When did the Maratha Empire exist?

The Maratha Empire existed 1674–1818. On this map it is drawn 1677–1690, 1718–1845.

How large was the Maratha Empire?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Maratha Empire covered about 1.3 million km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

South Asia · Mughals and successors

Maratha Empire

Early modern confederacy spanning the Indian subcontinent · 1674–1818

The Marathas, a Marathi-speaking warrior people of the western Deccan, rose under Shivaji of the Bhonsle clan, who revolted against the Bijapur Sultanate from 1645, took fort after fort (beginning with Torna), and proclaimed Hindavi Swarajya. Crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad on 6 June 1674, he left a kingdom of some 300 forts, 40,000 cavalry and a west-coast navy at his death in 1680.

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Type: Early modern confederacy spanning the Indian subcontinent
Existed: 1674–1818
Shown on the map: 1677–1690, 1718–1845 (2 periods)
Peak area: about 2.5 million km² at its zenith (1760), roughly a third of the subcontinent (some estimates are lower, near 1.3 million km²).
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

Capitals and territory

Royal seats were Raigad (1674–1689), Jinji (1689–1698) and Satara (1700–1818); the Peshwa's seat was Poona (1728–1818). At its height the confederacy reached from Punjab to the far south and from Kutch to Bengal and Odisha.

Major rulers and key events

Sambhaji (executed by Aurangzeb in 1689), Rajaram and the regent Tarabai resisted the 27-year Deccan War; Shahu (from 1707) appointed Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa (1713), whose son Baji Rao I (1720–1740) expanded the realm tenfold, defeating the Nizam at Palkhed (1728) and raiding Delhi (1737). Under Balaji Bajirao the Marathas took Delhi and Peshawar (1757–58) before the catastrophic defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat (14 January 1761) against Ahmad Shah Durrani. Madhavrao I and Mahadaji Shinde restored northern power by 1771–72; thereafter the chiefs — Scindia (Gwalior), Holkar (Indore), Gaekwad (Baroda), Bhonsle (Nagpur) — ruled semi-independently under the Peshwa.

Government, economy and culture

An absolute monarchy under Shivaji (with the Ashta Pradhan council), evolving into a federal aristocracy; revenue came from land tax and the chauth and sardeshmukhi levies on Mughal territories.

Decline and end

Internal feuds, the Treaty of Bassein (1802) and defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars destroyed the confederacy; the Peshwa was pensioned off in 1818 and the Maratha states became British princely states.

Legacy and significance

The Marathas were the last major Indian power to resist British dominion; their rise shattered Mughal supremacy and reshaped 18th-century India.

Common questions

What was the Maratha Empire?: The Marathas, a Marathi-speaking warrior people of the western Deccan, rose under Shivaji of the Bhonsle clan, who revolted against the Bijapur Sultanate from 1645, took fort after fort (beginning with Torna), and proclaimed Hindavi Swarajya. Crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad on 6 June 1674, he left a kingdom of some 300 forts, 40,000 cavalry and a west-coast navy at his death in 1680.
When did the Maratha Empire exist?: The Maratha Empire existed 1674–1818. On this map it is drawn 1677–1690, 1718–1845.
How large was the Maratha Empire?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Maratha Empire covered about 1.3 million km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Where was the Maratha Empire?: Royal seats were Raigad (1674–1689), Jinji (1689–1698) and Satara (1700–1818); the Peshwa's seat was Poona (1728–1818). At its height the confederacy reached from Punjab to the far south and from Kutch to Bengal and Odisha.
Who ruled the Maratha Empire?: Sambhaji (executed by Aurangzeb in 1689), Rajaram and the regent Tarabai resisted the 27-year Deccan War; Shahu (from 1707) appointed Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa (1713), whose son Baji Rao I (1720–1740) expanded the realm tenfold, defeating the Nizam at Palkhed (1728) and raiding Delhi (1737). Under Balaji Bajirao the Marathas took Delhi and Peshawar (1757–58) before the catastrophic defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat (14 January 1761) against Ahmad Shah Durrani.
How did the Maratha Empire end?: Internal feuds, the Treaty of Bassein (1802) and defeat in the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha Wars destroyed the confederacy; the Peshwa was pensioned off in 1818 and the Maratha states became British princely states.
How was the Maratha Empire governed?: An absolute monarchy under Shivaji (with the Ashta Pradhan council), evolving into a federal aristocracy; revenue came from land tax and the chauth and sardeshmukhi levies on Mughal territories.
Why does the Maratha Empire still matter?: The Marathas were the last major Indian power to resist British dominion; their rise shattered Mughal supremacy and reshaped 18th-century India.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Maratha Empire en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_Empire
listed as reference in the brief; the article is consolidated with the Maratha Empire entry en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_Confederacy

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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