Page 62 - Journeys Through Society-7

After the death of Guru Gobind From 1713 to 1761, the marathas were controlled by
Singh, the struggle against the the Peshwas. In 1713, Shivaji’s grandson Shahuji,
Mughal authority was carried appointed Balaji Vishwanath as his Peshwa. He was an
on by Banda Bahadur. By the able administrator and the office of the Peshwa
early eighteenth century, the became hereditary under him.
Sikhs had consolidated Baji Rao I (1720-1740)
themselves by carving out their
Baji Rao I succeeded his father Balaji Vishwanath and
kingdom between the Sutlej
pursued an ambitious expansionist policy. Baji Rao I,
and the Yamuna rivers which Guru Tegh Bahadur
was a noted general who served as Peshwa. He
came to be known as Punjab. They organised
pursued an expansionist policy and is credited for
themselves into 12 political groups called the misls.
expanding the Maratha Empire by capturing Malwa,
Each misl was under a leader and dominated a specific
southern Gujarat and parts of Bundelkhand. He
area. These misls often fought among each other to
annexed Salsette and Bassein from the Protguese.
expand their territories.
Balaji Baji Rao (1740-1761)
Ranjeet Singh established
one of the strongest Baji Rao’s son, Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb), was
kingdoms of the period. appointed as a Peshwa by Shahuji. When Shahuji died
Thereafter he added in 1749, Balaji Baji Rao became the head of the
Peshawar, Multan and Marathas. Under Balaji Baji Rao, the Maratha army
Kashmir as part of his went on expeditions to several parts of the country.
empire. The Marathas reached their zenith under him.

Rise of the Peshwas Shahuji Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
The Maratha army met Ahmad Shah Abdali’s forces in
the third battle of Panipat in 1761. The growth of the
Marathas made the Jats, the Sikhs, and the rulers of
Bengal and Hyderabad anxious. So when the Marathas
clashed with Abdali none of them came to the
Maratha rescue. As a result, they were completely
routed. The various Maratha chiefs began to rule over
their own areas. This paved the way for the English
Sir Charles Warre Malet concluding a treaty East India Company to gain ground in India.
with the Peshwa ruler in 1790

Revision Notes

• The death of Aurangzeb marked the beginning of the fall of the Mughal Empire.
• Aurangzeb was succeeded by weak rulers wo could not uphold the prestige of the Mughal Empire.
The successors of Aurangzeb are often referred to as Later Mughals.
• Taking advantage of the weakening of the Mughal Empire, Nadir Shah invaded India in 1739 and
took the Peacock Throne and the Kohinoor Diamond.
• Many feudatories carved out their independent kingdoms in the eighteenth century. Some of them
were Bengal, Awadh, Hyderabad, Rajputana and Punjab.
• The Marathas emerged as a powerful force under Shivaji and challenged the authority of Auragzeb.
They carved out a powerful kingdom with a well-developed administration and revenue system.
• The Jats and Satnamis were two other communities which rebelled against Mughal authority.
• In 1761, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India, defeating the Maraths in the Third Battle of Panipat.

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