Canberra, 15 July 2022 Although Raghunath Rao had died in December 1783, his legacy of creating disunity, chaos and turmoil lived on through the actions of his wife and three sons. There is no doubt that he had brought enormous misfortune on his country by his single-minded pursuit of his personal ambition, pushed to the […]
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Tag Archives: Ahmednagar
The Marathas Part 15 Peshwa Madhav Rao Section I: Accession, Rebellions and Consolidation
May 22, 2022 
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Canberra, 22nd May 2022 In 1761, the Maratha polity was reeling from the defeat in a battle that need not have been fought. The disaster was the culmination of extended ambition, unwanted hubris, inexperience in diplomacy, strategy, operational art and tactics and flawed command and control arrangements. The defeat of the magnificent Maratha army continues […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section IV: The Battle of Panipat
March 18, 2022 0 Comments
THE AFTERMATH Canberra, 18 March 2022 Peshwa Balaji Rao’s Circumstances News from the North Indian expedition was slow to reach Pune. The Peshwa was sanguine under the illusion that he had provided all resources required for Sadashiv Rao Bhau to succeed in his mission. A few favourable titbits reached Pune, such as the easy victory […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section IV Dealing with the Mughals 2. Towards a Maratha Kingdom
August 18, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 18 August 2021 From the time of his return to Bijapur, Shahji had been heavily involved in pacifying the restive nobles of the Doab on behalf of the Adil Shah. In appreciation of Shahji’s service, Ali Adil Shah had bestowed the fiefdoms of Bangalore and Tanjore on Vyankoji. Unfortunately, during the campaign Shahji died […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 6 Shivaji Bhonsle Section III: A Decade of Conquest
July 13, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 13 July 2021 Even though Shivaji had emphatically asserted his independence, he carefully maintained peace with the Mughals for two primary reasons. First was that from 1653, the Mughal territories in the Deccan were being governed by Aurangzeb, a prince of singular efficiency and vigour who no one wanted to offend. The second, Shivaji […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 4 Shahji Bhonsle Section I: Entrenching Maratha Power
June 2, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 2 June 2021 Till the last few years of Malik Ambar’s defiance of Mughal invasion into the Deccan, the Muslim chronicles hardly mention the local Maratha chieftains and soldiers fighting against them. However, by about 1625, the loyalty of the Maratha chiefs was sufficiently important for the Nizam Shah to surreptitiously have Lakhoji Jadhav […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 3 – The Rise of the Bhonsle Clan
May 30, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 30 May 2021 Even after the break-up of the Bahmani Sultanate, the general circumstances of the Marathas remained unaltered. A majority of the hill forts were garrisoned by Maratha chiefs—some in the service of one or the other Shahi kingdom and a lesser number by semi-independent Deshmukhs. By this time Muslim ranks—mansabs, depending on […]
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Sanu Kainikara 
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