The
history of Maratha Empire is treated as one of the six golden pages of Indian
History. They were the real liberators who heralded the revival of Indians and
Indic way of life after centuries of slavery and persecution under the foreign
invaders. So what makes Maratha Empire so unique? How were they able to save
India from the hands of the fanatical hordes from Central Asia and beyond?
Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Point
1: The determination to win
Till
the appearance of Chatrapati Shivaji on the scene, the warfare of various Indic
kingdoms had been following the idea of ‘dharmayudh’ (righteous war). They
never understood the ideology of the new enemies like Arabs, Turks, Afghans and
Mughals who placed their ideology on jihad against the unbelievers. That was
the major reason why the Indian history before the rise of Marathas is a
chronicle of military disasters. We have even seen our brave heroes like
Prithviraj Chauhan, leaving a fanatic enemy like Mohammad Ghori scot free after
defeating him in the First Battle of Tarain (1191). It should be noted that
even when they were victorious, the Indian powers were hesitant to pursue the
fleeing enemies and destroy them completely, finally leading to the collapse of
the Indic kingdoms. It was clearly due to lack of determination to win that
even our heroic Rajputs could not resist the invaders. Their aim was not victory, but desire to have a heroic death. The martyrdom of Rajputs
no doubt reflects remarkable valour and a proud and defiant spirit but at the
same time embodies a wrong and suicidal aspiration. It is a memorable but,
nevertheless, a sad chapter in the saga of our Bharatiya heroism.1
But
the birth of Shivaji in 1627/1630 was the beginning of a new epoch. The Maratha
history showcases a clear departure from the previous mindset. The Marathas
didn’t lie idle when they won a victory in one battle. They moved across
various regions, stunned their enemies with their calculating and cold-blooded
moves. It would be well understood from the Battle of Pratapgarh (1659) in
which Shivaji killed Afzal Khan, the Pathan commander of the Adilshahis.
Marathas were not led by any foolish notions. They had only one aim. To win.
They employed any strategy for the purpose. Just see Shivaji’s conduct in the
Treaty of Purandar, his visit to Agra and his temporary alliance with the
Qut-b-Shah. So, the first major factor in Maratha victory was their
determination and desire for victory.
Point
2: Speed, Surprise and Flexibility
Shivaji
and later Peshwas, used the hit-and-run strategy to their utmost success. They
made it a point to attack the enemy at the time of their on choosing. Major
examples of this strategy can be seen in Shivaji’s raid on Shaista Khan in
Pune, the campaigns of Dhanaji and Santaji during the Maratha War of
Independence (1680-1707). Peshwa Bajirao’s campaign on Delhi in 1737 was a
master piece in the history of guerilla warfare in which they marched within 3
weeks from Chambal to the Red Fort, oblierating the Mughal defences. It should
be noted that this strategy was followed by the Maratha leaders upto Mahadji
Scindia and Nana Fadnavis in the First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782).
Point
3: The cultural background provided by Bhakti Movement
No
political movement can survive without a strong cultural background (a lesson
BJP must keep in mind). It should be noted that the great Indian resurgence
under Shivaji was the result of Bhakti movement which turned the religious
fervour into the dynamo of national power. The ideas of many saints like Samarth Ramdas, Sant Tukaram etc formed the cornerstone of the success of the Maratha
Empire. It should be noted that thousands of ashrams founded by Sant Ramdas in
Maharashtra provided the much needed spiritual support to Shivaji’s efforts,
uniting the people on a nationalistic platform.
Samarth Ramdas
Point
4: Always on the Offensive
Another
important character of Maratha armies where that they were on the offensive all
throught the history of the Empire. It should be noted that the huge armies of
Peshwas were fighting along Indus and shores of the south and in Bengal during
the same time during 1740s-1790s. They always raided new territories,
terrorized their enemies, putting them on the defensive.
The
major example is the Bajirao’s decision to march north in 1720. It was this
strategy which prevented the foreigners like Nadir Shah in establishing an
empire in Delhi and hence led to the liberation of the country.
Point
5: Inspiration for many others
The
most important effect of Maratha movement was the spark it lit in the minds of
the Indian people across the country. It should be noted that Shivaji took the
oath of Hindavi Swaraj at Raireshwar, the prevailing situation in the country
was of despair. It seemed impossible for the Indians to fight the
Turk-Afghan-Mughal hegemony in the country. The people were deviod of
self-confidence which was the greatest danger of all.
It
was here, Shivaji turned the people of Maharashtra from simple minded folk into
a bunch of national heroes, willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of
Swadharma and Swarajya. It inspired the freedom struggles across the country,
like that of Chatrasal in Bundelkhand, Lachit Barphukan in Assam and Durgadas
Rathod in Rajasthan and Sikh heroes in Punjab. The small river current turned
into a tidal wave which finally crushed the ediffice of the Mughal Empire, the
then most powerful in the world.
This
pan-Indian identity of the Maratha Empire was the major reason for its final
victory in this thousand year war for national freedom.
Peshwa Bajirao
Point
6: Counter-Offensive on the religio-cultural front
Marathas were also aware about the threat of
not only the political domination, but also the religious domination by the
foreigners. The centuries of persecution, jaziya tax on non-Muslims and the
frequent forcible conversions by the Mughal Emperors put the Hindu dharma in
the danger of complete destruction. The Marathas from the time of Shivaji had
advocated ‘shuddhikaran’ (re-conversion) of Hindus forcibly converted by the
Mughals and Turks. It should be noted that Shivaji himself had organized the
re-conversion of Babaji Nimbalkar and Netaji Palkar. This policy was followed
by Peshwas down to the time of Nana Fadnavis, thereby saving India from the
fate of Persia.
Point
7: Justice for all, appeasement of None!
The
Maratha Empire followed a policy of inclusiveness and equality which not common
or even near possible in the medieval period. The Maratha polity was an
egalitarian one, considering the times of the 17th and 18th centuries. It had
people from all the castes and religions in their ranks. It should be noted
that there were many people from lower castes and Indian Muslim community
playing an important role in the achievement of Swaraj.
REFERNCES
1.
Bunch
of Thoughts by Guruji Golwalkar, p. 222
2.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_Empire
file:///G:/MARATHA%20EMPIRE/Author%20Interview%20%E2%80%93%20Aneesh%20Gokhale%20_%20storieswithasoul.html
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