Maratha Empire (1646–1818)
From Shivaji's capture of Torna Fort in 1646 to the fall of the Peshwaship in 1818, the Maratha Empire reshaped the political map of India for over 170 years. This interactive mindmap covers 20 exam-relevant milestones — click any node to see why it matters, key figures, quick revision facts, and practice questions shaped around real UPSC and MPSC exam patterns.
Key facts for exams
The empire is commonly studied in 4 phases: Rise of Swarajya (1646-74), Mughal Conflict & Succession (1680-1713), Peshwa Expansion (1713-61), and Decline & Anglo-Maratha Wars (1761-1818).
Shivaji was crowned Chhatrapati at Raigad in 1674 and instituted the Ashtapradhan, a council of eight ministers, to govern the kingdom.
After the Third Battle of Panipat (1761), Maratha power decentralized into a confederacy of four houses: Scindia (Gwalior), Holkar (Indore), Gaikwad (Baroda), and Bhonsle (Nagpur).
The empire formally ended in 1818 when Peshwa Bajirao II surrendered to the British after the Third Anglo-Maratha War, and the Peshwaship was abolished.
The four phases
Rise of Swarajya (1646-1674) covers Shivaji's capture of Torna Fort through his coronation as Chhatrapati at Raigad. Mughal Conflict & Succession (1680-1713) spans Shivaji's death, Sambhaji's execution, Tarabai's regency, and the appointment of the first hereditary Peshwa. Peshwa Expansion (1713-1761) covers the Chauth/Sardeshmukhi farman, Bajirao I's campaigns, the Battle of Vasai, and the empire's peak before the catastrophic Third Battle of Panipat. Decline & Anglo-Maratha Wars (1761-1818) covers the rise of the four-house Confederacy and the three Anglo-Maratha Wars that ended with the empire's annexation.
Timeline at a glance
| Year | Event | Phase | Key figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1646 | Capture of Torna Fort — Founding of Swarajya | Rise of Swarajya | Shivaji Bhonsle |
| 1659 | Battle of Pratapgad — Killing of Afzal Khan | Rise of Swarajya | Shivaji Bhonsle, Afzal Khan |
| 1663 | Shaista Khan's Night Raid at Lal Mahal, Pune | Rise of Swarajya | Shivaji Bhonsle, Shaista Khan |
| 1665 | Treaty of Purandar | Rise of Swarajya | Shivaji Bhonsle, Jai Singh I (Mughal general) |
| 1666 | Escape from Mughal Custody at Agra | Rise of Swarajya | Shivaji Bhonsle, Aurangzeb |
| 1674 | Coronation of Shivaji at Raigad | Rise of Swarajya | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Gaga Bhatt |
| 1680 | Death of Shivaji | Mughal Conflict & Succession | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji, Rajaram |
| 1689 | Execution of Sambhaji by Aurangzeb | Mughal Conflict & Succession | Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Aurangzeb |
| 1700 | Rajaram's Death & Tarabai's Regency | Mughal Conflict & Succession | Tarabai, Rajaram, Shivaji II |
| 1707 | Death of Aurangzeb & Shahu's Release | Mughal Conflict & Succession | Aurangzeb, Chhatrapati Shahu |
| 1713 | Balaji Vishwanath Appointed First Hereditary Peshwa | Mughal Conflict & Succession | Chhatrapati Shahu, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat |
| 1719 | Mughal Farman Grants Chauth & Sardeshmukhi | Peshwa Expansion | Balaji Vishwanath, the Sayyid Brothers, Emperor Farrukhsiyar |
| 1720 | Bajirao I Becomes Peshwa | Peshwa Expansion | Peshwa Bajirao I |
| 1739 | Battle of Vasai — Defeat of the Portuguese | Peshwa Expansion | Chimaji Appa |
| 1740 | Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb) Becomes Peshwa | Peshwa Expansion | Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb) |
| 1761 | Third Battle of Panipat | Peshwa Expansion | Sadashivrao Bhau, Vishwasrao, Ahmad Shah Abdali, Mahadji Scindia |
| 1761 onward | Rise of the Maratha Confederacy | Decline & Anglo-Maratha Wars | Mahadji Scindia (Gwalior), Malharrao Holkar (Indore), Gaikwad (Baroda), Bhonsle (Nagpur) |
| 1775–82 | First Anglo-Maratha War & Treaty of Salbai | Decline & Anglo-Maratha Wars | Raghunathrao, Mahadji Scindia, Warren Hastings |
| 1802 | Treaty of Bassein | Decline & Anglo-Maratha Wars | Peshwa Bajirao II, Lord Wellesley |
| 1817–18 | Third Anglo-Maratha War & End of the Empire | Decline & Anglo-Maratha Wars | Peshwa Bajirao II, Lord Hastings |
Event years and details are drawn from standard NCERT and UPSC/MPSC reference material, cross-checked against multiple sources. "Asked in" tags reflect commonly cited past exam topics and are illustrative, not exhaustive.