Accuracy

Vajpeyi notes the "veridical status" of Chitnis' finds to be not determinable to "historical certainty" — the links were tenuous at best and inventive at worst.^[17] Shivaji was not a Rajput and the sole purpose of the lineage was to guarantee Shivaji's consecration as a Kshatriya, in a tactic that had clear parallels to Rajputisation.^{[17][lower-alpha 8]} Jadunath Sarkar deemed that the genealogy was cleverly fabricated by Balaji Awji and after some reluctance accepted by Gaga Bhatt, who in turn was "rewarded with a huge fee". V. K. Rajwade, Dhere, Allison Busch, John Keay and Audrey Truschke also agree with Sarkar about the fabrication.^{[15][21][22][23][24]} G. S. Sardesai notes that the descent is "not authentically proved".^{[25][lower-alpha 9]} Stewart N. Gordon does not pass any judgement but notes Bhatt to be a "creative Brahmin".^{[17][26][lower-alpha 10]} André Wink deems that the Sisodia genealogical claim is destined to remain disputed forever.^{[27][lower-alpha 11]}

Ahmadnagar Sultanate

The earliest accepted members of the Bhonsles are Mudhoji Bhonsle and his kin Rupaji Bhonsle, who were the village headman (pāṭīl) of Hingani — this branch has been since known as Hinganikar Bhonsles.^[28] A branch seem to have split soon, who went on to claim an ancestral right to the post of district steward (deśmukhī) of Kadewalit: Suryaji Bhonsle during the reign of Ahmad Nizam Shah I (early 1490s), and his son Sharafji Bhonsle during the conquest of the region by Daniyal Mirza (1599).^{[28][lower-alpha 12][lower-alpha 13]} This branch has been since known as Kadewalit Bhonsles.^[28]

The next significant Bhonsle was probably Maloji Bhosale from the Hinganikar branch. He was the great-grandson of one Kheloji (c. 1490).

The dynasty was founded by Maloji Bhosale who initially served as a patil (chief) of the Hingni Berdi and Devalgaon villages around Pune.^[29][30] Later, along with his brother Vithoji, he migrated to Sindkhed and served as a Horseman.^[31]

In 1577, they joined the service of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, under Sultan Murtaza Nizam Shah I. Maloji became a trusted General of the Peshwa Malik Amber fighting against rival powers such as the Mughals and Bijapur Sultanate^[32] the parganas (administrative units) of Elur (Verul), Derhadi and Kannarad.^[9] In 1595 or 1599, Maloji was given the title of raja by Bahadur Nizam Shah, officially establishing the dynasty.^[10] On the recommendation of Malik Ambar, he was given the jagir of Pune and Supe parganas, along with the control of the Shivneri and Chakan forts. Maloji carried out the restoration of the Grishneshwar temple near Verul, and also constructed a large tank at the Shambhu Mahadev temple in Shikhar Shingnapur.^[33] Maloji and his wife Uma Bai had 2 sons: Shahaji and Sharifji, named Sufi Pir Hazrat Shah Sharif.^[34]

According to Shivabharata, composed by Shivaji's court poet Paramananda, Maloji's wife Umabai prayed to the Sufi Pir Shah Sharif of Ahmadnagar to bless her with a son. She gave birth to two sons, who were named Shahaji and Sharifji after the Pir.^[35]

Shivaji's Coronation

By 1670s, Shivaji had acquired extensive territory and wealth from his campaigns.^[26] But, lacking a formal crown, he had no operational legitimacy to rule his de facto domain and technically, remained subject to his Mughal (or Deccan Sultanate) overlords; in the hierarchy of power, Shivaji's position remained similar to fellow Maratha chieftains.^{[17][26][lower-alpha 14]} Also, he was often opposed by the orthodox Brahmin community of Maharashtra.^[17] A coronation sanctioned by the Brahmins was thus planned, in a bid to proclaim sovereignty and legitimize his rule.^[26][37]

On proposing the Brahmins of his court to have him proclaimed as the rightful king, a controversy erupted: the regnal status was reserved for those belonging to the kshatriya varna.^[38][23] Not only was there a fundamental dispute among scholars on whether any true Kshatriya survived in the Kali Yuga,^{[lower-alpha 15]} having been all destroyed by Parashurama but also Shivaji's grandfather was a tiller-headman, Shivaji did not wear the sacred thread, and his marriage was not in accordance with the Kshatriya customs.^[26][37] Thus, the Brahmins had him categorised as a shudra.^[26][37]

Compelled to postpone his coronation, Shivaji had his secretary Balaji Avji Chitnis sent to the Sisodiyas of Mewar for inspection of the royal genealogies; Avji returned with a favorable finding — Shahji turned out to be a descendant of Chacho Sisodiya, a half-Rajput uncle of Mokal Singh.^{[17][lower-alpha 16]} Gaga Bhatt, a famed Brahmin of Banaras,^{[lower-alpha 17]} was then hired to ratify Chitnis' find, and the Bhonsles were now permitted to stake a claim to Kshatriya caste.^{[27][17][23][lower-alpha 18]} The coronation would be re-executed in June 1674 but only after going through a long list of preludes.^{[17][lower-alpha 19]}

Led by Bhatt, who employed traditional Hindu imagery in an unprecedented scale, the first phase had Shivaji penance for having lived as a Maratha despite being a Kshatriya.^[17][26][22] Then came the sacred thread ceremony ('maunjibandhanam') followed by remarriage according to Kshatriya customs ('mantra-vivah') and a sequence of Vedic rituals before the eventual coronation ('abhisheka') — a public spectacle of enormous expense that heralded the rebirth of Shivaji as a Kshatriya king.^{[17][lower-alpha 20]} Panegyrics composed by court-poets during these spans (and afterward) reinforced onto the public memory that Shivaji (and the Bhonsles) indeed belonged from the Sisodiyas.^[17][23]

However, the Kshatriyization was not unanimous; a section of Brahmins continued to deny the Kshatriya status.^[42] Brahmins of the Peshwa period rejected Bhatt's acceptance of Shivaji's claims and blamed the non-dharmic coronation for all ills that plagued Shivaji and his heirs—in tune with the general Brahminical sentiment to categorize all Marathas as Shudras, carte-blanche; there have been even claims that Bhatt was excommunicated by Maratha Brahmins for his role in the coronation of Shivaji! Interestingly, all claims to Rajput ancestry had largely vanished from the family's subsequent projections of identity.^[17]

Maratha Empire

The Maratha Empire was established by Shivaji I the grandson of Maloji in 1674. This was established to invasions from the Mughal Empire and the Bijapur Sultanate. Shivaji's forces initially occupied the Fort of Torna in 1642. He had expanded his kingdom to Raigad by 1674.^{[citation needed]} he crowned himself He was crowned as Chhatrapati, meaning emperor.

Shivaji wanted to establish his government based on his Philosophy of Hindavi Swarajya. (The Rule of the People) This advocated for more representation of the people and less power of the elites. He later established the Ashta Pradhan, (Modern council of ministers) an institution of a council of eight ministers to guide the administration of his nascent state. Each of the ministers was placed in charge of an administrative department; thus, the council heralded the birth of a bureaucracy. Shivaji appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as the Peshwa, the leader of the council.^[43]

Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji I. In early 1689, Sambhaji and his commanders met at Sangameshwar. Mughal forces, under Emperor Aurangzeb attacked Sangameshwar when Sambhaji was accompanied by just a few men. Sambhaji captured by the Mughal troops on 1 February 1689. Aurangzeb had charged Sambhaji with attacks by Maratha forces on Burhanpur.^{[citation needed]} He and his advisor, Kavi Kalash, were taken to Bahadurgad by the imperial army, where they were executed by the Mughals on 21 March 1689.^{[citation needed]}

After the execution of Sambhaji, Rajaram I was crowned at Raigad on 12 March 1689. During the Mughal started siege on Raigad on 25 March 1689, the widow of Sambhaji (Maharani Yesubai) and Peshwa Ramchandra Pant Amatya sent young Rajaram to the stronghold of Pratapgad through Kavlya ghat.^{[citation needed]} Rajaram to escape through Kavlya ghat to the fort of Jinji through the Pratapgad and Vishalgad forts, Rajaram reached Keladi in disguise and pursued assistance from Keladi Chennamma - who kept the Mughal attack in check to ensure safe passage and escape of Rajaram to Jinji where he reached after a month and a half on 1 November 1689.^{[citation needed]}

Aurangzeb sent Uzbek general Ghazi-ud-din Firoze Jung against the Marathas in the Deccan. He then sent Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung to capture the Jingi Fort. He laid siege to it in September, 1690. After three failed attempts, it was finally captured after seven years on 8 January 1698. Rajaram, however, escaped and fled first to Vellore and later to Vishalgad. Rajaram returned to jinji and occupied the fort 11 November 1689, but left before it fell in 1698, setting up his court at fort Satara. Then, Maratha commanders, Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, defeated the Mughal forces, therefore cutting off their lines of communication in Jingi.^{[citation needed]}

Kolhapur Branch

In 1707, Mughal Emperor Muhammad Azam Shah released Shahu Bhosale, the son of Sambhaji. However, his mother was kept as a hostage of the Mughals, in order to ensure that Shahu adhered to the release conditions. Immediately the Maratha throne was claimed his aunt Tarabai, claiming the throne for her son Shivaji II. After his victory at the Battle of Khed, Shahu established himself at Satara, forcing her to retire with her son to Kolhapur. This resulted in the creation of the Kolhapur branch in 1709 under Tarabai, splitting from the main Satara branch under Shahu.. Shivaji II and Tarabai were soon deposed by Rajasbai, the other widow of Rajaram. She installed her own son, Sambhaji II as the new ruler of Kolhapur.^[44] Sambhaji then made alliance with the Nizam.^[45] The defeat of the Nizam by Bajirao I in the Battle of Palkhed in 1728 led to the former ending his support for Sambhaji.^[46] Sambhaji II signed the Treaty of Warna in 1731 with his cousin Shahuji to formalize the two separate seats of Bhonsle family.^[45][47]

Confederacy era

Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath a member of the Bhat Family as his Peshwa. The Peshwa was instrumental in securing Mughal recognition of Shahu as the rightful heir of Shivaji and the Chhatrapati of the Marathas. Balaji also gained the release of Shahu's mother, Yesubai, from Mughal captivity in 1719.^{[citation needed]}

The Peshwas later became de facto rulers of the Maratha Empire. Under the Peshwas, Chhatrapati was limited to simply a monarchial figurehead. Maratha Empire dominated most of the Indian subcontinent.^{[citation needed]}

Under the Peshwas the Marathas expanded to their greatest extent. 1737, Under Bajirao I invaded Delhi in a blitzkrieg manner at the Battle of Delhi (1737).^[48][49] The Nizam set out from the Deccan to rescue the Mughals from the invasion of the Marathas, but was defeated decisively in the Battle of Bhopal.^[50] The Marathas extracted a large tribute from the Mughals and signed a treaty which ceded Malwa to the Marathas.^{[citation needed]} The Battle of Vasai was fought between the Marathas and the Portuguese in Vasai, a village lying on the northern shore of Vasai creek. (Part of modern-day Mumbai)^[51]

After Shahu's death, he was succeeded by Rajaram II When Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao left for the Mughal frontier, Tarabai urged Rajaram II to remove him from the post of Peshwa. When Rajaram refused, she imprisoned him in a dungeon at Satara, on 24 November 1750. She claimed that he was an imposter from Gondhali caste and she had falsely presented him as her grandson to Shahu.^[52] His health deteriorated considerably during this imprisonment. On 14 September 1752, Tarabai and Balaji Rao took an oath at Khandoba temple in Jejuri, promising mutual peace.^[52] Nevertheless, the Peshwa retained Rajaram II as the titular Chhatrapati and a powerless figurehead.^{[citation needed]}

Peshwa Bajirao and his three chiefs, Pawar (Dhar), Holkar (Indore), and Scindia (Gwalior), expanded it northwards up to Peshawar. He also expanded it up to Kaveri river.^{[citation needed]}

Nagpur Branch

After the death of Chand Sultan, the Gond ruler of Deogarh, in 1739,^[53] there were quarrels over the succession, leading to the throne being usurped by Wali Shah,^[54][55][56] an illegitimate son of Bakht Buland Shah.^[54][57] Chand Sultan's widow Ratan Kunwar invoked the aid of the Maratha leader Raghoji Bhonsle of Berar in the interest of her sons Akbar Shah and Burhan Shah. Wali Shah was put to death and the rightful heirs placed on the throne. Raghoji I Bhonsle was sent back to Berar with a plentiful bounty for his aid.^[58] Raghoji then declared himself the King of Nagpur and the 'protector' of the Gond king. Thus in 1743, Burhan Shah was practically made a state pensionary, with real power being in the hands of the Maratha ruler. After this event the history of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh is not recorded.^[53]

During Shahu's reign, Raghoji Bhosale of Nagpur expanded the empire Eastwards, reaching present-day Bengal. Khanderao Dabhade and later his son, Triambakrao, expanded it Westwards into Gujarat.^{[citation needed]} In the Battle of Damalcherry in 1740, which was a major confrontation with the Nawab of the Carnatic, Dost Ali Khan . Raghoji was victorious and increased Maratha Influence in the Carnatic.^[59][60][61]

after the successful campaign in Carnatic at the Battle of Trichinopolly. Raghoji invaded Bengal. Raghoji was able to annex Orissa permanently as he successfully exploited the chaotic conditions prevailing in the region after the death of their Governor Murshid Quli Khan in 1727.^[62] Nawab of Bengal ceded territory up to the river Suvarnarekha to the Marathas, and agreeing to pay Rs. 20 lacs as chauth for Bengal (includes both West Bengal and Bangladesh) and 12 lacs for Bihar (including Jharkhand), thus Bengal becoming a tributary to the Marathas.^[63]

After Raghoji's death, he was succeeded by his son Janoji Bhonsle. Janoji was involved in wars between the Peshwa and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The nizam united against him and sacked and burnt Nagpur in 1765. On Janoji's death on 21 May 1772, the Battle of Panchgaon was fought over succession, until Mudhoji Bhonsle was victorious. In 1785 Mandla and the upper Narmada valley were added to the Nagpur dominions by treaty with the Peshwa. Mudhoji also had close ties with the British East India Company. Mudhoji was succeeded by Raghoji II. he who acquired Hoshangabad and the lower Narmada valley. In 1803 he united with Daulat Rao Sindhia of Gwalior against the British, and their alliance with Nizam Ali Khan of Hyderabad. The British and the Nizam were victorias at the battles of Assaye and Argaon, and signed the Treaty of Deogaon of that year Raghoji ceded Cuttack, southern Berar, and Sambalpur to the British, although Sambalpur was reconquered by 1806 by Raghoji. Raghoji II was deprived of a third of his territories, and he attempted to make up the loss of revenue from the remainder. The villages were mercilessly rack-rented, and many new taxes imposed. At the same time the raids of the Pindaris commenced. In 1811 they advanced to Nagpur and burnt the suburbs. Raghoji rebuilt many of the damaged village and forts. On the death of Raghoji II in 1816, his son Parsoji was supplanted and murdered by Mudhoji II Bhonsle, In 1817. A treaty of alliance providing for the maintenance of a subsidiary force by the British was signed in this year, a British resident having been appointed to the Nagpur court since 1799. In 1817, on the outbreak of war between the British and the Peshwa, Appa Sahib threw off his cloak of friendship, and accepted an embassy and a title from the Peshwa. His troops attacked the British, and were defeated in the action at Sitabuldi, and a second time close to Nagpur city. The remaining portion of Berar and the territories in the Narmada valley were ceded to the British. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Nagpur was under a under a subsidiary alliance with the British. Appa Sahib was reinstated to the throne, but shortly afterwards was discovered to be again conspiring, and was deposed and sent to Allahabad in custody. Raghoji II was succeeded by Raghoji III. he ruled Nagpur under a with the British resident Richard Jenkins. Raghoji died on 11 December 1853 without a male heir. Nagpur was annexed by the British under the doctrine of lapse. The former kingdom was administered as Nagpur Province, under a commissioner appointed by then Governor-General of India, James Broun-Ramsay.^{[citation needed]}

Thanjavur Branch

This section does not cite any sources. (November 2022)

The Bhonsoles were also influential in the Carnatic Region. In 1675, the Sultan of Bijapur sent a force commanded by the Maratha general Venkoji a half-brother of the Shivaji, to Capture the city of Thanjavur and Established the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom. Venkoji defeated Alagiri, and occupied Thanjavur. He did not, however, place his protege on the throne as instructed by the Bijapur Sultan, but seized the kingdom and made himself king. Thus began the rule of the Marathas over Thanjavur. Vyankoji also allied with Chokkanatha of Madurai to repulse an invasion from Mysore.

Shivaji Maharaj also invaded Gingee and Thanjavur in 1676–1677 and made his brother Santaji the ruler of all lands to the north of the Coleroon.

Princely States

Satara State, Kolhapur State, Thanjavur State, Nagpur State,^[5] Akkalkot State,^[6] Sawantwadi State^[7] and Barshi^[8] were amongst the prominent states ruled by the Bhonsles.

Maratha Empire

Maratha Confederacy

Satara State

Kolhapur State

Nagpur state