Describe how and why the Maratha sardars were successful in establishing the influence of Maratha power in north and south india.
Answers
Answer:
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a power that dominated a large portion of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. The empire formally existed from 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as the Chhatrapati and ended in 1818 with the defeat of Peshwa Bajirao II at the hands of the British East India Company. The Marathas are credited to a large extent for ending Mughal Rule over most of the Indian subcontinent.[4][5][6][note 1]
Maratha Empire
1674–1818
Flag is above
Territory under Maratha control in 1759 (yellow).
Capital
Raigad
Jinji[1]
Satara
Pune
Common languages
Marathi (official), and other local languages[2]
Religion
Hinduism and other minority religions
Government
Absolute monarchy (1645–1731)
Oligarchy with a restricted monarch figurehead (1731–1818)
Chhatrapati (Emperor)
• 1645–1680
Shivaji (first)
• 1808–1818
Pratap Singh (last)
Peshwa (Prime Minister)
• 1674–1683
Moropant Pingle (first)
• 1803–1818
Baji Rao II (last)
Legislature
Ashta Pradhan
History
• Mughal–Maratha Wars
1674
• Anglo-Mysore Wars
1767–1799
• Anglo-Maratha Wars
1775–1818
• Maratha-Mysore War
1785–1787
• Third Anglo-Maratha War
1818
Area
1760[3]
2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi)
Currency
Rupee, Paisa, Mohur, Shivrai, Hon
Preceded by Succeeded by
Mughal Empire
Bijapur Sultanate
Sikh Empire
Company rule in India
Today part of
India
Pakistan
The Marathas were a Marathi-speaking warrior group from the western Deccan Plateau (present-day Maharashtra) who rose to prominence by establishing a Hindavi Swarajya (meaning "self-rule of Native Hindu/Indian people").[8][9] The Marathas became prominent in the 17th century under the leadership of Shivaji Maharaj, who revolted against the Adil Shahi dynasty, and carved out a kingdom with Raigad as his capital. His father, Shahji had earlier conquered Thanjavur which Shivaji's half-brother, Venkoji Rao alias Ekoji inherited and that Kingdom was known as the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom. Known for their mobility, the Marathas were able to consolidate their territory during the Mughal–Maratha Wars and later controlled a large part of the Indian subcontinent.[citation needed]
After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Shahu, grandson of Shivaji, was released by the Mughals.[10] Following a brief struggle with his aunt Tarabai, Shahu became the ruler with the help of Balaji Vishwanath and Dhanaji Jadhav. Pleased by his help, Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath and later, his descendants, as the peshwas or prime ministers of the empire.[11] Balaji and his descendants played a key role in the expansion of Maratha rule.
