Maratha Shivaji Notes for UPPCS & UPSC 2026 | Medieval Indian History

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1627/1630 - 1680)

📍 Key Facts

Born: 1627 or 1630 at Shivner Fort PYQ!
Father: Shahaji Bhonsle
Mother: Jijabai
Guru: Samarth Ramdas PYQ!
• Wrote "Daasbodh" (Advaita Vedantic text)
• Wrote "Shivastuti" (poem in praise of Shivaji)
Coronation: 1674 at Raigarh Super PYQ!
• Title: "Chhatrapati"
• Performed by: Pandit Vishweshwar (Gangabhatta) from Varanasi
• Declared him Kshatriya
Capital: Raigarh PYQ!
Death: 1680 AD (age 50 or 53)

⚔️ Major Events (Chronological)

Year	Event	Details
1648	Victory on Fort of Chakan	Early military success
1657	Clash with Mughals started	Beginning of Mughal conflict
1659	Killed Afzal Khan	Sultan of Bijapur sent him PYQ!
1664	Attack and sack of Surat	Looted Mughal port
1665	Treaty of Purandar	With Jai Singh PYQ!
1666	Imprisoned by Aurangzeb	At Agra (Jaipur Bhawan) - escaped! PYQ Hit!
1672	Battle of Salher	Defeated Mughals PYQ!
1674	Coronation at Raigarh	Became "Chhatrapati"
1680	Death	End of an era

                PYQ Alert: Sequence of events - Chakan (1648) → Clash with Mughals (1657) →
                    Afzal Khan (1659) → Surat sack (1664)
            

Ashtapradhan - Council of 8 Ministers

                "Ashtapradhan" was the Council of Eight Ministers constituted by
                Shivaji for Maratha administration Super PYQ Repeat!
            

Position	Responsibilities
1. Peshwa	Prime Minister of the King
2. Amatya/Mazumdar	Finance & Revenue Minister
3. Waqianavis/Mantri	Interior Minister (Intelligence & Espionage)
4. Sachiv/Surunavis	Responsible for all correspondence
5. Sumant/Dabir	Foreign Minister PYQ!
6. Senapati/Sar-i-Naubat (Sarnobat)	Military administration, appointments, organization, food supply PYQ!
7. Pandit Rao	Appointed for religious affairs (High Priest)
8. Nyayadhish	Chief Justice

                Important! Ashtapradhan was NOT a cabinet - each minister worked independently.
                Ministers acted as secretaries to Shivaji, not as decision-makers. Shivaji could accept
                or reject their advice.
            

Revenue System & Coinage

Revenue Terms

Chauth: 1/4th (25%) - The Maratha claim of revenue for protection PYQ!
• Collected from provinces known as "Mughalai"
Sardeshmukhi: Additional 10% tax
Saranzami System: Land revenue system
• Land given for livelihood of Maratha Jagirdars

Coins

Silver coins: Rupaya, Lari, Taka PYQ!
Ruka was NOT a Shivaji coin (it belonged to Kakatiya dynasty)

Reasons for Rise of Maratha Power

Unity on basis of: Caste, Language, Religion, Literature, Habitat
Geographical Security: Maharashtra's terrain helped
Religious Consciousness: Hindu Revival
Political Awakening: Against Mughal oppression
High Quality Leadership: Shivaji and other leaders

After Shivaji - Peshwa Period

Immediate Successors

Sambhaji (1680-1689): Shivaji's son, killed by Aurangzeb
Rajaram (1689-1700): Led as representative of Shahu
Tarabai: Rajaram's widow
• Led struggle against Mughals (1700 onwards) on behalf of son Shivaji-II
• AT THE TIME OF AURANGZEB'S DEATH (1707), Maratha leadership was with Tarabai PYQ!

Rise of Peshwas

Peshwa	Period	Key Points
1. Balaji Vishwanath	1713-1720	Streamlined administration after Sambhaji PYQ! Power shifted from Chhatrapati to Peshwa (Nov 1713)
2. Bajirao I	1720-1740	Eldest son of Balaji Vishwanath Expanded Maratha power
3. Balaji Bajirao	1740-1761	Treaty of Sangola (1750): Maratha King became "do nothing king," Peshwa became real head PYQ! Peshwa post became hereditary
4. Madhav Rao	1761-1772	After 3rd Panipat disaster
5. Narayanrao	1772	Killed by uncle Raghunathrao's conspiracy

Mnemonic: "Balaji Vishwanath Bad Balaji Madhav NarRaghu" for Peshwa sequence

Third Battle of Panipat (14 Jan 1761)

⚔️ Combatants

Marathas: Led by Sadashivrao Bhau
Afghans: Led by Ahmad Shah Abdali

Immediate Cause

Ahmad Shah Abdali wanted to avenge the expulsion of his viceroy Timur Shah from Lahore by Marathas PYQ!

Result

Marathas badly defeated by Afghans
Eyewitness: Kashiraj Pandit (historian) PYQ!
• Quote: "2 pearls dissolved, 22 gold coins lost, silver & copper total cannot be cast up"
• Sent encrypted message to Balaji Bajirao
• Said: "Third Battle of Panipat became boisterous for Marathas"
Impact: Maratha power severely weakened

Abdali's Appointments

Najib-ud-Daula (Najib Khan) - Rohilla leader appointed as Abdali's chief agent & Mir Bakshi PYQ!

Maratha Confederacy

By 1750: Maratha kingdom became a Confederacy presided over by Peshwa
Major Houses:
• Holkars - Indore (Ahilyabai - famous Maratha queen from Holkar dynasty)
• Scindias - Gwalior
• Gaekwads - Baroda
• Bhonsles - Nagpur
Critique: Marathas failed to develop concept of unified India
Strength: Most capable native power after Mughal decline

Administrative Features

Modi Script: Used in Maratha documents, especially revenue & administration PYQ!
Military Innovation: Guerrilla warfare tactics
Navy: Shivaji built strong naval force

🎯 PYQ Sniper Shots

Q: Shivaji born & coronation?
A: 1627 (Shivner Fort) & 1674 (Chhatrapati).

Q: Shivaji's guru?
A: Samarth Ramdas.

Q: Shivaji's capital?
A: Raigarh.

Q: Where was Shivaji imprisoned by Aurangzeb?
A: Agra (Jaipur Bhawan) in 1666.

Q: Sultan of Bijapur sent whom against Shivaji in 1659?
A: Afzal Khan (Shivaji killed him).

Q: Treaty of Purandar signed with?
A: Jai Singh (1665).

Q: Ashtapradhan foreign minister?
A: Sumant/Dabir.

Q: Maratha revenue for protection?
A: Chauth (1/4th).

Q: Who streamlined administration after Sambhaji?
A: Balaji Vishwanath.

Q: 3rd Battle of Panipat date & eyewitness historian?
A: 14 Jan 1761 & Kashiraj Pandit.

Q: Maratha leader at Aurangzeb's death?
A: Tarabai.