Part 6: India’s Glorious Past Which Has Great Potential to Shape the Future Today
Let's know our own heroes who made India shine and flourish. The Macaulay education system since 1835 systematically tried to erase this history and implant our invaders' history in our minds and knowledge systems, but India has demonstrated it can rise from the ashes again and again.
The Maratha Empire (1674–1818 CE), founded by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, revived Hindu sovereignty through innovative administration, military prowess, and economic reforms, expanding from the Deccan to control much of India and fostering prosperity via stable revenue, trade protection, and agrarian growth. Peshwas like Baji Rao I extended this confederacy across the subcontinent, collecting chauth and sardeshmukhi taxes that funded infrastructure while decentralizing power to chiefs like Scindia, Holkar, Bhonsle, and Gaekwad.
Rise and Key Leaders
Shivaji (r. 1674–1680) established Hindavi Swarajya by capturing forts like Torna and Raigad, resisting Bijapur and Mughals with guerrilla tactics and a navy to secure Konkan trade. Successors Sambhaji and Rajaram endured Mughal sieges under Aurangzeb, while Shahu (r. 1707–1749) appointed Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa in 1713, securing Mughal recognition via the Treaty of Lonavala.
Baji Rao I (Peshwa 1720–1740) expanded tenfold through victories at Palkhed (1728) and Bhopal (1737), raiding Delhi and dominating the Deccan to Punjab.
Administration
Shivaji's Ashtapradhan council—Peshwa (prime minister), Amatya (finance), Senapati (commander)—oversaw a decentralized system of prants (provinces), tarafs (districts), and village panchayats for local justice and revenue. Peshwas formalized ryotwari direct farmer taxation (40% harvest), curbed jagirdari corruption, and empowered guilds (mahajans) for trade regulation.
This structure integrated conquered regions peacefully, blending Hindu traditions with efficient bureaucracy.
Economic Prosperity
Agriculture thrived under irrigation, land reclamation, and ryotwari, yielding surpluses in grains, cotton, and spices from fertile Maharashtra and Malwa. Chauth (25%) and sardeshmukhi (10%) from Mughal territories funded armies and roads, while ports like Chaul exported textiles and metals to Europe, challenging Portuguese and Dutch monopolies.
Merchant networks and banking (shroffs) stabilized commerce, with forts protecting caravans and fostering urban growth in Pune and Nagpur.
Military Supremacy
A cash-paid army of 40,000 cavalry (bargirs) and infantry excelled in swift maneuvers, forts (300+ under Shivaji), and naval raids on Mughal ships. Peshwa-era expansions defeated Nizam, Mysore's Hyder Ali, and raided Bengal-Odisha, peaking at 2.5 million sq km by 1760 despite Panipat setback.
Cultural Patronage
Marathas revived Sanskrit-Marathi literature, built temples (e.g., Parvati in Pune), and promoted Bhakti saints like Tukaram, blending Shaivism with folk arts. Tolerance integrated diverse groups, elevating regional identity.
India's Flourishing under Maratha Rule
Maratha confederacy unified fragmented regions post-Mughal decline, channeling trade wealth into welfare, roads, and forts for secure commerce and agriculture. Decentralized yet cohesive governance revived Hindu pride, boosted rural economies, and resisted foreign dominance, laying foundations for modern self-rule.
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