Maratha-Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj

Birthdate:     February 24, 1670
Death:           March 3, 1700
age:               30
 Life

       Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj was the younger son of Shivaji Raje Bhosale. He was born on February 24, 1670. After the death of his brother, Sambhaji Maharaj, he become the king of Maratha empire in 1689. He was just 19 years old at that time. The mother of Rajaram Maharaj was Soyarabai, the second wife of Shivaji Maharaj. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had sent Zulfiqar Khan against the Maratha army of Rajaram Maharaj, to capture Raigarh. 

         The widow of Shambhuji Maharaj, Yesu Bai, advised Rajaram Maharaj to move to Pratapgarh for safety, while she herself boldly stood the siege at Raigarh. Under this lady’s inspiration the Maratha army started an unprecedented fight against the Mughal army. They tried to prevent reinforcements from reaching Zulfiqar Khan at Raigarh, but the Maratha capital fell through the treachery of one of their own officers. Suryaji Pisal opened the gates to Zulfiqar Khan on 13th November, 1689 on the promise of the grant to him of the Deshmukhi watan of Wai which he had coveted for a long time. Yesu Bai and her young son Shahu and many other notable persons were taken prisoner and carried away by Zulfiqar Khan to the Mughal camp. Thereafter, Aurangzeb captured many other forts, but his triumph was short lived, for now the Maratha war of independence took the turn of a people’s war.

          Rajaram Maharaj who was not a great organizing genius like his father. But he had support of many influential personalities, the most important among whom were Prahlad Niraji and Ram Chandra Nilkanth. They toiled hard to roll back the tide of the Mughal invasion. Under these two inspiring leaders, four lieutenants of exceptional abilities, namely, Paras Ram Trimbak Pratinidhi, Shankarji Narayan Sachiva, Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, worked wonders, frustrated Aurangzeb’s schemes and secured Maratha independence which had been lost by the capture of Shambhuji and the fall of their capital Raigarh.

        After the capture of Raigarh, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj shifted the Maratha capital to Jinji. Aurangzed again sent the Mughal army under the leadership of Zulfiqar to Khan to capture Jinji. Though Maratha army was strong and enthusiastic, Jinji was finally captured by the Mughals in 1698.

        The siege lasted for eight years, but Rajaram Maharaj had already escaped to Maharashtra. The struggle continued and Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav inflicted unspeakable misery on the imperialists, hovered round Aurangzeb’s own camp and plundered it more than once.

        Chhatrapati Rajaram moved to Vishalgarh early in 1698. He established his court at Satara, and although it was lost soon afterwards, the Marathas recovered it in 1704. Rajaram Maharaj made a tour of his country and cheered up his officers in the various forts. The Maratha spirit by that time had risen high and they were gradually becoming confident of rolling back the tide of the Mughal invasion.But Rajaram Maharaj soon after fell ill and died on March 2, 1700 at Sinhagad fort. He died at the early age of thirty.

Conclusion

      Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj was barely ten years of age at the time of Shivaji’s death. He had not been given proper education. His great virtue as a ruler was that he gave his confidence and support to his ministers and rarely interfered with their work. Sambhaji’s capture and death, however, raised him to the throne. He was fortunate in having two advisers, Ramchandra Pant and Prahlad Niraji, of exceptional ability and two brave warriors, Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, to carry out his plans and policy.

         Though, Rajaram Maharaj did not possessed the military genius of his father,  his reigh is considered as the turning point in the history of Maratha war of Independence.

 

Maratha-Shahji Raje Bhonsle

Birthdate:     March 18, 1594
Death:          January 23, 1664

Shahji Bhonsle (also Shahji Raje Bhonsle, Shahaji Raje Bhonsle) was the father of Shivaji Maharaj. He was the first to raise the prestige of Bhonsle family ( to which Shivaji Maharaj belongs) to acquire military distinction. Shahji acquired practical experience of war under his father Maloji and Malik Ambar.

It was in course of the wards of Malik Ambar that Shahji learnt how a small force could exploit local topography to inflict defeats on much larger armies by the use of guerilla tactics. Shahji remained loyal to the states of the Deccan and fought against the Mughals on the side of Malik Ambar.

Shahji now settled down with a number of Maharashtrian Brahmins and Marathas in this jagir and acquired great fame and renown not only as a capable administrator but also as a patron of arts and letters.

Early life

 Shahaji was the son of Maratha warrior Maloji Bhosale.Maloji was a capable soldier and eventually became Sar Giroh and was awarded independent Jagir (Fief) of Pune & Supe districts in the court of Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar. Maloji was childless for a long time. After seeking blessings from a Sufi muslim pir called Shah Sharif, two sons were born to him. Maloji named his sons Shahaji and Sharifji in honour of the pir. Shahaji married Jijabai,the daughter of Lakhuji Jadhav,another Maratha general in the service of Nizam Shah of Ahmednagar when both of them were children.

The Bhosale clan ,despite being from Maharashtra region claimed to be Rajput.Shahaji, in his letter to Adil Shah, called himself a Sisodia Rajput

Jagirdar of Bangalore

         In Bangalore, the second phase of Shahaji's life started. He sent his wife Jijabai and their younger son, Shivaji to Pune to manage his jagir of Pune. The couple's elder son, Shambuji and another son Venkoji from his second wife stayed with him at Bangalore.Shahji was virtually the king of the territory under his control.the Sultan trusted him and called him the a son and pillar of the state.In Bangalore, Shahaji patronizedmen of learning

        Meanwhile young Shivaji started capturing territory controlled by Adilshah around Pune. AdilShah, alarmed by the activities of Shivaji in particular, deceitfully captured Shahaji and imprisoned him as he suspected that Shahaji encouraged Shivaji. Two expeditions were sent simultaneously against Shivaji and his elder brother Sambhaji, who defeated Adilshahi forces. Shivaji meanwhile approached the Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan, seeking help against Adilshah. Fearing another Mughal campaign against Bijapur, Adilshah released Shahaji from prison. However, the elder son Sambhaji was killed during an expedition due to the treacherous role of Afzal Khan. Later Shivaji killed Afzal Khan.

         Thus these events proved that Shahaji had taken a sensible decision in keeping Shivaji in the original stronghold of Pune barring which, like Shahaji, Shivaji would have been imprisoned or killed like his elder brother. This period of crisis was overcome by sacrifice and personal bonds of the family. Shahaji actively supported Shivaji in his earlier enterprises, like the campaign against Afzal Khan. Sensing treachery by Afzal khan, Shahaji was waiting near Bijapur with his army of 17,000. He had warned Badi Begum of Adilshah that, if Afzal Khan and his Adilshahi forces killed Shivaji by deceit, then there wouldn't remain even a brick of the Adilshahi kingdom.

          

         Shahaji had two sons by Jijabai, Sambhaji and Shivaji. Sambhaji was killed by Afzal Khan. He was cremated in town of Channagiri Taluka of Davanagere district of Karnataka. Shahaji had one son Venkoji (Ekoji I) by his second wife, who came from the Mohite family. Venkoji later ruled over the independent Maratha kingdom of Thanjavur. Shahaji groomed all his sons as good administrators and men of culture and taste, Shivaji in the Pune region, Sambhaji in Banglore and Venkoji in Thanjavur region. Shivaji encouraged farming and cultivation, similarly Venkoji also dug canals in Thanjavur and promoted farming activities. Both were good administrators. Like Shahaji, they were scholars and warriors. Shahaji had causeed a champukavya. At Bangalore, literary activities were promoted by him. His court poet Jayram Pindye composed Radha Madhav Vilas Champu in flowery Sanskrit. His literary traditions were carried on by his sons and had strong influence on the mind of Shivaji and the Thanjavur branch.Shahaji samadhi/tomb is at Hodigere near Channagiri (Davangere Taluka) in Karanataka. Shahaji's dream of an independent kingdom was made a reality by his both sons, the great Shivaji Maharaj in Deccan and Ekoji I in Thanjavur

Shahaji died around 1664, after falling off his horse during a hunt.

 

Maratha-Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj

Born: June 26, 1874
Place of Birth: Kagal, Kolhapur District, Central Provinces (currently Maharashtra)
Parents: Jaisinghrao Appasaheb Ghatge (Father) and Radhabai (Mother); Anandibai (Adoptive Mother)
Spouse: Lakshmibai
Children: Rajaram III, Radhabai, Sriman Maharajkumar Shivaji and Srimati Rajkumari Aubai
Education: Rajkumar College, Rajkot
Religious Views: Hinduism
Legacy: Social and Educational Reforms, Opposed Brahman Supremacy
Death: May 6, 1922
Place of Death: Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj also known as Rajarshi Shahu was considered a true democrat and social reformer. First Maharaja of the princely state of Kolhapur, he was an invaluable gem in the history of Maharashtra. Greatly influenced by the contributions of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, Shahu Maharaj was an ideal leader and able ruler who was associated with many progressive and path breaking activities during his rule. From his coronation in 1894 till his demise in 1922, he worked tirelessly for the cause of the lower caste subjects in his state. Primary education to all regardless of caste and creed was one of his most significant priorities. 

Life

        He was born Yeshwantrao in the Ghatge family in Kagal village of the Kolhapur district as Yeshwantrao Ghatge to Jaisingrao and Radhabai in June 26, 1874. Jaisingrao Ghatge was the village chief, while his wife Radhabhai hailed from the royal family of Mudhol. Young Yeshwantrao lost his mother when he was only three. His education was supervised by his father till he was 10-year-old. In that year, he was adopted by Queen Anandibai, widow of Kingh Shivaji IV, of the princely state of Kolhapur. Although the adoption rules of the time dictated that the child must have Bhosale dynasty blood in his vein, Yeshwantrao’s family background presented a unique case. He completed his formal education at the Rajkumar College in Rajkot and took lessons of administrative affairs from Sir Stuart Fraser, a representative of the Indian Civil Services. He ascended the throne in 1894 after coming of age, prior to which a regency council appointed by the British Government took care of the state affairs. During his accession Yeshwantrao was renamed as Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj.

Chhatrapati Shahu was over five feet nine inches in height and displayed a regal and majestic appearance. Wrestling was one of his favourite sports and he patronised the sport throughout his rule. Wrestlers from all over the country would come to his state to participate in wrestling competitions. 

He was married to Lakshmibai Khanvilkar, daughter of a nobleman from Baroda in 1891. The couple had for children – two sons and two daughters.

Social Works

          Chhatrapati Shahu occupied the throne of Kolhapur for 28 years, from 1894 to 1922, and during this period he initiated numerous social reforms in his empire. His emphasis was on education and his aim was to make education available to masses. He introduced a number of educational programs to promote education among his subjects. He established hostels separately for different ethnicities and religions like Panchals, Devadnya, Nabhik, Shimpi, Dhor-Chambhar communities as well as for Muslims, Jains and Christians. He established the Miss Clarke Boarding School for the socially quarantined segments of the community. He introduced several scholarships for the poor but meritorious students from backward castes. He also initiated a compulsory free primary education for all in his state. He established Vedic Schools that enabled students from all castes and classes to learn the scriptures and propagate Sanskrit education among all. He also started special schools for the village heads or ‘Patils’ to make them into better administrators.

          He was a great patron of art and culture and encouraged artists from music and fine arts. He supported writers and researchers in their endeavours. He installed gymnasiums and wrestling pitches and highlighted the importance of health consciousness among the youth. 

His seminal contribution in social, political, educational, agricultural and cultural spheres earned him the title of Rajarshi, which was bestowed upon him by the Kurmi warrior community of Kanpur.

Honours

        Due to his numerous altruistic efforts for the betterment of his subjects, he earned the honorary LLD degree from Cambridge University. He also received the titles of Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (G.C.S.I.) from Queen Victoria, Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.) from the Duke of Connaught and Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (G.C.I.E.) from the Imperial Darbar. He also received the King Edward Coronation Medal in 1902.

Death

        The great social reformer Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj died on May 6, 1922. He was succeeded by his eldest son Rajaram III as the Maharaja of Kolhapur. It was unfortunate that the reforms initiated by Chhatrapati Shahu gradually began to cease and fade for the lack of able leadership to carry on the legacy.

Maratha-Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje

      Sambhaji Bhosale (14 May 1657 – 11 March 1689) was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire, and his first wife Saibai. He was successor of the realm after his father’s death. Sambhaji’s rule was largely shaped by the ongoing wars between the Maratha kingdom and the 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, and succeeded by his brother Rajaram.

             Sambhaji was born at Purandar fort to Saibai, Shivaji’s first and favourite wife. His mother died when he was two and he was raised by his paternal grandmother Jijabai. At the age of nine, Sambhaji was sent to live with Raja Jai Singh of Amber, as a political hostage to ensure compliance of the Treaty of Purandar that Shivaji had signed with the Mughals on 11 June 1665.

           As a result of the treaty, Sambhaji become 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 Aurangzeb’s court at Agra on 12 May 1666. Aurangzeb put both of them under house arrest but they escaped on 22 July 1666.

          Sambhaji was married to Jivubai in a marriage of political alliance, and per Maratha custom she took the name Yesubai. Jivabai was the daughter of Pilajirao Shirke, who had entered Shivaji’s service following the defeat of a powerful Deshmukh who was his previous patron. This marriage thus gave Shivaji access to the Konkan coastal belt.

         Sambhaji’s behaviour, including alleged irresponsibility and “addiction to sensual pleasures” led Shivaji to imprison his son at Panhala fort in 1678 to curb his behaviour. Sambhaji escaped from the fort with his wife and defected to the Mughals for a year but then returned home unrepentant, and was again confined to Panhala.

         When Shivaji died in the first week of April 1680, Sambhaji was still held captive in Panhala fort. Shivaji’s widow and Sambhaji’s stepmother, Soyarabai, started making plans with various ministers to crown her sonRajaram as the heir to the Maratha kingdom and the ten-year-old Rajaram was installed on the throne on 21 April 1680. Upon hearing this news, Sambhaji plotted his escape and took possession of the Panhala fort on 27 April after killing the commander. On 18 June, he acquired control of Raigad fort. Sambhaji formally ascended the throne on 20 July 1680. Rajaram, his wife Janki Bai, and mother Soyarabai were imprisoned. Soyarabai was executed in October 1680 on charges of conspiracy.

         Bahadurkhan Kokaltash, a relative of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was in charge of Burhanpur, a Mughal stronghold. He left Burhanpur with a portion of his army to attend a wedding, giving the charge of the city toKakarkhan. Sambhaji tricked Mughals into thinking that Marathas were going to attack Surat that had been plundered twice by Shivaji, but Hambirrao Mohite, the commander of the Maratha army, surrounded Burhanpur.[citation needed] Sambhaji then plundered and ravaged the city in 1680,[when?] his forces completely routed the Mughal garrison and punitively executed captives. The Marathas then looted the city and set its ports ablaze. In contrast to his father’s tactics, Sambhaji permitted torture and violence by his forces. Sambhaji then withdrew into Baglana, evading the forces of Mughal commander Khan Jahan Bahadur.

War against the Mughal empire 

 

       Sambhaji gave shelter to Sultan Muhammad Akbar the fourth son of Aurangzeb, who sought Sambhaji’s aid in winning the Mughal throne from his emperor father. Upon the death of Shivaji, Aurangzeb came to Deccan in 1680 CE with about half a million troops and 400,000 animals.He defeated the Adilshahi (Sultanate of Bijapur) and Qutubshahi (Sultanate of Golconda) empires, acquiring two generals, Mukarrabkhan and Sarjakhan, from Qutubshahi and Adilshahi empires respectively. He then turned his attention to the Maratha kingdom, engaging Sambaji’s armies.In 1682 the Mughals laid siege to the Maratha fort of Ramsej, but after five months of failed attempts, including planting explosive mines and building wooden towers to gain the walls, the Mughal siege failed.

      The 1687 Battle of Wai saw the Maratha forces badly weakened by the Mughals. The key Maratha commander Hambirao Mohite was killed, and troops began to desert the Maratha armies. Sambaji’s positions were spied upon by Shirke clan Marathas who had defected to the Mughals. Sambhaji and 25 of his advisors were captured by the Mughal forces of Muqarrab Khan in a skirmish at Sangameshwar in February 1689 .

      Accounts of Sambhaji’s confrontation with the Mughal ruler, and following torture, execution, and disposal of his body, vary widely depending on the source, though generally all agree that he was tortured and executed on the emperor’s orders.

        The captured Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were taken to Bahadurgad, where Aurangzeb humiliated them by parading them wearing clown’s clothes, and they were subjected to insults by the Mughal soldiers. Accounts vary as to the reasons for what came next: Mughal accounts state that Sambhaji was asked to surrender his forts, treasures, and names of Mughal collaborators with the Marathas, and that he sealed his fate by insulting both the emperor and the Islamic prophet Muhammad during interrogation, and was executed for having killed Muslims.^[3] Maratha accounts instead state that he was ordered to bow before Auguranzeb and convert to Islam, and it was his refusal to do so that led to his death, lending a religious martyrdom to the narrative By doing so he earned the title of Dharmaveer  dharma Aurangzeb ordered Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash to be tortured to death; the process took over a fortnight and included plucking out their eyes and tongue, pulling out their nails, and removing their skin. Sambhaji was finally killed on 11 March 1689, reportedly by tearing him apart from the front and back with wagh nakhe (metal “tiger claws”) and beheading with an axe at Tulapur on the banks of the Bhima river, near Pune. Other accounts state that Sambhaji challenged Aurangzeb in open court and refused to convert to Islam. Dennis Kincaid writes “He (Sambhaji) was ordered by the Emperor to embrace Islam. He refused and was made to run the gauntlet of the whole Imperial army. Tattered and bleeding he was brought before the Emperor and repeated his refusal. His tongue was torn and again the question was put. He called for writing material and wrote ‘Not even if the emperor bribed me with his daughter!’ So then he was put to death by torture”.

        Some accounts state that Sambhaji’s body was cut into pieces and thrown into the river, or that the body or portions were recaptured and cremated at the confluence of rivers at Tulapur.Other accounts state that Sambhaji’s remains were fed to the dogs

Maratha-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Name: Shivaji Bhonsle
Date of Birth: February 19, 1630
Birthplace: Shivneri Fort, Pune district, Maharashtra
Parents: Shahaji Bhonsle (Father) and Jijabai (Mother)
Reign: 1674–1680
Spouse: Saibai, Soyarabai, Putalabai, Sakvarbai, Laxmibai, Kashibai
Children: Sambhaji, Rajaram, Sakhubai Nimbalkar, Ranubai Jadhav, Ambikabai Mahadik, Rajkumaribai Shirke
Religion: Hinduism
Death: April 3, 1680
Seat of Power: Raigad Fort, Maharashtra

Successor: Sambhaji Bhonsle

     Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha Empire in western India. He is considered to be one of the greatest warriors of his time and even today, stories of his exploits are narrated as a part of the folklore. With his valor and great administrative skills, Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur. It eventually became the genesis of the Maratha Empire. After establishing his rule, Shivaji implemented a competent and progressive administration with the help of a disciplined military and well-established administrative set-up. Shivaji is well-known for his innovative military tactics that centered around non-conventional methods leveraging strategic factors like geography, speed, and surprise to defeat his more powerful enemies.

Childhood & Early Life

     Shivaji Bhosle was born on February 19, 1630 to Shahaji Bhosle and Jijabai in the fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar of the Pune district. Shivaji’s father Shahaji was in service of the Bijapuri Sultanate - a tripartite association between Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda, as a general. He also owned a Jaigirdari near Pune. Shivaji’s mother Jijabai was the daughter of Sindkhed leader Lakhujirao Jadhav and a deeply religious woman. Shivaji was especially close to his mother who instilled in him a strict sense of right and wrong. Since Shahaji spent most of his time outside of Pune, the responsibility of overseeing Shivaji’s education rested on the shoulders of a small council of ministers which included a Peshwa (Shamrao Nilkanth),a Mazumdar (Balkrishna Pant), a Sabnis (Raghunath Ballal), a Dabir (Sonopant) and a chief teacher (Dadoji Konddeo). Kanhoji Jedhe and Baji Pasalkar were appointed to train Shivaji in military and martial arts. Shivaji was married to Saibai Nimbalkar in 1640.Shivaji turned out to be a born leader from a very young age. An active outdoorsman, he explored the Sahayadri Mountains surrounding the Shivneri forts and came to know the area like the back of his hands. By the time he was 15, he had accumulated a band of faithful soldiers from the Maval region who later aided in his early conquests.

Struggles with Bijapur

     By 1645, Shivaji acquired control of several strategic from under the Bijapur Sultanate around Pune – Torna from Inayat Khan, Chakan from FirangojiNarsala, Kondana from Adil Shahi Governor, along with Singhagarh and Purandar. Following his success, he had emerged as a threat for Mohammed Adil Shah who gave the order to imprison Shahaji in 1648. Shahaji was released on condition that Shivaji kept a low profile and kept from further conquests. Shivaji resumed his conquests after Shahaji’s death in 1665 by acquiring the valley of Javali from Chandrarao More, a Bijapuri jaigirdaar. Mohammed Adil Shah sent Afzal Khan, a powerful general in his employ to subdue Shivaji.

     The two met in a private rendezvous on November 10, 1659 to discuss terms of negotiation. Shivaji anticipated it to be a trap and he arrived prepared wearing armor and concealing a metal tiger claw.  When Afzal Khan attacked Shivaji with a dagger, he was saved by his armour and Shivaji retaliated by attacking Afzal Khan with the tiger’s claw, mortally injuring him. He ordered his forces to launch an assault on the leaderless Bijapuri contingents. Victory was easy for Shivaji in the Battle of Pratapgarh, where around 3000 Bijapuri soldiers were killed by the Maratha forces. Mohammed Adil Shah next sent a larger army under the command of General Rustam Zaman who faced Shivaji in the Battle of Kolhapur. Shivaji secured victory in a strategic battle causing the general to flee for his life. Mohammed Adil Shah finally saw victory when his general Siddi Jauhar successfully sieged the fort of Panhala on September 22, 1660. Shivaji recaptured the Fort of Panhal later in 1673.

Demise and Legacy

    Shivaji died at the age of 52 on April 3, 1680, at the Raigad Fort, after suffering from a bout of dysentery. A conflict of succession arose after his death between his eldest son Sambhaji and his third wife Soyrabai on behalf of her 10-year old son Rajaram. Sambhaji dethroned the young Rajaram and ascended the throne himself on June 20, 1680.the Mughal-Maratha conflicts continued after Shivaji’s death and the Maratha glory declined greatly. However it was reclaimed by young Madhavrao Peshwa who reclaimed Maratha glory and established his authority over North India.

Maratha History

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 (and later Shivaji). A number of Maratha warriors, including Shivaji's father, Shahaji, originally served in those armies. 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. It was further expanded into a vast empire by Maratha Confederacy including Peshwas, stretching from central India  in the south, to Peshawar (in modern-day Pakistan) on the Afghanistan border in the north, and with expeditions to Bengal in the east. By the 19th century, the empire had become a confederacy of individual states controlled by Maratha chiefs such as Gaikwads of Baroda, the Holkars of Indore, the Scindias of Gwalior, the Puars of Dhar and Dewas, and Bhonsles of Nagpur. The Confederacy remained the pre-eminent power in India until their defeat by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818).

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, giving rise to the Maratha-Kunbi caste complex. 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" (comprising 96 clans) claimed Rajput descent with Kshatriya status, and included princes, officers and landowners. Some of the Maratha clans claiming Rajput descent include Bhonsales (from Sisodias), Chavans (from Chauhans), and Pawar (from Parmar).

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.