The Marathas Part 22 Ruling the Waves: The Maratha Navy Section I: Shivaji Lays the Foundation

Canberra 04 October 2022 A seafaring tradition had existed among the people of the Western Coast of Maharashtra for centuries, although there is no evidence of any attempt at creating a naval power before the 14th century. It could be said that the sea was a new and untested element for the Marathas, in terms […]

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The Marathas Part 13 Peshwa Baji Rao I Section IV A Peshwa Fades Away

Canberra, 26 December 2021 The Marathas always faced obstacles in establishing strong control over the coastal region of Konkan. The Sidis, and later the Portugues, individually contested the control over this narrow, but strategically important coastal strip. The control of Konkan translated to the control of the lucrative seaborne trade that also included horses and […]

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Indian History Part 84 Aurangzeb Section IV: Emergence of the Marathas

Canberra, 6 February 2021 Geography and nature had never intended the Deccan Plateau to be an integral part of the greater Indian sub-continent. The Vindhya and Satpura Mountain Ranges and the River Narmada form a triple barricade that divides the high tableland of Central India from the Gangetic Plains. These formidable geographical barriers should have […]

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FROM INDUS TO INDEPENDENCE: A TREK THROUGH INDIAN HISTORY: Part 12

Canberra, 30 May 2013 PENINSULAR INDIA: OF MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS [GOING SOUTH OF THE VINDHYAS: AN EXPLANATION Even a cursory glance at the available literature on Indian history reveals that there is an absolute bias towards recounting the history of the northern part of the sub-continent, specifically that of the Indus-Gangetic plains, and labelling it […]

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