The Marathas Part 20 The Prominent Feudatories of the Empire Section III: The Scindias of Gwalior

Canberra, 29 August 2022 The earliest mention of Scindia (also spelt Sindia, Sindhia, supposed to have been anglicised from ‘Shinde’) is found during the Bahmani rule in Deccan when a few Scindia families are reported to have risen to eminence in the service of the Sultan. The name is traced back to ‘Sendrak’ an ancient […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 20 The Prominent Feudatories of the Empire Section II: The Rajas of Nagpur

Canberra, 20 August 2022 The Rajas of Nagpur come from a branch known as the Hingnikar Bhonsles who were closely related to the main branch of the Bhonsles in Satara. The founder of the dynasty Mudhoji is better known as the father of Parsoji Bhonsle who was instrumental in making the dynasty, and the kingdom […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 20 The Prominent Feudatories of the Empire Section I: The Rajas of Kolhapur

Canberra, 13 August 2022 On Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son and successor Sambhaji being killed by the Mughals, his younger half-brother Rajaram ascended the throne in 1689. He ruled for 11 years and died in 1700, whereupon his widow Tarabai declared her young son Shivaji II the king and started to rule the kingdom as the Regent. […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 18 The March to Destruction Section VI: Acceleration of Decay and Dissolution

Canberra 21 July 2022 Richard Wellesley (1st Marquees Wellesley, 2nd Earl of Mornington) was a member of the English East India Company’s Supreme Council in Calcutta from 1793 and was appointed the Governor–General in 1797, holding the post till 1805. When he took over, Nana Phadnavis in the last years of his life and in […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 18 The March to Destruction Section IV: Debilitating Disunity

Canberra, 10 July 2022 The Treaty of Salbai, although favourable to the Marathas overall, it also provided increasing power to the major leaders within the Maratha polity. Of these, the Scindia clan benefitted the most and they became a semi-autonomous royal house in their own right. Scindia in North India From the time of the […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 18 The March to Destruction: 50 Years of Chaos Section III Dealing with Tipu: Turmoil and Wars

Canberra, 5 July 2022 [Note: The narrative in this chapter only deals with Tipu’s interaction with the Maratha Empire and to some extent with the repercussions of some of his actions elsewhere on the Maratha polity. A detailed analysis of the father-son team of Haidar Ali–Tipu on their takeover of the Kingdom of Mysore and […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 18 The March to Destruction: 50 Years of Chaos Section II Renewed English Wars

Canberra, 2 July 2022 In Calcutta, leading the Supreme Council, Warren Hastings had been newly titled as the ‘Governor-General’. He was single-mindedly determined to wipe out what he termed as the ‘disgrace of Wadegaon’. He placed Colonel Goddard as the supreme commander of all forces in Bombay, giving him explicit instructions to restore the credibility […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 17 The Supreme Council of Calcutta: English Interlude

Canberra, 23 June 2022 In April 1774, when he started his retreat from his march towards Pune, Raghunath Rao entered into negotiations with the English East India Company through their Bombay Government. The English, still basking in the glow of the resounding victory Robert Clive had achieved in Bengal, readily grasped at the overtures although […]

Continue reading →

The Marathas Part 14 Peshwa Balaji Rao Section IV: The Battle of Panipat

4. MAJOR REASONS FOR THE MARATHA DEBACLE Canberra, 10th May 2022 The Maratha high command had not fully thought through the expedition to North India, before despatching Sadashiv Rao Bhau with an army and instructions that were ambiguous to achieve some vague and ill-defined objectives. The aim of the expedition can, at best, be described […]

Continue reading →