Understand how the Marathas transitioned to a decentralized power under the Peshwas, reached their peak expansion, and eventually fell to the British.
Timeline of key expansion and conflict dates.
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The struggle against Aurangzeb led by Sambhaji, Rajaram, and Tarabai.
After Chhatrapati Shivaji's death, the Marathas became the last major obstacle to total Mughal control of the Deccan. Aurangzeb invaded the region and managed to capture Shivaji's son, Sambhaji, brutally torturing and executing him.
The shift to a decentralized structure and northward expansion.
During their rapid expansion, the Maratha state underwent a major structural shift. The centralized administration created by Shivaji became decentralized. Power shifted to regional chiefs and specifically to the Peshwa (a Persian term for 'prime minister'), who wielded immense influence, eventually overshadowing the Chhatrapati.
How the British ultimately defeated the Marathas.
By the latter half of the 18th century, the Marathas were the undisputed chief rivals of the British in India. Between 1775 and 1818, the two powers clashed in three major Anglo-Maratha wars for control over the subcontinent.
MCQ on the Panipat defeat and the Anglo-Maratha wars.
In what year did the Marathas suffer a disastrous defeat against the Afghans at the Battle of Panipat, before eventually recovering to recapture Delhi?