistance to free the Maratha people from the Sultanate of Bijapur and he created an independent Maratha kingdom with Raigad as its capital and successfully fought against the Mughals to defend his kingdom. He was crowned as Chhatrapati of the new Maratha kingdom in 1674, the state Shivaji founded was a Maratha kingdom comprising about 4. 1% of the subcontinent, but spread over large tracts. At the time of his death is was dotted with about 300 forts, about 40,000 cavalry,50,000 foot soldiers and naval establishments all over the west coast. Over time, the kingdom would increase in size and heterogeneity, Shivaji had two sons, Sambhaji and Rajaram
4.
East India Company
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The company also ruled the beginnings of the British Empire in India. The company received a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I on 31 December 1600, wealthy merchants and aristocrats owned the Companys shares. Initially the government owned no shares and had only indirect control, during its first century of operation the focus of the Company was trade, not the building of an empire in India. The company eventually came to rule large areas of India with its own armies, exercising military power. Despite frequent government intervention, the company had recurring problems with its finances, the official government machinery of British India had assumed its governmental functions and absorbed its armies. Soon after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, London merchants presented a petition to Queen Elizabeth I for permission to sail to the Indian Ocean, one of them, Edward Bonventure, then sailed around Cape Comorin to the Malay Peninsula and returned to England in 1594. In 1596, three ships sailed east, however, these were all lost at sea. Two days later, on 24 September, the Adventurers reconvened and resolved to apply to the Queen for support of the project, the Adventurers convened again a year later. For a period of fifteen years the charter awarded the newly formed company a monopoly on trade with all countries east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Straits of Magellan. Anybody who traded in breach of the charter without a licence from the Company was liable to forfeiture of their ships and cargo, the governance of the company was in the hands of one governor and 24 directors or committees, who made up the Court of Directors. They, in turn, reported to the Court of Proprietors, ten committees reported to the Court of Directors. According to tradition, business was transacted at the Nags Head Inn, opposite St Botolphs church in Bishopsgate. Sir James Lancaster commanded the first East India Company voyage in 1601, in March 1604 Sir Henry Middleton commanded the second voyage. Early in 1608 Alexander Sharpeigh was appointed captain of the Companys Ascension, thereafter two ships, Ascension and Union sailed from Woolwich on 14 March 1607–8. Initially, the company struggled in the trade because of the competition from the already well-established Dutch East India Company. The company opened a factory in Bantam on the first voyage, the factory in Bantam was closed in 1683. During this time belonging to the company arriving in India docked at Surat. In the next two years, the company established its first factory in south India in the town of Machilipatnam on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal
5.
Daulat Rao Sindhia
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Shrimant Daulat Rao Scindhia was the king of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. Daulatrao played a significant role in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha wars, Daulatrao was a member of the Sindhia dynasty, and succeeded to the Gwalior throne on 12 February 1794 at the age of 15, upon the death of Maharaja Mahadji Shinde. Daulatrao was reecognised and formally installed by the Peshwa,3 March 1794, Gwalior state was part of the Maratha Empire, which was founded by Shivaji in the 17th century. As the empire expanded, commanders of the Maratha armies were given authority to collect chauth in the territories on behalf of the Peshwa. His wife Baiza Bai was a powerful and an intelligent lady of her time and she played an important role in the affairs of the Gwalior state. Daulatrao therefore looked upon himself less as a member of the Maratha Confederacy and he also came under the influence of Sarjerao Ghatge, a dubious character from Maratha point of view, whose daughter he had married. Urged possibly by this adviser, Daulatrao aimed at increasing his dominions at all costs, the rising power of Yashwantrao Holkar of Indore, however, alarmed him. In July 1801, Yashwantrao appeared before Sindhias capital of Ujjain, and after defeating some battalions under John Hessing, extorted a large sum from its inhabitants, but did not ravage the town. In October, however, Sarjerao Ghatge took revenge by sacking Indore, razing it almost to the ground, then, in 1802, on the festival of Diwali, Yashwantrao Holkar defeated the combined armies of Scindia and Peshwa Bajirao II at Hadapsar, near Pune. The battle took place at Ghorpadi, Banwadi, and Hadapsar, finally, on December 31,1802, the Peshwa signed the Treaty of Bassein, by which the British were recognized as the paramount power in India. In 1811, Shrimant Daulat Rao conquered the kingdom of Chanderi. In 1816 Sindhia was called on to assist in the suppression of the Pindaris, for some time it was doubtful what line he would take, but he ultimately signed the Treaty of Gwalior in 1817 by which he promised full cooperation. He did not, however, act up to his professions, and connived at the retention of the fort of Asirgarh, a fresh treaty in 1818 effected a readjustment of boundaries, Ajmer and other lands being ceded. Hunter, William Wilson, Sir, et al, imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 12. A History of Modern India, 1480-1950
6.
Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake
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General Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Lake entered the guards in 1758, becoming lieutenant in 1762, captain in 1776, major in 1784. He served with his regiment in Germany between 1760 and 1762, and with a battalion in the Battle of Yorktown of 1781. After this he was equerry to the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV, in 1790, he became a major-general, and in 1793 was appointed to command the Guards Brigade in the Duke of York and Albanys army in Flanders during the French Revolutionary Wars. He was in command at the successful Battle of Lincelles on 18 August 1793 and he later sold his lieutenant-colonelcy in the guards, and became colonel of the 53rd Regiment of Foot and governor of Limerick in Ireland. In 1797 he was promoted lieutenant-general, in 1798, the Irish Rebellion broke out. Lake, who was serving in Ireland, succeeded Sir Ralph Abercromby in command of British troops there in April 1798. As a result, central Kildare remained quiet for the rest of 1798, Lake then took overall command of a force of some 20,000 troops to crush the Wexford rebels and defeated the main rebel army at Vinegar Hill on 21 June. In August, Cornwallis sent Lake to oppose a French expedition of 1,000 troops which had landed at Killala Bay, County Mayo on 23 August. On 29 August, Lake arrived at Castlebar with a force of 6,000 militia and he defeated the French at the Battle of Ballinamuck on 8 September. In 1799, Lake returned to England, and soon travelled to British India where he was appointed Commander-in-Chief. In 1802 he was made a full general and this defeat, followed a few days later by Major-General Arthur Wellesleys victory at the Battle of Argaon, compelled Scindia to come to terms, and a treaty was signed in December 1803. Operations continued against Yashwantrao Holkar, who, on 17 November 1804, was defeated by Lake at the Battle of Farrukhabad, however, Lake was frustrated by Jats and Yashwantrao Holker at Bharatpur which held out against five assaults early in 1805. Cornwallis succeeded Lord Wellesley as Governor-General of India in July of that year – superseding Lake at the time as commander-in-chief –. Cornwallis, however, died in October of the same year, Lord Wellesley in a despatch attributed much of the success of the war to Lakes matchless energy, ability and valour. For his services, Lake received the thanks of Parliament, and, in September 1804, was rewarded by being created Baron Lake of Delhi and Laswary and of Aston Clinton in the County of Buckingham. From 1801 to 1805 Lake was Commander-in-Chief, India, then gain from 1805 to 1807 as his successor John Graves Simcoe had died before heading off to India
7.
Battle of Assaye
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The Battle of Assaye was a major battle of the Second Anglo-Maratha War fought between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company. The battle was the Duke of Wellingtons first major victory and one he later described as his finest accomplishment on the battlefield. After several weeks of pursuit and countermarching, Scindia reinforced the combined Maratha army with his infantry and artillery as the British forces closed in on his position. Wellesley received intelligence indicating the location of the Maratha encampment on 21 September, Wellesleys force, however, encountered the Maratha army – which was under the command of Colonel Anthony Pohlmann, a German formerly in British service –6 miles farther south than he anticipated. Although outnumbered, Wellesley resolved to attack at once, believing that the Maratha army would move off. Both sides suffered heavily in the battle, Maratha artillery caused large numbers of casualties among Wellesleys troops. A combination of bayonet and cavalry charges eventually forced the Maratha army to retreat with the loss of most of their guns, but Wellesleys army was too battered and exhausted to pursue. Wellesleys victory at Assaye, preceded by the capture of Ahmednagar and followed by victories at Argaon and Gawilghur, resulted in the defeat of Scindia and Berars armies in the Deccan. Wellesleys progress in the Deccan was matched by Lieutenant General Gerard Lakes successful campaigns in Northern India, feuding between the two dominant powers within the Maratha Empire, Yashwant Rao Holkar and Daulat Rao Scindia, led to civil war at the turn of the 19th century. The hostilities culminated in the Battle of Poona in October 1802 where Holkar defeated an army of Scindia and Baji Rao II – the Peshwa. Scindia retreated into his dominions to the north, but Baji Rao was driven from his territory and he appealed to the Company for assistance, offering to accept its authority if he were restored to his principality at Poona. Wellesley entered Poona without opposition on 20 April, and Baji Rao was formally restored to his throne on 13 May. The Maratha leaders refused to submit to the Peshwas authority and tensions were raised further when Holkar raided into Hyderabad in May, mornington consequently engaged the various Maratha chieftains in negotiations. Lieutenant Colonel John Collins was sent to Scindias camp to discuss his objections, after a protracted period of negotiations, Collins reported to Wellesley on 3 August that Scindia refused to give an answer and would not withdraw his troops. Wellesleys response was to declare war on Scindia and Berar in order to secure the interests of the British government, the East India Company attacked the two principal Maratha forces of Scindia and the Raja of Berar from the north and the south. A second British force under the command of Major General Wellesley confronted an army of Scindia. The Maratha army in the Deccan was largely composed of fast-moving cavalry able to live off the land, Stevenson was despatched from Hyderabad with an army of some 10,000 men to Jafarabad to deny Scindia and Berar the chance to raid east into the Nizams territory. The bulk of his forces were Company troops from Mysore, five infantry battalions of the Madras Native Infantry
8.
Battle of Laswari
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The Battle of Laswari took place on November 1,1803 near Laswari village, Alwar. It was part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War, dudrenec deserted and command fell onto Ambaji Ingle, a Maratha officer. The British, commanded by Lake were about 10,000 men strong, opposing Sindhias force of 9,000 veteran infantry and 5,000 cavalry under the command of Abaji, the British were also supported by allied troops from Alwar. The Maratha infantry made a most gallant defence, standing their ground until the survivors laid down their arms, seventy-two guns and a large quantity of ammunition and stores were captured. Lake later wrote I never was in so severe a business in my life or anything like it… these fellows fought like devils, the casualties on both sides were very heavy. The Company lost many officers, including Maj. Gen. Weir, Col. Vandeleur, on 17 December 1803, Raghuji Bhonsale of Nagpur signed the Treaty of Deogaon with the British after the Battle of Laswari and gave up the province of Cuttack including Balasore. The Anglo-Maratha Campaigns and the Contest for India, The Struggle for Control of the South Asian Military Economy
9.
Battle of Deeg
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The Battle of Deeg, fought on 13 November 1804, took place outside Deeg, now in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, India, then within the territories of the Maratha Empire. It was part of the Second Anglo-Maratha War, a force of the British East India Company led by Major General Fraser defeated a Maratha force. Fraser was himself wounded in the attack. The British captured about 87 guns of the enemys 160, British casualties were over 640 killed or wounded. Maratha casualties were estimated at over 2,000, the British loss was heavy -643 killed and wounded, including General Fraser. The action was followed up by a Siege of Deeg Fort, the battle and ensuing siege are briefly described in G. A. Hentys 1902 book, At the Point of the Bayonet, A Tale of the Mahratta War MacFarlane, Charles. A history of British India, from the earliest English intercourse to the present time Duff, a History of the Mahrattas, vol
10.
Siege of Bharatpur (1805)
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The Siege of Bharatpur took place between 2 January and 22 February 1805 in the Indian Princely state of Bharatpur, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Forces of the British East India Company, led by General Gerard Lake, were four times repulsed in attempts to storm the fortress, the victory by Bharatpur backed by the Maratha Empire was an embarrassing defeat for the British. The raja of Bharatpur, Ranjit Singh had promised to join the British but instead formed an alliance with the Indore Maharaja Holkar, Holkar suffered setbacks with the British at the Battle of Deeg and the Siege of Deeg Fort. However, Ranjit Singh came out openly on Holkars side after the defeat of Monson, Lake arrived at the Bharatpur fort on 2 January 1805. The British bombardment started on 7 January 1805, and a breach was effected on 9 January, the first British assault took place that night, led by Col. Ryan, Maj. Hawkes, and Lt. Col. Maitland. The assault failed with 400 British casualties, including Maitland being mortally wounded, a second attack on 16 Jan was also thrown back, after the Marathas added water to their moat. British casualties were 500, including the leader, Lt. Col. MacRoy. However, Lake continued to receive supplies and reinforcements, including Maj. Gen. Jones force of 1600 and this helped Lake deal with Amir Khan, Holkars general, who was raiding Bundelkhand. A third assault on 20 February also failed, as did a fourth assault the next day, British casualties for all four assaults were 3292. The worst part of it was many of the wounded were left behind where they had fallen. The defenders sallied out from the fort and killed them, Ranjit Singh decided to accept the British offer, and paid the British an indemnity, which allowed him to retain all his possessions, including Deeg. Caught between three British armies, led by Lake, Gen. Jones and Col. Ball, Holkar sent emissaries to Lake, a treaty was signed on 24 December 1805, in which he gave up any claim to Tonk, Rampura, and Bundi. British battles on land and sea, battles of the Honorourable East India Company
11.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
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Maratha
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The Maratha is a group of castes in India found predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, Marathas are people of India, famed in history as yeoman warriors and they reside primarily in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The general body of lists are often at variance with each other. The term Maratha originally referred to the speakers of the Marathi language, in the 17th century, it emerged as a designation for soldiers serving in the armies of Deccan sultanates. A number of Maratha warriors, including Shivajis father, Shahaji, by the mid-1660s, Shivaji had established an independent Maratha kingdom. After his death, Marathas fought under his sons and defeated Aurangzeb in the war of 27 years, the Confederacy remained the pre-eminent power in India until their defeat by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War. By 19th century, the term Maratha had several interpretations in the British administrative records, in the Thane District Gazetteer of 1882, the term was used to denote elite layers within various castes, for example, Maratha-Agri within Agri caste, Maratha-Koli within Koli caste and so on. In the Pune District, the words Kunbi and Maratha had become synonymous, the Pune District Gazetteer of 1882 divided the Kunbis into two classes, Marathas and other Kunbis. The 1901 census listed three groups within the Maratha-Kunbi caste complex, Marathas proper, Maratha Kunbis and Konkani Marathas, the Kunbi class comprised agricultural workers and soldiers. The upper-class Marathas proper claimed Rajput descent with Kshatriya status, and included princes, some of the Maratha clans claiming Rajput descent include Bhonsales, Chavans, and Pawar. Gradually, the term Maratha came to denote an endogamous caste, from 1900 onwards, the Satyashodhak Samaj movement defined the Marathas as a broader social category of non-Brahmin groups. These non-Brahmins gained prominence in Indian National Congress during the Indian independence movement, in independent India, these Marathas became the dominant political force in the newly-formed state of Maharashtra. The empire also resulted in the relocation of substantial numbers of Maratha and other Marathi-speaking people outside Maharashtra. Today several small but significant communities descended from these live in the north, south. These descendant communities tend often to speak the languages, although many also speak Marathi in addition. Notable Maratha families outside Maharashtra include Scindia of Gwalior, Gaekwad of Baroda, Holkar of Indore, Puar of Dewas & Dhar, Ghorpade of Mudhol, and Bhonsle of Nagpur. These Brahmins supported the Maratha claim to Kshatriya status, but their success in political alliance was sporadic. Marathas have dominated the politics of Maharashtra since its inception in 1960
13.
Scindia
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Scindia/Shinde is a Hindu Maratha clan from Maharashtra. The Scindia dynasty was founded by Ranoji Scindia, who was the son of Jankojirao Scindia, the Deshmukh of Kanherkhed, Peshwa Baji Raos career saw the strengthening of the Maratha Empire. Ranoji was in charge of the Maratha conquests in Malwa in 1726, Ranoji established his capital at Ujjain in 1731. His successors included Jayajirao, Jyotibarao, Dattajirao, Jankojirao, Mahadji Shinde, the Scindhia state of Gwalior became a major regional power in the latter half of the 18th century and figured prominently in the three Anglo-Maratha Wars. They held sway over many of the Rajput states, and conquered north India, after the death of Daulatrao, Maharani Baiza Bai ruled the empire, saving it from the British power, till the adopted child Jankoji Rao took over the charge. Jankoji died in 1843, and his widow Tarabai Raje scindia successfully maintained the position, the Scindia family ruled Gwalior until Indias independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, when the Maharaja Jivajirao Scindia acceded to the Government of India. Gwalior was merged with a number of princely states to become the new Indian state of Madhya Bharat. George Jivajirao served as the states rajpramukh, or appointed governor, from 28 May 1948 to 31 October 1956, in 1962, Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia, the widow of Maharaja Jiwajirao, was elected to the Lok Sabha, beginning the familys career in electoral politics. She was first a member of the Congress Party, and later became a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Her son Madhavrao Scindia was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971 representing the Congress Party and his son, Jyotiraditya Scindia, also in the Congress Party, was elected to the seat formerly held by his father in 2004. Vijayarajes daughters have supported the Bharatiya Janata Party, Vasundhara Raje Scindia contested and won five parliamentary elections from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Under the Vajpayee government from 1998 onwards, Vasundhara was in charge of different ministries. In 2003 she led the Bharatiya Janata Party to its largest majority in Rajasthan, in 2013 again, she led Bharatiya Janata Party to a thumpin win in the state of Rajasthan, winning over 160 out of the 200 seats in the assembly elections. Her other daughter, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, contested elections from Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh and won in 1998,2003 and 2013. Upon the BJPs win in the state, she became the states Minister for Tourism, Sports, vasundharas son Dushyant Singh entered the Lok Sabha in 2004 from Rajasthan. The Scindia served the Peshwa, and were also Shiledars under the sultanates of the Deccan, Born c 1720, died 25 July 1755. Vacant 15 January 1761 –25 November 1763 Kadarji Rao Scindia Died, Born c.1730, died 12 February 1794. Born 1779, died 21 March 1827, Born 1805, died 7 February 1843
14.
Pierre Cuillier-Perron
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Pierre Cuillier-Perron, French military adventurer in India born Pierre Cuillier at Luceau near Château-du-Loir, the son of a cloth merchant. In India, he changed his name to Perron and he was generally referred to by his contemporaries and posterity as General Perron. In 1790 he took service under De Boigne, and was appointed to the command of his second brigade. In 1795 he assisted the Maratha forces to win the battle of Kardla against the nizam of Hyderabad, at the battle of Malpura he defeated the Rajput forces. After the battle of Ujjain he refused to send his troops to the aid of Scindia and his treachery on this occasion shook his position, and on the outbreak of war between Scindia and the British in 1803 Perron was superseded and fled to the British camp. In the battles of Delhi, Laswari, Ally Ghur and Assaye, Perrons battalions were destroyed by Lord Lake. He returned to France with a fortune, and died in 1834. Sir Shah Sulaiman Hall s main Building, which serves as the Provost Office, was built by a him in year 1802. The palatial home he built for himself at Chinsurah was to house Hooghly College from 1837 to 1937, H. Compton, European Military Adventurers of Hindustan. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh
15.
Patparganj
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Patparganj is a locality situated in East Delhi District of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. Patparganj has remained the Delhi Legislative Assembly constituency with East Delhi, Lok Sabha constituency, from 1993 to 2008, however, on November 26,1753, they left Delhi. After crossing the Yamuna, they captured Patparganj and seized the headman and they left only after they received a ransom of Rs.35,000. Much of the town was destroyed during the period, after the British victory, the city of Delhi surrendered three days later. Patparganj was almost a town for years to come. A monument was erected at the site, marked out by a surrounding ditch, commemorating Maj. Middleton, Cornet Sanguine. The monument today stands as a well maintained sandstone slab at the Noida Golf Course, post-independence, Patparganj saw rapid development as Delhi spilled into the trans-Yamuna area, and by the 1990s, many apartment complexes and society apartment blocks had come up. Meanwhile,175 acres of land was allocated to various housing societies. In 2010, a 690-m long six-lane flyover opened near the Patparganj Industrial Area, Patparganj is home to a large number of group housing societies, and many multi-storeyed apartment blocks. Well-connected with neighbouring colonies, its nearby areas are Preet Vihar, Nirman Vihar, Laxmi Nagar, Pandav Nagar. Parparganj is also known for its industrial area known as Patparganj industrial area, a number of prominent civil servants and former diplomats of India have retired here and had colonies and apartments built for themselves by the Government. These are also popularly known as the IFS and the IAS colonies. Over the years, Madhu Vihar has developed into a market place of Patparganj. Established in 2005, Max Hospital at Patparganj, was the first multi-specialty tertiary care centre in East Delhi, as of 2001 India census, Patparganj had a population of 34,409. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%, Patparganj has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59. 5%, male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 64%. In Patparganj, 15% of the population is under 6 years of age
16.
Yamuna
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It is the longest river in India which does not directly flow to the sea. Most importantly it creates the highly fertile alluvial, Yamuna-Ganges Doab region between itself and the Ganges in the Indo-Gangetic plain, nearly 57 million people depend on the Yamuna waters. With an annual flow of about 10,000 cubic billion metres and usage of 4,400 cbm, just like the Ganges, the Yamuna too is highly venerated in Hinduism and worshipped as goddess Yamuna, throughout its course. One official describes the river as a drain with biochemical oxygen demand values ranging from 14 to 28 mg/l. Yamunotri temple, a dedicated to the goddess, Yamuna is one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism. Also standing close to the temple, on its 13-kilometre trek route, that follows the bank of the river, lies the Markendeya Tirtha. Large terraces formed over a period of time can be seen in the lower course of the river. Kalanag is the highest point of the entire Yamuna basin, other tributaries in the region are the Giri, Rishi Ganga, Kunta, Hanuman Ganga and Bata tributaries, which drain the Upper Catchment Area of the vast Yamuna basin. Thereafter the river descends on to the plains of Doon Valley, the Yamuna also creates natural state borders between the Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states, and further down between the state of Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The plain itself supports one-third of Indias population through its farming, here pilgrims travel by boats to platforms erected mid stream to offer prayers. During the Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, the ghats around the Sangam are venue of large congregation of people, the cities of Baghpat, Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur, Allahabad lie on its banks. At Etawah, it meets it another important tributary, Chambal, followed by a host of tributaries further down, including, Sindh, the Betwa, and Ken. Tons River, Yamunas largest tributary, rises in the 20,720 ft high Bandarpoonch mountain and it meets Yamuna below Kalsi near Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Sasur Khaderi River, known as Sasur Khaderi is a tributary in Fatehpur district, the name Yamuna seems to be derived from the Sanskrit word yama, meaning twin, and it may have been applied to the river because it runs parallel to the Ganges. The Yamuna is mentioned at many places in the Rig Veda, 1700–1100 BC, and also in the later Atharvaveda, and the Brahmanas including Aitareya Brahmana and Shatapatha Brahmana. In Rig Veda, the story of the Yamuna describes her love for her twin, Yama, who in turn asks her to find a suitable match for herself. It is also said that lord shiva was the reason for the colour of the Yamuna river. After the death of Sati Devi, lord shiva couldnt tolerate the sadness around him, and At last when he went to Yamuna river, it became so black as it absorbed all his sorrow
17.
Humayun's Tomb
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Humayuns tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayuns first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum, in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect chosen by her. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah Citadel, also known as Purana Qila and it was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and since then has undergone restoration work. It is seen as a departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of his father. Though the latter was the first Emperor to start the tradition of being buried in a paradise garden, at the time of the Slave Dynasty this land was under the KiloKheri Fort which was capital of Sultan Kequbad, son of Nasiruddin. After his death on 20 January 1556, Humayuns body was first buried in his palace in Purana Quila at Delhi, thereaft Purana Quila, would damage the tomb. In 1558, it was seen by his son, the then Mughal Emperor, Akbar subsequently visited the tomb when it was about to be completed in 1571. The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Humayuns first wife and chief consort, the construction began in 1565, nine years after his death, and completed in 1572 AD at a cost of 1.5 million rupes at the time. The cost for building the mausoleum was paid entirely by Empress Bega Begum, Ghiyas, to whom the mausoleums exquisite design is attributed was chosen to be the architect by Empress Bega Begum. Unfortunately, before the completion, he died and so his son Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin completed his fathers design in 1571. An English merchant, William Finch, who visited the tomb in 1611, the fortunes of the once famous Charbagh gardens, which spread over 13 hectares surrounding the monument, changed repeatedly over the years after its construction. The capital had shifted to Agra in 1556, and the decline of the Mughals accelerated the decay of the monument and its features. By the early 18th century, the lush gardens were replaced by vegetable garden of people who had settled within the walled area. These camps stayed open for five years, and caused considerable damage not only to the extensive gardens, but also to the water channels. Eventually, to vandalism, the cenotaphs within the mausoleum were encased in brick. In the coming years, the Archaeological Survey of India, took on responsibility for the preservation of monuments in India. Until 1985, four attempts were made to reinstate the original water features
18.
British Army
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The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 2017 the British Army comprises just over 80,000 trained Regular, or full-time, personnel and just over 26,500 trained Reserve, or part-time personnel. Therefore, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, day to day the Army comes under administration of the Ministry of Defence and is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. Repeatedly emerging victorious from these decisive wars allowed Britain to influence world events with its policies and establish itself as one of the leading military. In 1660 the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were restored under Charles II, Charles favoured the foundation of a new army under royal control and began work towards its establishment by August 1660. The Royal Scots Army and the Irish Army were financed by the Parliament of Scotland, the order of seniority of the most senior line regiments in the British Army is based on the order of seniority in the English army. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, after William and Marys accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance, primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Marys father, James II. Spain, in the two centuries, had been the dominant global power, and the chief threat to Englands early transatlantic ambitions. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars. From the time of the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Great Britain was the naval power. As had its predecessor, the English Army, the British Army fought the Kingdoms of Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the North American theatre of the Seven Years War, the British Army suffered defeat in the American War of Independence, losing the Thirteen Colonies but holding on to Canada. The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars and served in campaigns across Europe. The war between the British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world and at its peak, in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A Coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies under the Duke of Wellington, the English had been involved, both politically and militarily, in Ireland since being given the Lordship of Ireland by the Pope in 1171. The campaign of the English republican Protector, Oliver Cromwell, involved uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, the English Army stayed in Ireland primarily to suppress numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for independence. Having learnt from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution, the British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster in the 1798 rebellion. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created the Territorial Force as the Armys volunteer reserve component by merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia, Great Britains dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, in the 20th century, most notably Germany
19.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
20.
E. A. H. Blunt
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Edward Arthur Henry Blunt, ICS, was a British civil servant and writer. Blunt was born on Mauritius, and studied at Marlborough College and he passed at the top of the list for the Indian Civil Service competitive examination after his fourth year at Oxford. He was one year at University College London, and proceeded to India to join the Service in 1901, in 1904 he was transferred to Benares as Joint Magistrate. in 1905 he joined the Secretariat, having been appointed Under-Secretary in the Judicial Department. List of Inscriptions on Christian Tombs and Tablets of Historical Interest in the United Provinces of Agra, the Caste System of Northern India with Special Reference to the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. This article incorporates text from The Cyclopedia of India, biographical, historical, administrative, commercial, Volume 1
21.
Shivaji
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Shivaji Bhonsle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian warrior king and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire, in 1674, he was formally crowned as the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad. Shivaji established a competent and progressive civil rule with the help of a disciplined military and he revived ancient Hindu political traditions and court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit, rather than Persian, in court and administration. Particularly in Maharashtra, debates over his history and role have engendered great passion and sometimes even violence as disparate groups have sought to characterise him and his legacy. Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar in Pune district on 6 April 1627 or 19 February 1630, per legend, his mother named him Shivaji in honour of the goddess Shivai, to whom she had prayed for a healthy child. Shivaji was named after this local deity, Shivajis father Shahaji Bhonsle was a Maratha general who served the Deccan Sultanates. His mother was Jijabai, the daughter of Lakhujirao Jadhav of Sindkhed, at the time of Shivajis birth, the power in Deccan was shared by three Islamic sultanates, Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda. Shahaji often changed his loyalty between the Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar, the Adilshah of Bijapur and the Mughals, but always kept his jagir at Pune, Shivaji was extremely devoted to his mother Jijabai, who was deeply religious. This religious environment had a impact on Shivaji, and he carefully studied the two great Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, these were to influence his lifelong defence of Hindu values. Throughout his life he was interested in religious teachings, and regularly sought the company of Hindu. Shahaji, meanwhile had married a wife, Tuka Bai from the Mohite family. He left Shivaji and Jijabai in Pune in the care of his jagir administrator, Dadoji has been credited with overseeing education and training of young Shivaji. Shivaji as a boy was an outdoorsman and, though he received little formal education and most likely could neither read nor write. Shivaji drew his earliest trusted comrades and a number of his soldiers from the Maval region, including Yesaji Kank, Suryaji Kakade, Baji Pasalkar, Baji Prabhu Deshpande. However, Shivajis association with the Maval comrades and his independent spirit did not sit well with Dadoji who complained to Shahaji to no avail in making him compliant. At the age of 12, Shivaji was taken to Bangalore where he, his elder brother Sambhaji and he married Saibai from the prominent Nimbalkar family in 1640. Around 1645–46, the teenage Shivaji first expressed his concept for Hindavi Swarajya, in 1645, the 15-year-old Shivaji bribed or persuaded the Bijapuri commander of the Torna Fort, Inayat Khan, to hand over the possession of the fort to him. Firangoji Narsala, who held the Chakan fort professed his loyalty to Shivaji, on 25 July 1648, Shahaji was imprisoned by Baji Ghorpade under the orders of Mohammed Adil Shah, in a bid to contain Shivaji
22.
Sambhaji
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Sambhaji Bhosale was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire and his first wife Maharani Saibai. He was successor of the realm after his fathers death, Sambhajis rule was largely shaped by the ongoing wars between the Maratha kingdom and Mughal Empire as well as other neighbouring powers such as the Siddis, Mysore and the Portuguese in Goa. Sambhaji was captured, tortured and executed by the Mughals, Sambhaji was born at Purandar fort to Saibai, Shivajis first and favourite wife. His mother died when he was two and he was raised by his paternal grandmother Jijabai, as a result of the treaty, Sambhaji became a Mughal sardar and served the Mughal court of Aurangzeb and the father and son duo fought along the Mughals against Bijapur. He and his father Shivaji presented themselves at Aurangzebs court at Agra on May 12,1666, Aurangzeb put both of them under house arrest but they escaped on July 22,1666. Sambhaji was married to Jivubai in a marriage of political alliance, jivabai was the daughter of Pilajirao Shirke, who had entered Shivajis service following the defeat of a powerful Deshmukh who was his previous patron. This marriage thus gave Shivaji access to the Konkan coastal belt, Sambhajis behaviour, including alleged irresponsibility and addiction to sensual pleasures led Shivaji to imprison his son at Panhala fort in 1678 to curb his behaviour. Upon returning home, Sambhaji was unrepentant and was confined to Panhala. When Shivaji died in the first week of April 1680, Sambhaji was still captive in Panhala fort. Shivajis 2nd son Rajaram was installed on the throne on April 21,1680 by consensus, upon hearing this news, Sambhaji plotted his escape and took possession of the Panhala fort on April 27 after killing the Fort commander. On June 18, he acquired control of Raigad fort, Sambhaji formally ascended the throne on July 20,1680. Rajaram, his wife Janki Bai and mother Soyarabai were imprisoned, Soyarabai was executed in October 1680 on charges of conspiracy. Sambhaji then plundered and ravaged the city in 1680, his forces routed the Mughal garrison. The Marathas then looted the city and set its ports ablaze, in contrast to his fathers tactics, Sambhaji permitted torture and violence by his forces. Sambhaji then withdrew into Baglana, evading the forces of Mughal commander Khan Jahan Bahadur, entering the 1680s, the Marathas came into conflict with the Siddis, who were Muslim of African descent settled in India and held the fortified island of Janjira. At the start of 1682, a Maratha army, later joined by Sambhaji personally, attacked the island for thirty days, doing heavy damage, Sambhaji then attempted a ruse, sending a party of his people to the Siddis, claiming to be defectors. They were allowed into the fort and planned to detonate the gunpowder magazine during a coming Maratha attack, however, one of the female defectors became involved with a Siddi man and he uncovered the plot and the infiltrators were executed. Having failed to take Janjira in 1682, Sambhaji sent a commander to seize the fort of Anjadiva instead
23.
Rajaram I
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Rajaram Raje Bhosale was the younger son of Maratha ruler Shivaji, and half-brother of Sambhaji. He took over the Maratha Empire as its third Chhatrapati after his brothers death at the hands of the Mughal emperor and he had a very short reign, during which he was engaged in a struggle with the Mughals. After the death of Sambhaji, Rajaram was crowned at Raigad on 12 March 1689, details of this escape are known from the incomplete poetical biography of Rajaram, the Rajaramacharita written by his Rajpurohit, Keshav Pandit, in Sanskrit. Aurangzeb deputed Ghazi-ud-din Firoze Jung against the Marathas in the Deccan and he laid siege to it in September,1690. After three failed attempts, it was captured after seven years on 8 January 1698. Rajaram, however, escaped and fled first to Vellore and later to Vishalgarh, Rajaram occupied the fort at Jinji from 11 Nov.1689, but left before it fell in 1698, setting up his court at fort Satara. Rajaram died of disease in 1700 at Sinhagad near Pune in Maharashtra leaving behind widows. One of Rajarams widow, Tarabai proclaimed her son, Shivaji II as the Chhatrapati. However, the release of Shahu, after Aurangzebs death led to a conflict between Tarabai and Shahu with the latter becoming the winner and occupant of the throne. Tarabai established a seat at Kolhapur and installed her son as the rival chhtrapati. She was shortly deposed by the Rajasbai, the widow of Rajaram. Rajasbai installed the son of Rajaram called Sambhaji II on the Kolhapur throne. The Kolhapur line has continued to this day through natural succession, Chhatrapati Maratha Empire Bhosale family ancestry Khando Ballal List of people involved in the Maratha Empire Bhat family Imperial Gazetteer of India, v.2, p.440
24.
Tarabai
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Tarabai Bhosale was the regent of the Maratha empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhosale, son of the empires founder Shivaji and she is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal occupation of Maratha territories after the death of her spouse, and acted as regent during the minority of her son. Tarabai was daughter of famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite and she also was the niece of Soyarabai. On Rajarams death in 1700, she proclaimed her infant son, Shivaji II as Rajarams successor, as the regent, she took charge of the war against Aurangzebs forces. Tarabai was skilled in cavalry movement and made strategic movements herself during wars and she personally led the war and continued the insurgency against the Mughals. A truce was offered to the Mughals in such a way that it was rejected by the Mughal emperor. By 1705, Marathas had crossed the Narmada River and made incursions in Malwa. The Maratha country was relieved at the news of the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who died at Khuldabad in Aurangabad. Of the years 1700-1707, Jadunath Sarkar has opined, During this period and her administrative genius and strength of character saved the nation in that awful crisis. In order to divide the Maratha onslaught, the Mughals released Shahuji, Sambhajis son and Tarabais nephew and he immediately challenged Tarabai and Shivaji II for leadership of the Maratha polity. Shahu eventually prevailed thanks to his position and in part to the Peshwa Balaji Vishwanaths diplomacy. She established a court in Kolhapur in 1709 but was deposed by Rajarams second wife, Rajasabai. Tarabai and her son were imprisoned by Sambhaji II, Tarabai soon afterwards reconciled with Chhattrapati Shahu in 1730 and went to live in Satara but without any political power. In 1740s, during the last years of Shahus life, Tarabai brought a child to him and she presented the child as her grandson, and thus, a direct descendant of Shivaji. She claimed that he had concealed after his birth for his protection and had been raised by the wife of a Rajput soldier. The child was adopted by Shahu who did not have a son of his own, after Shahus death in 1749, Rajaram II succeeded him as the Chhatrapati. When Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao left for the Mughal frontier, Tarabai urged Rajaram II to remove him from the post of Peshwa, when Rajaram refused, she imprisoned him in a dungeon at Satara, on November 24,1750. She claimed that he was an impostor from Gondhali caste and she had presented him as her grandson to Shahu
25.
Shahu I
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Shahuji Bhosle was the fifth Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire created by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji. More popularly known as Chatrapati Shahu, he out of captivity by the Mughals. After the death of Aurangzeb, leading Mughal courtiers released Shahu with a force of fifty men and he was son of the second Chhatrapati Sambhaji and grandson of Chhatrapati Shivaji. It was under Shahu and his Bhat-Deshmukh family Peshwas that the Maratha empire became the largest in India, Shahu had four wives and fathered two sons and four daughters. He adopted two sons, Fatehsinh I and Rajaram II of Satara, Rajaram II had been brought to her by Tarabai, who initially claimed that the young man was her grandson and a descendant of Shivaji, but later disowned him as an imposter. Shahu died a death in 1749. His adopted son Rajaram II of Satara, claimed to be Tarabais grandson succeeded him, history of Satara District Imperial Gazetteer of India, v.2, p.441. Rigveda to Raigarh making of Shivaji the great, Mumbai, Manudevi Prakashan, Rs.165
26.
Pratap Singh, Raja of Satara
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Pratap Singh was the eldest son of Shahu II of Satara, whom he succeeded, and a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle, the founder of the Maratha Empire. Pratap Singh was dethroned and stripped of his powers and personal possessions in 1839 and he was exiled to Benares and granted an allowance for his maintenance. He was succeeded by his brother, Appa Saheb, under the title Shreemant Maharaj Shaji Raja Chhatrapati of Satara, Appa Saheb then became known as Raja Shahaji. The Mutiny in Western India, The Marginal as Regional Dynamic, Mutiny at the Margins, New Perspectives on the Indian Uprising of 1857
27.
Peshwa
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A Peshwa was the equivalent of a modern Prime Minister in the Maratha Empire. Originally, the Peshwas served as subordinates to the Chhatrapati, but later, they became the de facto leaders of the Marathas, and the Chatrapati was reduced to a nominal ruler. During the last years of the Maratha Empire, the Peshwas themselves were reduced to titular leaders, and remained under the authority of the Maratha nobles, all the Peshwas during the rule of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji belonged to Deshastha Brahmin family. The first Peshwa was Moropant Pingle, who was appointed as the head of the Ashta Pradhan by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the initial Peshwas were all ministers who served as the chief executives to the king. The later Peshwas held the highest administrative office and also controlled the Maratha confederacy, under the Chitpavan Brahmin Bhat family, the Peshwas became the de facto hereditary administrators of the Confederacy. The Peshwas office was most powerful under Baji Rao I, under Peshwa administration and with the support of several key generals and diplomats, the Maratha Empire reached its zenith, ruling most of the Indian subcontinent. However, after the Peshwa Raghunathrao allied with the British, the Peshwas power declined substantially, later on many provinces were controlled and administered either by the Maratha nobles such as Daulat Rao Sindhia, or by the East India Company. During this period, the Maratha confederacy came to its end through its formal annexation into the British Empire in 1818, clever Deshasthas were happy with the downfall as they were kept away from power by talented Chitpavans for a long time. The word Peshwa is from Persian پیشوا pēshwā, meaning foremost, after the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1674, he appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as the first Peshwa. Shivaji Maharaj renamed this designation as Pantpradhan in 1674 but this term is commonly used. The first Peshwa was Moropant Trimbak Pingale who served the monarch and his son, Nilopant Pingale, was appointed Peshwa by the second Chhatrapati Sambhaji after Moropants s death in 1683. The second Peshwa, Ramchandra Amatya, received royal status from Chhatrapati Rajaram as Hukumatpanha from 1689 to 1699 and he was a sound administrator who rose from the level of a local Kulkarni to the ranks of Ashta Pradhan due to guidance and support from Shivaji. Amatya is a Sanskrit term denoting counselor, guide, supervisor or overseer of both personal and governmental affairs and he recaptured many forts from the Mughals between 1690 and 1694, some in person, as well as personally conducting guerilla war techniques. When Chhatrapati Rajaram fled to Jinji in 1689, before leaving from Maharashtra, Ramchandra Pant managed the entire state under many challenges such as the Mughal influx, the betrayal of Vatandars, and scarcity of food. With his help, Sachiv kept the Maratha State on an economic footing. Pant got tremendous military help from Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, in 1698, he happily stepped down from the post of Hukumatpanha and Rajaram offered this post to his wife Tarabai. Tarabai gave an important position to Pant in the administration of Maratha State and he wrote a book called Adnyapatra मराठी, आज्ञापत्र which explained different techniques of war, maintenance of forts and administration etc. The concepts in Adnyapatra and the wisdom and leadership of ] greatly helped the Maratha empire in building the foundation of state, as he was more loyal to Tarabai than Shahu, he was sidelined after the arrival of Chhatrapati Shahu
28.
Moropant Trimbak Pingle
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Moropant Trimbak Pingle, also known as Moropant Peshwā, was the first peshwa of the Maratha Empire, serving on Shivajis Ashta Pradhan Council of Eight. He was born in Deshastha Brahmin family in 1620 Nimgaon, in 1647, Moropant joined Chatrapati Shivaji in establishing the Maratha Empire. He also participated in the battles at Trimbakeshwar Fort and Wāni-Dindori against the Mughal Empire and he participated in Shivajis invasion of Surat in 1664. Sambhaji Maharaj son of Shivaji stayed with Moropants relatives in Mathura after their escape from Agra, Moropant introduced sound revenue administration to Shivajis regime, and played an important role in resource planning concerning defenses and maintenance of strategic forts. He was also responsible for the construction and administration of Pratapgad, at Shivajis death, Moropant Pingle was working as a supervisor of fort development activities in Nashik District for the Salher-Mulher forts. Under Shivajis successor, Sambhaji, he participated in the battle of Burhanpur in 1681. His descendants still live in Pune and have their Kul devta as the Balaji of Tirupati
29.
Ramchandra Pant Amatya
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Ramchandra Neelkanth Bawadekar, also known as Ramchandra Pant Amatya, served on the Council of 8 as the Finance Minister to Emperor Shivaji dating from 1674 to 1680. He then served as the Imperial Regent to four later emperors, namely Sambhaji, Rajaram, Shivaji II and Sambhaji II. He authored the Adnyapatra, a code of civil and military administration. Ramchandra Pant was born in a Deshastha Brahmin family in approximately 1650, Ramchandra Pants grandfather Sonopant and uncle Abaji Sondeo were in the close circle of Shivaji. The Bahutkar family was associated with Samarth Ramdas, the spiritual guru of Shivaji Maharaj Samarth Ramdas is believed to be the one who named the newly born child as Ramchandra. Before 1672, Ramchandra Pant was engaged in clerical jobs in Shivajis administration. In 1672, he and his elder brother Narayan were both promoted to the post of Revenue Minister by Shivaji, in 1674, at the coronation ceremony, the post of Mujumdar was renamed as Amatya and the title was solely bestowed upon Ramchandra Pant. He worked in this capacity until 1678, on his death bed, Shivaji named him as one among six pillars of the Maratha Empire that would save the kingdom in difficult times. After Shivajis death in 1680, Sambhaji became ruler of the Maratha Empire, among other duties, Ramchandra Pant was sent to Prince Akbar, Aurangzebs rebel son, for negotiations and, in 1685, Sambhaji also deployed him as an envoy to Vijapur for certain sensitive talks. Ramchandra Pant Amatya was the person who dedicatedly served The Maratha Swarajya under 5 Chhatrapati’s in a row. When the Marathi empire was in trouble he used his wisdom, dedication to the throne and even force as needed to keep the empire, during the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj, Ramchandra Pant Amatya was the youngest Pradhan of all the Asthapradhan’s existing at that time. Thereafter, during the reign of Sambhaji Maharaj, Rajaram Maharaj, Maharani Tarabai and Sambhaji Raje, the said book is a testament to his dedication and service to the throne of Chatrapati’s and Hindavi Swarajya. The forefathers of Ramchandra Pant Amatya had close relations with the Bhosle Gharana even before the establishment of Swarajya, before the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj, Ramchandra Pant Amatya’s father used to participate in various initiatives undertaken by Shivaji Maharaj. Ramchandra Pant Amatya subsequently carried forward this tradition with more impact. Ramchandra Pant Amatya took the lead when it came to the protection of the Swarajya, being Impressed by his efforts, Shivaji Maharaj included Ramchandra Pant as Amatya in his First AshtaPradhan mandal i. e. Council of Ministers. This, in itself portrays the qualities that Ramchandra Pant Amatya possessed, during the coronation ceremony of Shivaji Maharaj, Pant was included as Amatya. He must’ve been 22–23 years old then, before the coronation, a PradhanMandal was appointed by Maharaj in the year 1662 which included Ramchandra Pant’s father Neelkanth Sondev as Maharaj’s Amatya. This legacy was carried forward, as after the death of Neelkanth Sondev his son Ramchandra Pant was appointed as Maharaj’s Amatya
30.
Balaji Vishwanath
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Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha Emperor Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistent attack by the Mughals under Aurangzeb. He was called the founder of the Maratha State. Later, his son Bajirao became the peshwa and his second son Chimnaji Appa won the vasai fort. Balaji Vishwanath was born into a Konkanastha Brahmin family, the family hailed from the coastal Konkan region of present-day Maharashtra and were the hereditary Deshmukh for Shrivardhan under the Siddi of Janjira. He was named Balaji, which is a form of the given name Ballal, Balajis first job was as a petty clerk at salt works at Chiplun, owned by the Siddi, while his elder brother Tanoji performed herediatary functions of Deshmukh at Shrivardhan. He went out in search of employment to the regions of western ghats. According to Kincaid & Parasnis, Balaji Vishwanath entered the Maratha administration during the reign of Chhatrapati Sambhaji or the regency of his brother, one of his jobs in the Maratha Administration was as a revenue official or writer under Ramchandra Pant Amatya. Later he served as an accountant for the Maratha general, Dhanaji Jadhav, between 1699 and 1702, he served as the Sar-subhedar or head-administrator at Pune and from 1704 to 1707 as Sarsubedar of Daulatabad. By the time Dhanaji died, Balaji had proven himself as an honest, the newly releasedMaratha ruler Chhatrapati Shahu, took note of his abilities and appointed Balaji as his assistant. Since the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji, his two sons Sambhaji and Rajaram continued the Maratha rebellion against the Mughal Empire, Emperor Aurangzeb entered the Deccan in 1686, hoping to put an end to the fledgling Maratha state. Aurangzeb spent the next 21 years in the Deccan in ceaseless warfare against the Marathas, Aurangzeb died at Ahmednagar in 1707 at the age of eighty eight, with the Mughal armies exhausted and the treasury empty. The ensuing war of succession in the Mughal Empire resulted in accession of the aged Prince Muazzam, Tarabai sent the Maratha senapati Dhanaji Jadhav to attack Shahu. Balaji Vishwanath was despatched by Dhanaji Jadhav to meet secretly with Shahu, Balaji is believed to have persuaded his master to support the cause of Shahu. Dhanajis forces met Shahus at Khed, in Pune District, instead of attacking Shahu, Dhanaji Jadhav declared him to be the rightful successor to the Maratha throne. Dhanajis confidence in Balaji Vishwanath however aroused the jealousy of his son and successor, a dispute over the conduct of a junior officer in Balajis employ led Chandrasen to attack Balaji, who fled to the fortress of Purandar. Chandrasen besieged Purandar whereupon Balaji fled again to Pandavgad whence he sent an emissary to plead for help from his sovereign, Shahu had Balaji Vishwanath brought under escort to his capital Satara and asked Chandrasen to make the case against Balaji Vishwanath before him. Instead of obeying Shahu Chandrasen defected to the cause of Tarabai in April 1711, haibatrao Nimbalkar, who Shahu had dispatched against Chandrasen, also defected to Tarabai, and Shahus fortunes were an at their lowest. Bereft of his generals, Shahu turned to Balaji Vishwanath
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Baji Rao I
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Pantpradhan Shreemant Peshwa Bajirao Ballal Balaji Bhat was a general of the Maratha Empire in India. He served as Peshwa to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu from 1720 until Bajiraos death and he is also known by the names Bajirao Ballal and Thorale Bajirao. Bajirao is credited with expanding the Maratha Empire, especially in the north, in his brief military career spanning 20 years, Bajirao never lost a battle and won 41 battles. According to the British Army officer Bernard Montgomery, Bajirao was possibly the finest cavalry general ever produced by India, Bajirao was born into the Bhat family of Kokanastha Chitpavan Brahmin lineage. His father Balaji Vishwanath was the first Peshwa of Chhatrapati Shahu, Bajirao had a younger brother Chimaji Appa and two sisters, Bhiubai Joshi and Anubai Ghorpade. He spent his childhood in his fathers newly acquired fiefdom of Saswad, Bajirao would often accompany his father on military campaigns. He was with his father when the latter was imprisoned by Damaji Thorat before being released for a ransom, when Vishwanath died in 1720, Shahu appointed the 20-year old Bajirao as the Peshwa. He is said to have preached the ideal of Hindu Pad Padshahi, Bajirao intended to plant the Maratha flag upon the walls of Delhi and other cities governed by the Mughals and he intended to replace the Mughal Empire and create a Hindu-Pat-Padshahi. By the time Bajirao became the Peshwa, Chhatrapati Shahu was almost a titular ruler, the Maratha confederacy was run in his name, but the real power lay in the hands of the Peshwa. By the time of Bajiraos appointment, Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah had recognized Marathas rights over the territories possessed by Shivaji at his death, in 1719, the Mughals had also recognized the Maratha rights to collect taxes in the six provinces of Deccan. Bajirao believed that the Mughal Empire was in decline and wanted to take advantage of this situation with aggressive expansion in north India. Sensing the declining fortune of the Mughals, he is reported to have said, Strike, strike at the trunk and the branches will fall off themselves. Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan, had created his own independent kingdom in the region. For example, the Siddis controlled the Janjira fort, on January 4,1721, Bajirao met Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I at Chikhalthan to settle their disputes through agreement. However, Nizam refused to recognize the Maratha rights to collect taxes from the Deccan provinces, Nizam was made Vizier of Mughal Empire in 1721, but alarmed at his growing power, emperor Muhammad Shah transferred him from Deccan to Awadh in 1723. Nizam rebelled against the order, resigned as the Vizier and marched towards Deccan, the emperor sent an army against him, which the Nizam defeated in the Battle of Sakhar-kheda. In response, Mughal emperor was forced to recognize him as the viceroy of Deccan, the Marathas, led by Bajirao, helped Nizam win this battle. In fact, for his bravery in the battle, Bajirao was honored with a robe, a mansabdari of 7,000, an elephant, after the battle, Nizam tried to appease both the Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu as well as the Mughal emperor
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Balaji Baji Rao
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Balaji Baji Rao, also known as Nana Saheb, was a Peshwa of the Maratha Empire in India. During his tenure, the Chhatrapati was reduced to a mere figurehead, at the same time, the Maratha empire started transforming into a confederacy, in which individual chiefs — such as the Holkars, the Scindias and the Bhonsles of Nagpur kingdom — became more powerful. During Balaji Raos tenure, the Maratha territory reached its zenith, a large part of this expansion, however, was led by the individual chiefs, whose acts of plundering alienated the masses. By the end of Balaji Raos tenure, the Peshwa was reduced to more of a financier than a general, unlike his father, Balaji Rao was not a great military leader and failed to gauge the seriousness of Durrani invasions in northern India. This ultimately resulted in a massive Maratha defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat, some judicial and revenue reforms were made during his tenure, but the credit for these goes to his cousin Sadashivrao Bhau and his associate Balshastri Gadgil. Balaji Rao was born in the Bhat family, to Peshwa Baji Rao I, after Baji Rao died in April 1740, Chhatrapati Shahu appointed 19-year old Balaji as the Peshwa in August 1740, despite opposition from other chiefs such as Shahus own relative Raghoji I Bhonsle. The couple had three sons, Vishwasrao who died in the battle of Panipat in 1761, Madhavrao who succeeded Nanasaheb as Peshwa, Nanasaheb had an able brother called Raghunathrao whose ambitions to be the Peshwa became disastrous for the Maratha empire. In early years of Balaji Raos tenure, Raghoji I Bhonsle helped extend Maratha influence in South, however, he was not on good terms with the Peshwa. Shortly before Balajis appointment as the Peshwa, Raghoji had led a Maratha force to South India and his mission was to help Pratap Singh of Thanjavur, a royal of the Bhonsle clan, against Dost Ali Khan. Raghoji killed Dost Ali in May 1740, and installed Dost Alis son Safdar Ali Khan as the Nawab of Arcot and he returned to Satara, and unsuccessfully lodged a protest against Balaji Raos appointment as the Peshwa. He then returned to South India, where he defeated Chanda Sahib in March 1741, after returning to Satara, Raghoji continued to oppose Balaji Rao. In 1743, Raghoji Bhonsle attacked Alivardi Khans forces in Orissa, Khan paid ₹2,000,000 to Balaji Rao, who helped him expel Raghoji from Orissa in 1744. Raghoji then complained to Chhatrapati Shahu, and got himself appointed the in-charge of Marathas in Orissa, Bengal, by 1752, Raghoji had taken over administration of Orissa, and also frequently raided Bengal and Bihar to collect chauth. The instability brought by him to Bengal later paved way for the rise of the East India Company there, the Maratha noblewoman Tarabai was the head of a family that was a rival claimant to the Chhatrapati title. Originally a rival of Chhatrapati Shahu, she later pretended reconciliation with him, in the 1740s, during the last years of Shahus life, Tarabai brought a child to him, Rajaram II. She presented the child as her grandson, and thus, a descendant of Shivaji. Shahu adopted the child, and after his death in 1749, the next year, Peshwa Balaji Rao left to fight against the Nizam of Hyderabad. In his absence, Tarabai urged Rajaram II to remove him from the post of Peshwa, when Rajaram refused, she imprisoned him in a dungeon at Satara, on 24 November 1750
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Madhavrao I
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Madhav Rao I was the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha empire recovered from the losses suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat. He is considered one of the greatest Peshwas in Maratha history, Madhavrao was second son of Nanasaheb Peshwa. He was born in Savnur in 1745, at the time of his birth, Maratha Empire was stretched across a sizeable portion of Western, Central and Northern India. On December 09,1753, Madhavrao married Ramabai in Pune, Nanasaheb had greatly expanded the Maratha Empire and had tried to establish better governance. However, he was partially responsible for the severe defeat of the Marathas by Ahmad Shah Abdali at the Third Battle of Panipat. The Marathas suffered heavy losses including Nanasahebs eldest son and heir Vishwasrao, unable to bear the suffering, he died of depression on June 23,1761 at Parvati in Pune. After his fathers death, the sixteen-year-old Madhav Rao was made the next Peshwa of Maratha Empire and his fathers brother Raghunathrao was to act as regent. At the ascendancy of Madhavrao, the Maratha empire was in shambles as their defeat at Panipat had accumulated big debts to their wealth. At Shaniwar Wada, the residence of Peshwa, religious rituals. The discipline required for the running of administrative affairs was almost non-existent. The security at the treasury was poor, when these weaknesses were brought to Madhavrao’s notice and he introduced changes by personally looking into the administration, accounts and the treasury. He also reduced the religious practices being followed at Shaniwar Wada, in February 1762, Peshwas set out to conquer Karnataka. This was one of the earliest wars against the Nizam when conflict arose between Madhavrao and his uncle Raghunathrao, due to difference of opinion between the two, Raghunathrao decided to abandon the troop midway and return to Pune, while Madhavrao continued. Eventually, a treaty was signed with the Nizam and Madhavrao returned, both Madhavrao and Raghunathrao had their preferences even over the Sardars. The discord between Madhavrao and Raghunathrao was increasing and on August 22,1762, Raghunathrao fled to Vadgaon Maval where he started grooming his own army, raghunathraos men started looting the nearby villages for warfare and this act angered Madhavrao. He decided to wage a war against his uncle Ragunathrao on November 07,1762, however, Madhavrao didnt wish to battle against his own uncle and thus, proposed for a treaty. Raghunathrao agreed to sign the treaty with Madhavrao and asked him to back to a non-attacking position
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Raghunathrao
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Raghunathrao was Peshwa of the Maratha Empire from 1773 to 1774. Raghunathrao, also known as Raghoba, Raghoba Dada and Ragho Bharari, was the brother of Nanasaheb Peshwa. His father was Peshwa Bajirao I & mother was Kashibai, Raghunathrao was born in Mahuli near Satara on 8 December 1734. Much of his childhood was spent in Satara, in his early years he fought with great success in the north. His expedition during 1753–1755 was concluded by a treaty with Jat. He is favorably remembered by Hindus for the fact that during that expedition he brought an end to Muslim rule at Hindu religious places such as Mathura, Vrindavan, Gaya, Raghunathrao imprisoned Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and made Alamgir II Emperor in his place. Raghunathrao asked for large amount and an army, which was denied by Sadashivrao Bhau, his cousin and Diwan of Peshwa, Sadashivrao Bhau was there upon made commander in chief of the Maratha Army, under whom the Battle of Panipat was fought. He was appointed as a regent to the young Peshwa, and he soon fell out of favour with the Peshwa, and even tried to conspire against him by joining the Nizam of Hyderabad against the Peshwa. The alliance was defeated at Ghodegaon, and Raghunathrao was placed under house arrest, after Madhavrao Is death in 1772, Raghunathrao was released from house arrest. He then became the regent of Madhavraos younger brother Narayanrao, together with his wife Anandibai, he had his nephew Narayanrao murdered. Anandibai herself was very cruel and cunning in her ways, legend has it that when the assassins attacked the young Peshwa, he ran to Raghoba crying Kaakaa malaa waachwaa. His cry fell on deaf ears and Raghoba stood by as his nephew was killed, after Narayanraos murder, Raghoba became Peshwa, but he was shortly overthrown by Nana Phadnis and 11 other administrators in what is called The Baarbhaai Conspiracy. Raghunathrao was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by the justice Ram Shastri Prabhune, at Kasegaon near Pandharpur the first battle between the Baarbhai and Raghobadada took place in 1774. He then went to Khambhat with hope of getting help from the British, at Surat a treaty was signed between Raghunathrao and the British East India Company on 6 March 1775. According to the treaty it was decided that Thane, Vasai and Sashti were to be handed over to the British, however, the Company was not yet ready for war, so that the treaty between the Baarbhai and the Company was signed at Purandar. After the Treaty of Purandar, the Company openly distanced itself from Raghunathrao, but due to the fear of the Baarbhai, Raghunathrao was unhappy to leave Surat and in fact the Company did not insist on it, so he kept on living there. In 1776, Raghunathrao unsuccessfully tried to get help from the Portuguese, after that he came to Bombay. During that period Company gave him Rs 15000, at the Battle of Talegaon, the East India Company was defeated
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Madhavrao II
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Peshwa Madhav Rao II was Peshwa of the Maratha Empire in India, from his infancy. He was known as Sawai Madhav Rao or Madhav Rao Narayan and he was the posthumous son of Narayanrao Peshwa, murdered in 1773 on the orders of Raghunathrao. Madhavrao was considered the heir, and was installed as Peshwa by the Treaty of Salbai in 1782. Madhavrao was the Posthumous son of Peshwa Narayanrao by his wife, after Narayanraos murder, Raghunathrao became Peshwa but was soon deposed by the courtiers and knights of the Maratha Empire. They instead installed Gangabais new born son, Madhavrao II, as the Peshwa with the courtiers themselves, led by Nana Fadnavis and his time in power was dominated by the political intrigues of Nana. Madhavrao committed suicide at the age of 21 by jumping off from the walls of the Shaniwar Wada in Pune
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Baji Rao II
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Baji Rao II was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, and governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him to flee his capital Pune. This resulted in the Second Anglo-Maratha War, in which the British emerged victorious, in 1817, Baji Rao II joined the Third Anglo-Maratha War against the British, after they favoured the Gaekwad nobles in a revenue-sharing dispute. After suffering several defeats, the Peshwa surrendered to the British, and agreed to retire in return for an estate at Bithoor. Baji Rao was the son of the former Peshwa Raghunathrao and Anandibai, Raghunathrao had defected to the English, causing the First Anglo-Maratha War, which ended with the Treaty of Salbai. Baji Rao was born in 1775, when both his parents were kept in imprisonment by the then Peshwas cabinet, till the age of 19, he along with his brothers were kept in confinement denying even basic rights of education. Raghunathraos successor as Peshwa Madhavrao II committed suicide in 1795, a power struggle ensued among the Maratha nobles for control of the Confederacy. The powerful general Daulat Rao Scindia and minister Nana Fadnavis installed Baji Rao II as a puppet Peshwa, as such, being the son of suspected murderers, he was looked down upon by his ministers, nobility and even by his subjects. His every action was viewed with prejudice and it is said that though regarded as an administrator and builder of modern-day Pune, he was often labeled as incapable. Being a thorough Brahmin, he was averse to risks and bloodshed and tried to achieve his goals through crafty diplomacy rather than direct head-on confrontations, after the death of Fadnavis in 1800, Daulat Rao Scindia took complete control over the Peshwas government. As Scindia started eliminating his rivals within the government, Peshwa Baji Rao II became concerned about his own safety and he turned to British resident Colonel William Palmer for help. General Arthur Wellesley, was already in southern parts of the Maratha territory at that time, however, Baji Rao was reluctant to sign a treaty with the British. In 1802, Scindias rival chief Yashwant Rao Holkar marched towards Pune and he proclaimed allegiance to the Peshwa, and sent assurances that he only wanted to free Pune of Scindias control. But Baji Rao was apprehensive since he had earlier ordered killing of Yashwant Raos brother Vithoji Rao Holkar and he sought help from Scindia, who was away from Pune at that time. Scindia dispatched an army that arrived in Pune on 22 October 1802, Holkar defeated the joint forces of Peshwa and Scindia in the Battle of Hadapsar on 25 October. On the morning of 25 October, before the battle, Baji Rao had already sent preliminary terms for a treaty to the British, after the Holkar victory in the battle, he fled to Vasai, where he sought assistance from the British in Bombay. Holkar set up a council headed by Baji Raos adoptive brother Amrut Rao. Holkar and Sindhia resisted the British intrusion in Maratha affairs, which resulted in the Second Anglo-Maratha War of 1803-1805, in the mid-1810s, the British had intervened in a financial dispute over revenue sharing between the Peshwa and Gaekwads of Baroda
British East India Company
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