Marathas after Shivaji

After Shivaji

Shivaji, the great captain had died but the spirit lived in his “Swarajya”. Aurangzeb had seen the perils of the Guerilla warfare and had realized that it was not time to trust the generals. He took the command in his hands and in 1681, arrived at Burhanpur. He sent prince Muazzam, who after running over Konkan moved to Bijapur. Aurangzeb pushed forward to Ahamednagar. Both of them were annexed to Mughal Empire.

As soon as the Mughals turned their back, Sambhaji swiftly led his cavalry, crossed Khandesh and burnt Burhanpur and set the whole country ablaze. Before Mughals could retreat, they safely returned back to their heavens. The Mughal emperor now turned his attention only on to crushing the Marathas.

The revenue of the Marathas was cut as Bijapur and Ahamednagar was now firmly annexed to the Mughal Kingdom. In 1689, Sambhaji was captured and executed. His infant son Sahuji was taken captive.

Rajaram, brother of Sambhaji sought refuge at Jingee in the Konkan and in 1700 his son Shivaji III under the regency of his mother Tarabai took the Maratha Command. But the Mughals released Sahuji and now the Marathas were in two rival camps. There was a civil war between Sahuji and Tarabai, in which Sahuji got victorious, with the help of Balaji Vishwanath. Balaji Vishwanath was made Peshwa in 1713 and thus he founded the line of the Peshwas. Tarabai set up a rival camp at Kolhapur.