The Maratha Confederacy in the 18th Century (Peshwas, Bhonsles, Gaikwads, Holkars, Scindias)

At a Glance

• Base Maharashtra, under Shahu and the Peshwas at Pune
• Greatest Peshwa Baji Rao I (1720 to 1740)
• Chiefs Gaekwad (Baroda), Bhonsle (Nagpur), Holkar (Indore), Sindhia (Gwalior)
• Blow Third Panipat, 1761
• End The Peshwaship ended in 1818
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Regional Kingdoms

Where Does It Fit?

This is the thirteenth topic of the category on regional kingdoms. The previous topic explained how autonomous regional powers rose, and this topic covers the most powerful of the new states. The next topic covers the Third Battle of Panipat, which tested the confederacy. Previous topic: Rise of Autonomous Regional Powers Following the Decline of Mughal Central Authority in the Early 18th Century.

How Did the Marathas Survive Aurangzeb?

In short: the Maratha Confederacy grew out of the Maratha resistance to Aurangzeb, which spread through the Deccan after he executed Sambhaji in 1689.

The execution of Sambhaji in 1689 was a political mistake, because it gave the Marathas a new cause and left their sardars free to plunder Mughal land and rally again. Rajaram, his younger brother, was crowned and fought on from Jinji on the east coast, which fell in 1698, though Rajaram escaped. From 1700 to 1705 Aurangzeb besieged one Maratha fort after another while floods, disease and roving bands wore down his army, and many jagirdars made secret pacts to pay chauth. In 1703 he considered releasing Sambhaji’s son Shahu with the grant of swarajya and sardeshmukhi, but cancelled the plan. He retreated to Aurangabad in 1706 and died there in 1707, leaving the Marathas stronger.

Who Were the Peshwas?

The Peshwa was originally the chief minister, but the office gained wide administrative and military power under the Bhat family.

How Did the Confederacy Work?

Baji Rao I started a confederacy of prominent Maratha chiefs to manage the fast-growing Maratha power, and it also partly appeased the kshatriya section of the Marathas, led by the senapati Dabodi, since the Peshwas were Brahmans. Each prominent family under a chief was given a sphere of influence to conquer and rule, in the name of the Maratha king, Shahu.

The confederacy worked cordially from Baji Rao I to Madhavrao I. By the middle of the eighteenth century the Marathas had reached Lahore, played kingmaker at the Mughal court and uprooted Mughal authority from Malwa and Gujarat. Their demands for the right to collect sardeshmukhi and chauth across the empire grew out of their first aim of regaining control of Maharashtra. By 1740 they had spread their influence over Gujarat, Malwa and Bundelkhand.

Why Did the Confederacy Weaken?

The defeat at Panipat in 1761 and the death of the young Peshwa Madhavrao I in 1772 loosened the Peshwa’s hold. His brother Narayanrao succeeded him but was assassinated at the instigation of his uncle Raghunathrao, who made himself Peshwa without being the legal heir. Narayanrao’s widow Gangabai bore a posthumous son, Sawai Madhavrao, and twelve chiefs, the Barabhai, under Nana Phadnavis ruled as regents for him. The chiefs united on occasion, as against the British in 1775 to 1782, but more often they quarrelled among themselves. This disunity gave the English their opening in three wars between 1775 and 1819, the last of which ended the Peshwaship in 1818.

How Should the Confederacy Be Assessed?

As an analytical point, the confederacy was a flexible way to run an expanding state, since it gave chiefs room to conquer without a heavy central bureaucracy. That same flexibility meant no single authority could command the chiefs when it mattered, so it was strong under a great Peshwa and weak under a weak one. The Marathas thus became the most serious challenger to the East India Company, yet they could not replace the Mughals as an all-India power. For the clashes with the English, see First Anglo-Maratha War and the Treaty of Salbai.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Largest new state The main rival of the Company in the late eighteenth century
• Structure Confederacy is a standard concept
• Exam facts Names and seats of the chiefs are frequent questions

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the Third Battle of Panipat of 1761 between the Marathas and Ahmad Shah Abdali. Next topic: Third Battle of Panipat (1761) – Marathas vs. Ahmad Shah Abdali.

Key People and Terms

• Peshwa Chief minister, later effective ruler
• Shahu Maratha king (Chhatrapati)
• Chauth Levy sought on others’ territories
• Sardeshmukhi Additional levy
• Barabhai Twelve chiefs who ruled as regents
• Nana Phadnavis Minister who led the regents

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions on the confederacy ask about its strength and weakness. These points add depth.

• Strength Spheres of influence and quick conquest
• Weakness Lack of unity under weak Peshwas
• Outcome Defeat by the English