Canberra, 04 October 2022 There is no mention of the Peshwa possessing a naval fleet up to the mid-1700s, even in any of the treaties concluded with the Europeans. The first mention of a Peshwa fleet is in the treaty that he signed with the English in 1739 and then again in 1740–41 in the […]
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Tag Archives: Portuguese
The Marathas Part 22 Ruling the Waves: The Maratha Navy Section III: The House of Angre is Brought Down
October 4, 2022 
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Canberra, 04 October 2022 Kanhoji Angre had many children from several wives and concubines, of whom six sons are known by name in history—Sekhoji, Sambhaji, Manaji, Tulaji, Yesaji and Dhonaji. Sekhoji, probably the eldest son, succeeded to his father’s position without any contest or dissention from his siblings, receiving the robes of investiture from the […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 22 Ruling the Waves: The Maratha Navy Section II: Kanhoji Angre Takes Over
October 4, 2022 0 Comments
Canberra, 04 October 2022 The crisis that followed Shivaji’s death was such that the fledgling Maratha kingdom was at the doors of extinction under constant Mughal and Muslim onslaught. The Maratha polity was saved by the efforts of a number of extraordinarily talented young men who willingly came forward to shoulder the enormous responsibilities of […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 22 Ruling the Waves: The Maratha Navy Section I: Shivaji Lays the Foundation
October 4, 2022 0 Comments
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 […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 13 Peshwa Baji Rao I Section IV A Peshwa Fades Away
December 26, 2021 0 Comments
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 […]
Continue readingThe Marathas Part 7 Sambhaji Bhonsle Section I: Accession and Early Rule
September 28, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 28 September 2021 On hearing of his father’s illness, Sambhaji hurried from Panhala to Raigarh but could not reach the fort before Shivaji’s death. He carried out the last rites and then returned to Panhala. The mourning period was followed by a short, but vicious power struggle for succession. The 23-year-old Sambhaji, as the […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 82 Jahangir Section V: The Arrival of the British
January 30, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 30 January 2021 By the end of the 16th century, Akbar’s fame had already spread to Europe—the story of an emperor who had conquered the whole of the exotic Hindustan; an emperor of extraordinary wisdom; an emperor who practised great religious tolerance at a time when the contemporary Tudor dynasty did not know the […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 83 Shah Jahan Section II: An Emperor’s Ambition Laid Low
November 22, 2020 0 Comments
Canberra, 22 November 2020 Even after the Khan-i-Jahan Lodi was chased down and killed, the Deccan campaign continued. Gradually all the major Shahi kingdoms—Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Golconda—were involved in the conflict in different ways and to different extent. The fortunes of these three kingdoms and that of the Mughal forces in the Deccan ebbed and […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 81 Akbar Section IV: The Conquering Emperor; 3. The Gujarat Campaign
July 24, 2020 0 Comments
Canberra, 24 July 2020 Gujarat, situated to the south-west of the Mughal province of Malwa and shored by the Arabian Sea was a rich kingdom, mainly because of its seaports that facilitated a flourishing maritime trade. It was geographically large and consisted of the territories and districts of Surat, Broach, Kaira, Ahmedabad, large parts of […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 80 Humayun – The Sentimental Dreamer Section I: A Royal Inheritance
April 10, 2020 0 Comments
Canberra, 10 April 2020 On his deathbed, Babur introduced his eldest son Humayun as his successor to a specially convened council of nobles and ministers. He then went on to advise the prince, to whom he had bequeathed his kingdom, ‘do naught against your brothers, even though they may deserve it’, an instruction that the […]
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