What were the Causes of the Rise of Maratha Empire?

Principal R.V. Nadkarni refers to many, causes which were responsible for the rise of the Maratha Empire. Some of them are as under:

The First cause was the physical environment of the Marathas. The Maratha National character was partly the result of the physical environment of their country called Maharashtra. The country enjoys the advantage of good and bracing climate. The summits are frequently crowned or girded towards the top by large basaltic rocks.

These, with little aid from art, are capable of being formed into fortresses which are often impregnable. In many of them are springs of the finest water which can be secured in tanks or reservoirs during the rains. Throughout the period of the rains, it is scarcely possible for troops to act in that area.

The peculiar formation of the country,its precipitous mountains, inaccessible valleys and impregnable hill-forts render it the most favourable for defence and the most dangerous to the invaders, Shivaji took full advantage of this fact and always attached the greatest importance to his numerous forts and kept them in the most efficient condition of military preparedness.

The second cause was the National Character of the Marathas. Elphinstone wrote about them, “As small sturdy men, well made, though not handsome, they are all active, laborious, hardy, and persevering. If they have none of the pride and dignity of the Rajputs they have none of their indolence or their want of worldly wisdom. A Rajput warrior as long as he does not dishonor his race, seems almost indifferent to the result of any contest he is engaged in.”

“A Maratha thinks of nothing but the result and cares little for the means if he can attain his object. For this purpose he will strain his wits, renounce his pleasures and hazard his person; but he has not a conception of sacrificing his life or even his interest for the point of honour. This difference of sentiment affects the outward appearance of the two nations; there is something noble in the courage even of the ordinary Rajput and something vulgar in that of the most distinguished Maratha.”

“The Rajput is the most worthy antagonist. The Maratha is the most formidable enemy; for he will not fail in boldness and enterprise when they are indispensable and will always support them or supply them with stratagem, activity, and perseverance. All this applies chiefly to the soldiery to whom more bad qualities might fairly be ascribed. The mere husbandmen are sober, frugal, and industrious and though they have a dash of the national cunning, are neither turbulent nor insincere.”

Whether a peasant or a soldier, nature fostered in the Maratha an innate love of independence wich made him rebellious in spirit. In this combination of courage, cleverness and power endurance, in his ability to plan and execute surprise and night attacks, in his skill to extricate himself from a tight corner or to vary his tactics to the changing phases of a battle without waiting for guidance from a superior, it was hardly possible to beat the Maratha Soldier.

Third cause of the rise of the Maratha Empire was the religious, social and literary movement in Maharasthra. The Maratha Literature of the Bhaktas such as Eknath, Tukaraum, Ram Das,Shridhar, Waman Pandit, Moropant, Muteshwar, Amritaraya, Mahipate and Raghunath Pandit breaths a breath of equality, fraternity and spiritual liberty. The effect of this literature and the teachings of the saints were to quicken the moral consciousness of the Marathas and not their political consciousness.

They created the condition which partially ensured the success of the political ideal. The teachings of the saints of Maharashtra gave the Maratha society that mood of moral exaltedness which was essential to the success of Swarajya. The reaction of the religious revival on the political movement was that it furnished that moral basis without which Swrajya would have been a mockery.

The moral atmosphere created by the saints made a majority of the Marathas of the 17th century less selfish and perhaps less corrupt. The Bhakti movement democratised and nationalised the Maratha literature which afforded another influence for national unity. The devotional songs and moral maxims of the saints made their way to every home where Marathi language would be read.

The view of Raj wade is that 1200 Marathas of Swami Ramdas spread his ideas throughout Maharashtra and hence it could be said that Ramdas inspired the political movement in Maharashtra. Principal Nadkarni does not accept this view. According to him, the first meeting between Shivaji and Ramdas tookplace in 1672 and not in 1649 and hence the teachings of Ramdas had no influence either in the formation of political independence as an ideal or its success during the early period of the life of Shivaji.

Principal Nadkarni maintains that the credit of initiating the Swarajya Movement and its first recognition as a panacea for the miserable condition of Maharashtra belongs to Shivaji alone. The particular method by which the political ideal of Swarajya was carried to its success was also evolved by the practical mind of Shivaji. Ramdas seems to have Generalized from the existing fact which were before him and which must have helped in the process of the propagation of the ideas of Shivaji to whom alone the ideas originally belonged, he work of Ramdas begins at a later stage and the influence of his teachings and powerful advocacy begins to operate after the death of Shivaji.

The Mughal Invasion of the Deccan and its ultimate subjugation was the chief external cause of the rise of the Maratha Empire. The political and economic condition of the Deccan since its first conquest by Ala-ud-din KMji to the rise of Shivaji was most depressed. Political subjection gradually led to economic slavery until in the beginning of the 17th century the Marathas were ripe for a political revolution.

Then came the Mughal Invasions from Akbar to Aurangzeb which began in 1593 and lasted till 1636. The rival armies destroyed the whole country either as a defensive or as an offensive military measure and the result was that agriculture was utterly ruined. The country was plundered both by the Bijapuris and the Mughals. There were frequent famines followed by terrible epidemics. It is said that when Dadaji Kondev took over the charge of the Poona District, he found it in a totally ruined condition.

Not only the peasantry was ruined but the petty Desponds and Deshmukhs who depended on the revenues, were also ruined. Excepting the military aristocracy, no class was happy. Grant Duff writes, “The Mughal Invasions for the purposes of reducing the kingdoms of Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda had a great influence on the rise of the Marathas”. The economic effect of the Deccan wars of the Mughals on the Marathas had great influence in the rise of the Marathas as a nation.

The decadence of the States of Bijapur and Golconda facilitated the task of the Marathas in setting up their Empire. The Rulers of the States were pleasure-loving puppets. There were bloody faction-fights for office. Their administration had broken down. Law and order had become a thing of the past. The Generals were selling themselves to the highest bider. The state of anarchy prevailing at that time is described in these words: “No man from Sardar down to Ryat ate his bread for a single day in peace; none from the Sultan down to the pauper slept for a single night in happiness.” The want of vigor in the Governments of Bijapur and Golkonda helped the plans of the Marathas to found their state. Sometimes, Shivaji was able to bring pressure to bear on the Sultans from the Mughal Emperor.

Historians like Elphinstone are of the veiw that Aurangzeb made a mistake in destroying Bijapur and Golkonda first instead of crushing the Marathas with the help of these two states. It is pointed out that this view is not correct. The rulers of these states knew that the Mughal Emperors were always trying to annex their territories. If they helped Aurangzeb to crush Sambhaji, their turn would have come next.

As a matter of fact, Shivaji and Sambhaji, were the protectors of Bijapur and Golkonda in their hour of need. Shivaji gave timely help to Bijapur against the Mughal general Diler Khan. Aurangzeb knew that these states paid tribute to the Marathas. They gave them asylum when driven from their territories. Bijapur and Golkonda sent help to Sambhaji. By conquering Bijapur and Gokonda, Aurangzeb could make these states the base of his operations against the Marathas. Aurangzeb could not afford to leave these potentially hostile kingdoms in his rear or flank while fighting against the Marathas.

Thus, there was nothing wrong in the conquest of these kingdoms by Aurangzeb before starting his fight against the Marathas. Moreover, if Aurabgzeb had not conquered Bijapur and Golkonda, the Marathas would have conquered and annexed them. The Marathas proved themselves more than a match for Aurangzeb and Bijapur and Golkonda could not have succeeded in taming Sambhaji and defeating Santaji and Dhanaji. By allowing the resources of Bijapur and Golkonda to fall into the hands of the Marathas, Aurangzeb would have merely added to his difficulties.

The character of Aurangzeb was also responsible for the success of the Marathas. Aurangzeb was suspicious of his generals and sons. He invariably set two generals on his campaigns. The differences between Shah Alam and Diler Khan were responsible for Mughal Failure in the Deccan. The quarrels between Asad Khan and Zulfikar Khan were responsible for the prolongation of the siege of Jinji and the flight of Rajaram in safety to Maharashtra.

No Mughal General in the Deccan was supplied with enough reinforcements though each general repeatedly asked for them, The reason was that Aurangzeb never felt sure of their loyalty and always thoguth that he might become independent if allowd to grow stronger. Aurangzeb always dreaded that his sons would give the same treatment which he himself had given to his father and therefore he never trusted them and took elaborate precautions to guard himself against their treachery.

The bigotry of Aurangzeb also helped the Marathas. Aurangzeb levied the Jizya and collected the same not only in the North but also in the South. This alienated the Rajputs whose help was not available to him in his war against the Marathas.

Aurangzeb was an autocrat and he tried to do everything himself without trusting others. He ordered and supervised every minute detail of administration and welfare personally. His excessive interference kept the Viceroys and Commanders and even “the man on the spot” in far off districts in perpetual tutelage. Their initiative and sense of responsibility were destroyed. The result was that high-spirited officers found themselves checked, discouraged and driven to sullen inactivity.

Aurangzeb became impatient of contradiction. He was not prepared to hear the truth from any quarter. He was surrounded by smooth-tongued sycophants and his Ministers became merely his clerks carrying out his orders. He himself conducted every branch of the administration in the minutest details.

Elphinstone writers, “He planned campaigns and issued instructions during the progress; drawings of forts were sent to him to fix on the points of attack; his letters embraced measures for keeping open the roads in the Afghan Country, for quelling disturbances at Multan and Agra and even for recovering possession of Kandhar and at the same time there is scarcely a detachment march or a convoy move in the Deccan without some orders from Aurangzeb’s own hand.”

The highly mobile Marathas reaped all the advantages from the situation. If the Marathas looted any district, Aurangzeb ordered his local Governor to make good the loss to the victims. If a Mughal Officer resisted the Marathas and was defeated and captured, he had to provide for his own ransom and Aurangzeb would very often dismiss him for cowardice. Hence it was found safer for a Mughal Commander to bride the Marathas than to fight against them. Thus, in many ways, the character of Aurangzeb was responsible for the success of the Marathas in their fight against the Mughals.

The decay of the Mughal Society helped the rise of the Marathas. Outwardly it appeared that the Mughal Empire had attained its highest splendor and power under Aurangzeb but as a matter of fact his long reign produced those conditions of decay which made the task of the Marathas easy. The Deccan wars of Aurangzeb exhausted the Mughal Treasury. Trade almost ceased in the Deccan for practically a quarter of a century.

The Government became bankrupt. The salaries of the soldiers and civil officers fell into arrears for years. Administration was affected in the North and there were public disturbances. There was a decline in the character of the nobility. There was deterioration all round and all these facts helped the Marathas in their fight against the Mughals.

The view of Nadkarni is that Shivaji possessed every quality to enable him to steer the small political ship of Maharashtra in those stormy times to port. His versatile genius, amazing energy and decision, sleepless vigilance, wonderful endurance, remarkable strength, activity and daring in action were the glory and admiration of his race. His fiery spirit fanned into a flame the latent energy and ambition of the Marathas. He possessed organising ability of a very high order. He trusted and was trusted by his companions.

Like great generals, he was adored by his troops who would follow him through thick and thin. On the field of battle, he never thought of either sparing himself or remaining an idel spectator in comparative security. Sword in hand, he personally led his hosts to the attack and by his dazzling example encouraged his men to perform impossible feats of courage and valour. His personal industry was a source of inspiration to his officers. He was lucky in having the loyal and intelligent cooperation of is selfless fellow-workers.

Nearly 100 persons like Moro Pingle, Abaji Sondev, Annaji Datta, Niraj Raoji, Murar Baji. Baji Prabhu, Balaji Avaji Chitnis, Yesaji Kank, Tanaji Malusare, Baji Fasalkar, Sambhaji Kawji, Netaji Palkar, Prataprao Gujar, Firangoji Narsala. Suryaji Malusare, Hiroji Farjand devoted their time to the cause of the country without any expectation of reward.

Another secret of Maratha success was that they used methods of war which suited their weak position. They used any and every means to secure freedom from foreign domination. The Maratha perfected the technique of guerilla warfare. They delivered lightning and glorious attacks on the enemy forces. The demoralised forces were hotly pursued; their camps were pillaged and destroyed. Booty was taken. Their supplies were cut off and they were harassed from all sides.

The success of this method depended on rapidity, enterprise, energy, courage and perseverance in every soldier, bravery and discipline in the whole army and coolness, vigour and resourcefulness in the general. Elphistone writes, “A defeat to the Marathas was like a blow given to water, which offers no resistance to the stroke and retains no impression of its effect.

But a defeat to the Mughals was attended with loss and humiliation, and even their partial success did not stop the waste of their resources and embarrassment of the finances of their government which every day increased their difficulties and undermined their strength.”

Hilaire Belloc writes, “The military history of any country is largely determined by its topography”. That explains the reason why Shivaji attached the highest importance to his forts. He fully realised the value of forts in imposing delay on the enemy, in safeguarding his own depots of supplies, in threatening the advance of a hostile army and in affording a refuge to his own army when expecting succor or retreating before a superior enemy force.