Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

LURE - THRU THE AGES

Benoit de Boigne, a French military expert and other Europeans of various races. In Delhi, he made Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor his puppet. By 1792 he established his ascendancy over Rajputs. Nana Phadnavis 1742-1800 An astute politician he controlled all Maratha affairs in Poona. After the death of Scindia, Maratha affairs passed under the control of Nana Phadnavis. One of his main aims was to recover the lost Maratha territories to the south of the Narmada. In 1787, the English and Marathas advanced on Tippu's territory. Tippu concluded a treaty with them by giving the districts of Badami, Kittur and Nargund to the Marathas. With the death of Nana Phadnavis in 1800 the Marathas lost their important guiding spirit. Impact After the third Maratha war- Peshwaship was abolished and Baji Rao was given a pension of Rs. 8 lakhs a year for his life. Many Maratha territories were annexed by British.

Strengths He was an able soldier and a wise statesman. By his eloquence and enthusiasm, he persuaded his master Shahu to sanction his plan of northern expansion. Weaknesses * The Maratha empire was not a well knit one. Marathas did not have a sound financial system; consequently they were always in need of money. * Marathas were experts in guerilla warfare and they were not good at pitched battles. The Marathas had poor knowledge of geography; this landed them in trouble in military operations. * There was no centralised command in Maratha army. Decline After the battle of Plassey, the British became the strongest political force in India. With their advanced military techniques they were able to sideline the Marathas. After the third Maratha war the Maratha empire virtually ended.

The power of the Marathas was completely crushed and henceforth they were not in a position to raise their head again. The English East India Company became the virtual rulers of India.

Friends - Rajputs, Sikhs.

Foes - Ahmed Shah Abdali, (the Afghan invader of 1761), Mughals, Portuguese, English East India Company, Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan of Mysore. Achievements Baji Rao was next only to Shivaji in military genius. He transformed the Maratha state into a major power in India. Bold and imaginative, he formed the policy of Maratha imperialism, initiated by the first Peshwa, by launching a policy of expansion beyond the Narmada with a view to striking at the centre of the imperial power. At his death in 1740, the political centre of gravity shifted from the court of Delhi to that of Shahu.