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Maratha empire, early modern Indian empire that rose in the 17th century and dominated much of the Indian subcontinent during the 18th century. The Marathas were a Marathi-speaking warrior group mostly from what is now the state of Maharashtra in India. They became politically active under the leadership of Shivaji, their first king, in opposition to the Islamic rulers of the time. The formal Maratha empire began in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as Chhatrapati (“Keeper of the Umbrella”) and ended in 1818 after defeat by the English East India Company.

The 17th-century politics in the Indian subcontinent were dominated by multiple Islamic kingdoms, with the Mughal Empire controlling most of north India. The Deccan region of central India had been split among five Deccan sultanates, but by the 1630s only three of them remained active—Bijapur, Golconda, and Ahmadnagar. Shahaji Bhosale was a Maratha general who served these sultanates.

Shivaji, the son of Shahaji, started a campaign to establish Hindavi Svarajya (self-rule of Hindu people) by revolting against the Bijapur sultanate and capturing many forts in the Deccan region. He warred against the Deccan sultanates and the Mughal Empire, as well as the newly emergent English East India Company operating in the ports of western India. Shivaji conquered his first fort in 1645 and eventually established a stable kingdom with the capital at Raigad, with the support of powerful Maratha warrior families. Shivaji’s army was primarily comprised of highly mobile peasant pastoralists. For many years, while Shivaji remained the titular head of the Maratha empire, he was not officially its king, as his coronation had not taken place. It was only in 1674 that Shivaji was crowned as Chhatrapati.Shivaji Bhonsale was a powerful ruler and member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan, also named Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He is well known for his campaigns against the Mughal Empire, which helped protect the Maratha Empire and enlarge its territory. Shivaji carved out his own kingdom from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur, which would form the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he has crowned the ruler of his kingdom at Raigad Fort. M.V. Dhurandhar perfectly describes Shivaji's strength, attitude, and humanistic side in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj paintings series.

Shivaji's legacy has differed among observers and at different points in time, but in recent years, he has become increasingly important to many Indian nationalists, who see him as a proto-nationalist and hero of the Hindus. Original painting of Shivaji Maharaj

When Chhatrapati paid a visit to the king of Golconda in 1677, he created the Golconda-inspired picture. In there, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is shown standing. You can buy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj canvas paintings online at reasonable costs. Find art for your house, places, and rooms, among other things.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Who is Shivaji Maharaj? Know about his early life

On February 19, 1630, Shivaji was born at the Shivneri hill-fort, close to Junnar, in the Pune area. Shahaji, the father of Shivaji, was a commander who worked for the federation of Bijapur, Ahmednagar, and Golconda known as the Bijapur Sultanate. Jijabai, his mother, was a devoutly pious woman. Shivaji had a close relationship with his mother, who gave him a strong sense of justice and injustice.

Since Shaji spent a lot of time away from Puna, it was up to a tiny council of ministers, which comprised the Peshwa, Mazumdar, Sabnis, Dabir, and Principal Teachers, to oversee Shivaji's education. To impart military and martial arts knowledge to Shivaji, Kanhoji Jedhe and Baji Pasalkar were picked. In 1640, Shivaji wed Saibai Nimbalkar.

It turns out that Shivaji was a true leader from a young age. He was an avid outdoorsman who was well-versed in the Sahayadri Mountains that surround the Shivneri forts. He had gathered a band of devoted men from the Maval district by the age of 15, and they subsequently assisted him in his early victories.

On June 6, 1674, in Raigad Fort, Shivaji was installed as the new ruler of the Maratha Empire in a magnificent ceremony. In the year 1596. In addition to chanting the Vedic coronation mantras, Gaga Bhatt presided over the ceremony by pouring water over Shivaji from a gold vase containing water from the seven holy rivers Yamuna, Indus, Ganges, Godavari, Narmada, Krishna, and Kaveri. Shivaji bowed to Jijabai and caressed her feet after the ablution. For the celebrations, around 50,000 people gathered in Raigad. Shakakarta ("beginning of an age") and Chhatrapati were titles given to Shivaji ("sovereign"). He adopted the name Haindava Dharmodhhaarak as well (protector of the Hindu faith).

Significant events of Shivaji’s life

At the age of 16, Shivaji took this fort as Chieftain of the Marathas, laying the groundwork for his dominating abilities of boldness and conviction. This conquest propels him to seize further cities like Raigarh and Pratapgarh. The sultan has become more worried as a result of Shivaji's victories over Bijapur's rivals. In 1659, he dispatched his commander, Afzal Khan, to arrest him. Despite this, Shivaji escaped and murdered him with Baghnakh, or the tiger's claw. Eventually, in 1662, the Sultan of Villapur signed a peace contract with Shivaji, establishing him as the sole ruler of the captured area.

Shivaji went to Agra in 1666 A.D. to see Emperor Aurangzeb. Jai Singh lured Shivaji by promising him the role of administrator of the Mughal territories in the Deccan if he traveled to visit the emperor in person; he, too, was willing to meet the emperor and learn firsthand about the affairs of the North.

In 1670, Shivaji resumed combat against the Mughals, capturing numerous forts that he had given to the Mughals in the Purandar Treaty. He took over forts such as Singhgarh, Purandar, Kalyan, and Mahuli. Attacked Mughal territory in Decan and was successful. In 1670 A.D., he also robbed Surat for the second.

Shivaji declared himself an independent ruler of the Maratha kingdom in AD 1674 and was crowned as Chhatrapati at Raigarh. His coronation marked the rising of those who opposed the Mughal dynasty's heritage. Following his coronation, he is named "Haidava Dharmodharka" (Guardian of Hindu Faith) of a newly established kingdom of Hindu Swarajya. The legal authority to collect revenue and impose levies is granted by this coronation.

He overcame Gingee (Jingi), Vellore, and several forts in Karnataka with the aid of this coalition, which he led the expedition into Bijapur Karnataka (AD 1676-79).

Administration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Deccan administrative techniques had a significant impact on Shivaji's administration. He chose eight "Ashtapradhan" ministers to work alongside him as the assistant principal of affairs.

- Peshwa, the minister in charge of finances and general administration, was the most significant figure, who represented the king in his absence.

- Senapati was a prominent Maratha chief who was essentially a place of honor. In times of war, he also served as the king's strategic adviser.

- The Majumder or Auditor was in charge of maintaining the kingdom's financial stability.

- The PanditRao or Chief Spiritual Head, was in charge of monitoring the kingdom's spiritual health, setting the dates for religious rites, and supervising the king's social initiatives.

- The Wakenavis is responsible for intelligence, post, and domestic matters.

- The King's correspondence is helped by the Surnavis or Chitnis.

- The duty of advising the monarch on foreign policy issues was given to the Dabir or Foreign Secretary.

- He imposes the Chauth or Chauthai tax on the land, which represents 1/4 of the land revenue.

- Extensive records of every action the king took in a given day were kept by the Mantri or Chronicler.

- The Nyayadhish, or Chief Justice, began the construction of laws and their following legal, economic, and even military enforcement.

- In addition to demonstrating his abilities as a commander, strategist, and statesman, he also created the groundwork for a powerful state by limiting Deshmukh's influence.

Therefore, economic, social, political, and institutional reasons contributed to the growth of the Marathas. In that sense, Shivaji was a well-liked ruler who stood in for the region's declaration of public will against Mughal expansion. Although the Marathas were an old tribe, it wasn't until the 17th century that they were allowed to claim sovereignty.

The original paintings and rare photos of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj art will be part of a book on the monarch in which "History scholar Prasad Sudhir Tare" intends to stress two elements, the chronological side and the relevance of history to a modern context. You may honor the incredible achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by purchasing Shivaji Maharaj paintings online, making daily prayers, and offering praise. These paintings would make excellent house antiques.

How Shivaji Maharaj die?

Shivaji died on April 3, 1680, at the age of 52, in the Raigad Fort, after succumbing to illness. Following his death, a succession struggle erupted between his eldest child Sambhaji and his third wife Soyrabai on account of her 10-year-old son Rajaram. On June 20, 1680, Sambhaji Maharaj dethroned the youthful Rajaram and succeeded the king himself. After Shivaji's death, the Mughal-Maratha hostilities persisted, and Maratha's splendor dropped drastically. It was recaptured, however, by the youthful Madhavrao Peshwa, who restored Maratha pride and re-established his power over North India.

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Shivaji

Indian king

Also known as: Śivājī Bhonsle, Śivaji

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Last Updated: Sep 1, 2025 • Article History

statue of Shivaji at Raigarh Fort

statue of Shivaji at Raigarh Fort Statue of Shivaji at Raigarh Fort, Maharashtra, India.

News • Shivaji was a great patriot and protected people from all castes and creeds: Lad • Aug. 31, 2025, 7:53 AM ET (The Hindu)

Shivaji (born April 1627 or February 19, 1630, Shivner, Poona [now Pune], India—died April 3, 1680, Raigad) opposed the Mughal dynasty and founded the Maratha kingdom in 17th-century India. His kingdom’s security was based on religious toleration and on the functional integration of Brahmans, Marathas, and Prabhus.

Early life and exploits

Shivaji was descended from a line of prominent nobles. At the time of his birth, about 1630, India was under Muslim rule: the Mughals in the north and the Muslim sultans of Bijapur and Golconda in the south. All three ruled by right of conquest, with no pretense that they had any obligations toward those who they ruled. Shivaji, whose ancestral estates were situated in the Deccan, in the realm of the Bijapur sultans, found the Muslim oppression and religious persecution of the Hindus so intolerable that, by the time he was 16, he convinced himself that he was the divinely appointed instrument of the cause of Hindu freedom—a conviction that was to sustain him throughout his life.

Quick Facts

Also spelled: Śivaji

Born: April 1627 or February 19, 1630, Shivner, Poona [now Pune], India

Died: April 3, 1680, Raigad

Collecting a band of followers, he began about 1655 to seize the weaker Bijapur outposts. In the process, he destroyed a few of his influential coreligionists, who had aligned themselves with the sultans. All the same, his daring and military skill, combined with his sternness toward the oppressors of the Hindus, won him much admiration. His depredations grew increasingly audacious, and he overcame the minor expeditions sent against him.

Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon in Coronation Robes or Napoleon I Emperor of France, 1804 by Baron Francois Gerard or Baron Francois-Pascal-Simon Gerard, from the Musee National, Chateau de Versailles.

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Challenging the Mughals

When the sultan of Bijapur in 1659 sent an army of 20,000 under Afzal Khan to defeat him, Shivaji, pretending to be intimidated, enticed the force deep into difficult mountain terrain and then killed Afzal Khan at a meeting to which he had lured him by submissive appeals. Meanwhile, handpicked troops that had been previously positioned swooped down on the unwary Bijapur army and routed it. Overnight, Shivaji had become a formidable warlord, possessing the horses, the guns, and the ammunition of the Bijapur army.

Alarmed by Shivaji’s rising strength, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ordered his viceroy of the south to march against him. Shivaji countered by carrying out a daring midnight raid right within the viceroy’s encampment. The viceroy lost the fingers of one hand and his son was killed, which prompted him to withdraw his force. Shivaji, as though to provoke the Mughals further, sacked the rich coastal town of Surat.

Aurangzeb could hardly ignore such a challenge and sent out his most prominent general, Mirza Raja Jai Singh, at the head of a vast army, said to number some 100,000 men. Shivaji was compelled to sue for peace and to agree that he and his son would attend Aurangzeb’s court at Agra in order to be formally accepted as Mughal vassals. In Agra, hundreds of miles from their homeland, Shivaji and his son were placed under house arrest, where they lived under the threat of execution.

Escape from Agra

Undaunted, Shivaji feigned illness and, as a form of penance, began to send out enormous baskets filled with sweets to be distributed among the poor. On August 17, 1666, he and his son had themselves carried past their guards in these baskets. His escape, possibly the most thrilling episode in a life filled with high drama, was to change the course of Indian history.

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Shivaji’s followers welcomed him back as their leader, and within two years he not only had won back all the lost territory but had expanded his domain. He collected tribute from Mughal regions and plundered their rich cities; he reorganized the army and instituted reforms for the welfare of his subjects. Taking a lesson from the Portuguese and English traders who had already gained toeholds in India, Shivaji also began building a naval force; he was the first Indian ruler of his time to use his sea power for trade as well as for defense.

Almost as though prodded by Shivaji’s meteoric rise, Aurangzeb intensified his persecution of Hindus: he imposed a poll tax on them, condoned forcible conversions, and demolished temples, erecting mosques in their places.

Independent sovereign

In the summer of 1674, Shivaji had himself enthroned with great fanfare as an independent sovereign. His coronation marked the formal beginning of the Maratha empire. The suppressed Hindu majority rallied to him as their leader. He ruled his domain for six years, through a cabinet of eight ministers. A devout Hindu who prided himself as the protector of his religion, he broke tradition by commanding that two of his relatives, who had been forcibly converted to Islam, should be taken back into the Hindu fold. Even though both Christians and Muslims often imposed their creeds on the populace by force, he respected the beliefs and protected the places of worship of both communities. Many Muslims were in his service. After his coronation, his most noteworthy campaign was in the south, during which he forged an alliance with the sultans and, by doing so, prevented the Mughals from spreading their rule over the entire subcontinent.

Shivaji had several wives and two sons. His last years were shadowed by the apostasy of his elder son, who, at one stage, defected to the Mughals and was brought back only with the utmost difficulty. The strain of guarding his kingdom from its enemies in the face of bitter domestic strife and discord among his ministers hastened his end. The man that British politician and author Thomas Babington Macaulay called “the Great Shivaji” died after an illness in April 1680, in the mountain stronghold of Raigad, which he had made his capital.

Shivaji breathed new life into a people that for centuries had resigned itself to serfdom and led them against Aurangzeb, a powerful Mughal ruler. Above all, he was one of the few rulers of his time who practiced true religious tolerance.

Ranjit Ramchandra Desai

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Maratha empire

historical Indian empire

Written by

Fact-checked by

Article History

India, 1797–1805

India, 1797–1805 Map of India showing the Maratha lands in 1805.

Maratha empire, early modern Indian empire that rose in the 17th century and dominated much of the Indian subcontinent during the 18th century. The Marathas were a Marathi-speaking warrior group mostly from what is now the state of Maharashtra in India. They became politically active under the leadership of Shivaji, their first king, in opposition to the Islamic rulers of the time. The formal Maratha empire began in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as Chhatrapati (“Keeper of the Umbrella”) and ended in 1818 after defeat by the English East India Company.

The 17th-century politics in the Indian subcontinent were dominated by multiple Islamic kingdoms, with the Mughal Empire controlling most of north India. The Deccan region of central India had been split among five Deccan sultanates, but by the 1630s only three of them remained active—Bijapur, Golconda, and Ahmadnagar. Shahaji Bhosale was a Maratha general who served these sultanates.

Shivaji, the son of Shahaji, started a campaign to establish Hindavi Svarajya (self-rule of Hindu people) by revolting against the Bijapur sultanate and capturing many forts in the Deccan region. He warred against the Deccan sultanates and the Mughal Empire, as well as the newly emergent English East India Company operating in the ports of western India. Shivaji conquered his first fort in 1645 and eventually established a stable kingdom with the capital at Raigad, with the support of powerful Maratha warrior families. Shivaji’s army was primarily comprised of highly mobile peasant pastoralists. For many years, while Shivaji remained the titular head of the Maratha empire, he was not officially its king, as his coronation had not taken place. It was only in 1674 that Shivaji was crowned as Chhatrapati.

Upon his death, Shivaji was succeeded on the throne by his son Sambhaji, in 1680. Sambhaji was king until 1689, when he was ambushed, captured, and executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb also captured Sambhaji’s son Shahu, and Sambhaji’s half-brother Rajaram thus ascended the throne.