Question

Give an account of the Maratha expansion that occurred between 1720 and 1761.

Answer 1

Hint: The Maratha empire is credited for ruling more than half of Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. They were also somewhere responsible for the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Complete answer: The real Peshwa who was responsible for the expansion of the Maratha empire was Baji Rao. Baji Rao’s accession to Peshwaship saw a change in the strategy of the Maratha from being defensive to attacking. After strengthening their power in the Deccan, they thought of expanding their conquest further in northern India. He was inspired by Shivaji’s dream of a Hindu dominated India and he stressed upon the friendship of the Hindu powers to the Marathas so that he could weaken the powers of the Nizam. Not only in the northern part but Baji Rao was interested in the southern part as well. In the year 1724, when the Emperor had asked for Maratha help against Nizam-ul-Mulk, he demanded the cession of the subah of Hyderabad, and the virtual right to nominate the Mughal viceroy of the Deccan. He was interested in Maratha supremacy over the Deccan. The Marathas were successfully established in Malwa and Gujarat, a wedge created between Nizam and Delhi. The domination of Maratha in Malwa and Gujarat was the first step which led to the establishment of a large and powerful Maratha empire.

Note: The Maratha defeat at Panipat meant the end of Peshwa’s bid for establishing supremacy in North India. Thus the battle of Panipat was also seen as a struggle between the forces of centralism and regionalism. It resulted in bringing the English, who brought in centralism of a new-kind, the colonial type.