History of Marathas

The story of the Marathas starts with Shivaji for most of us. The action happened in what is called the Deccan and its geography and politics plays an important role. We must understand what the Deccan means, who ruled there and what was the condition of the Deccan part of India before, and when...

The founder of the Marathas, the most revered Chhatrapati Shivaji has fascinating anecdotes which are motivating, stirring and touch the listener...

Badi Saheba addressed the august gathering, 'Usne asmzat-e-shahi ko lalkara hai. 'The very might of Bijapur has been challenged.' We need to take our revenge; put him in his place. It is for the sake of our religion. This kafir needs to be punished. Who is the brave man who can do this? Huh?...

Shiva the barber was unperturbed. 'There is no point in showing your anger. Raje is gone. Flown away! I got a chance to wear his clothes and pretend to be him for an hour. What else do I need. This is my reward.' 'Haramzaade!' Siddi shouted again and plunged his sword into Shiva's chest. Shiva's...

It was late in the night when the group reached Pune. The soft diffused light of the ashtami moon spread over the ground. The guards at the gate came out adjusting their guns hearing the horses. One of the guards challenged, 'Kaun hai?' One of Ibrahim's men stepped forward and slapped the guard...

'I did not come here just to receive the royal honour. My son is a panch hazari Mansabdar under the Badshah. He can be made to stand wherever the Badshah wishes him to. But I am not a servant of the Badshah! I am a Raja in my own right!' The three of them returned, unable to convince Shivaji...

Aurangzeb behaved like a man possessed. He was unable to believe what he had just seen and heard. Had Shivaji really vanished as described by Fulaad Khan? He wondered whether Shivaji could walk through walls and materialize elsewhere. He was not willing to take chances with his own life and...

Suryaji was barely able to speak. He began, 'Maharaj, Tanaji realized we may not be able to climb the steep cliffs but he used his favourite ghorpad (Ghorpad is a monitor lizard in Marathi), Yashwanti. He tied a rope around its waist and it climbed up, securing a foothold using its sharp talons...

Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were stunned into silence. Was it really happening or was it a dream? Ikhlas Khan had tied the two. Out of sheer desperation and anger, he slapped Sambhaji. Kaviraj, seeing Ikhlas Khan touching Raje's face, spat at him in disgust. Ikhlas Khan was enraged now and took out...

The Badshah growled once more. He dismissed the men holding the weapons and indicated to a group of men who wore iron claws. At his glance, two of them came near Sambhaji. One of them behind him and one facing him. From his neck to the spine and from his throat to his stomach, the men pulled his...

Sambhaji's death was a big blow to the Marathas. He was the rightful heir and a daredevil; someone who could have challenged Aurangzeb had he not been given up by his own family members. The Marathas were not to give up so easily. The few years after Sambhaji's death were ruinous and confusing...

He stopped suddenly. His vision was getting muddled and he started mumbling the lines from the Quran. Zeenat got up and looked out of the window. She could hear him utter, 'La ilahi illillah.' Dawn was breaking on the horizon. Aurangzeb's soft uttering of the words from the Quran could be heard...

Folklore has it that Chhatrasal sent a wandering bard to Pune with a message for Bajirao. The story goes that the Peshwa heard the bard singing outside his palace- Jo gati grah gajendra ki So gati bhai hai aaj Baaji jaat Bundel ki Baaji rakho laaj Meaning, 'Know you Baji rao; I am in that same...

Nanasaheb had taken the Marathas to the largest extent possible. In south, the Peshwa had won against the Nizam. So there was no challenge there. While Delhi was the capital of the Mughal empire, the power seat was Pune. In 1758 it felt as if the Marathas could hold their power over Punjab...

The flat plains of Panipat had seen the battle in 1526 and 1555 where Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodi and Akbar defeated the Afghan army led by Hemchandra, aka Hemu, who was captured and beheaded by Behram Khan. Now two and half centuries later, two mega armies stood waiting for a battle. What kind...

It was the arrival of Robert Clive, as the governor of Bengal which was to change the scene in India permanently. It is interesting to note that Robert Clive started his career as a mere clerk in East India Company. Clive met the emperor at Allahabad and got the permission for himself and the...

Ram Shastri Prabhune conducted an enquiry and found Raghunathrao the culprit in addition to another fifty persons of which there was one female servant. 'The law,' he thundered 'was above the individual.' The intrepid judge fearlessly argued the point and told Raghunathrao on his face that he...

Tipu formed a large corps of young Muslim lads whom he called his sons and now provided them with handsome young wives from the Hindu fold. These atrocities were perpetrated during the wet months of 1785. In Malabar he had converted, in one stroke, a hundred thousand Hindus to his faith...

A group of Brahmins from Telangana had come to Pune and indulged in several incidents of irregular behaviour that disturbed the peace. They disobeyed the regulations and indulged in theft and rioting. On 29 August that year, thirty-five Telanga Brahmins were apprehended by a police officer on...