When did the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom exist?

The Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom existed 1674–1855. On this map it is drawn 1677–1799.

How large was the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom covered about 15,000 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

Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom

Maratha · 1674–1855

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Type: Maratha (Bhonsle) principality in the Tamil country of South India
Existed: 1674–1855
Shown on the map: 1677–1799
Peak area: roughly 15,000 km² around the Kaveri delta.
Region: South Asia

Origins and founding

After Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai destroyed the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom in 1673, his brother Alagiri was installed but broke free. Chengamala Das, son of the slain Nayak Vijaya Raghava, induced the Bijapur Sultan to intervene; in 1675 the Sultan sent a force under the Maratha general Venkoji (Ekoji), half-brother of Shivaji. Venkoji defeated Alagiri but, instead of restoring the Nayak heir, seized the kingdom for himself amid Bijapur's disintegration — beginning Maratha rule in Thanjavur.

Capitals and territory

The capital was Thanjavur (Tanjore); the kingdom comprised five subahs — Pattukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Mannargudi and Tiruvadi.

Major rulers and key events

Venkoji (1674–1684) allied with Madurai against Mysore and saw Shivaji's invasion of 1676–77. Shahuji I (1684–1712), a great patron of letters, paid tribute to the Mughals occupying the Coromandel coast. Serfoji I (1712–1728) and Tukhoji (1728–1736) warred with Madurai; after a period of anarchy Pratapsingh (1739–1763) allied with the Nawab of the Carnatic and aided the British against the French in the Carnatic Wars, becoming a vassal by the 1762 tripartite treaty. Thuljaji, the last independent ruler, saw Thanjavur annexed by the Carnatic (1773–76) before British restoration. Serfoji II (restored 1798, d. 1832) ceded administration to the British East India Company but presided over a celebrated literary and scientific court; his son Shivaji (1832–1855) was the last raja.

Government, economy and culture

The king ruled through a council headed by a Dalavoy and a Dewan; taxes flowed through mirasdars, and coinage ran on chakrams, pagodas and panams. The court patronized literature in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Sanskrit; Shahuji I founded the scholarly colony of Shahaji-raja-puram, and Serfoji II built the Saraswathi Mahal Library into one of Asia's great repositories.

Decline and end

When Shivaji died in 1855 without a natural male heir, the British rejected the adopted succession and annexed Thanjavur under the Doctrine of Lapse.

Legacy and significance

The dynasty made Thanjavur a thriving cultural capital — its library, palace, and Marathi-Tamil literary synthesis remain foundational to the region's heritage.

Common questions

What was the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom?: After Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai destroyed the Thanjavur Nayak kingdom in 1673, his brother Alagiri was installed but broke free. Chengamala Das, son of the slain Nayak Vijaya Raghava, induced the Bijapur Sultan to intervene; in 1675 the Sultan sent a force under the Maratha general Venkoji (Ekoji), half-brother of Shivaji.
When did the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom exist?: The Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom existed 1674–1855. On this map it is drawn 1677–1799.
How large was the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom covered about 15,000 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 Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom?: The capital was Thanjavur (Tanjore); the kingdom comprised five subahs — Pattukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Mannargudi and Tiruvadi.
Who ruled the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom?: Venkoji (1674–1684) allied with Madurai against Mysore and saw Shivaji's invasion of 1676–77. Shahuji I (1684–1712), a great patron of letters, paid tribute to the Mughals occupying the Coromandel coast.
How did the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom end?: When Shivaji died in 1855 without a natural male heir, the British rejected the adopted succession and annexed Thanjavur under the Doctrine of Lapse.
How was the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom governed?: The king ruled through a council headed by a Dalavoy and a Dewan; taxes flowed through mirasdars, and coinage ran on chakrams, pagodas and panams.
Why does the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom still matter?: The dynasty made Thanjavur a thriving cultural capital — its library, palace, and Marathi-Tamil literary synthesis remain foundational to the region's heritage.

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia: Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanjavur_Maratha_Kingdom
background on the preceding regime en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanjavur_Nayak_kingdom

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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