1674 – 1818 CE

Public Administration of The Great Marathas

The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy rose to dominate in much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as the Chhatrapati. The empire, at its peak in the mid-18th century, stretched from Tamil Nadu in the south to Peshawar in the north, and Orissa and West Bengal up to the Hooghly River in the east. They lost much of their territory beyond Delhi after their defeat in the third Battle of Panipat in 1761 but within a span of ten years, Marathas resurrected themselves in north India under the leadership of Peshwas (Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire) and Sardars (chiefs). ^[1]

The seed of national identity which was sown by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja to break the several centuries of dominance of foreign rule grew into a huge banyan tree of Maratha Empire as in less than a century after the death of Shivaji their influence was felt throughout the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. The 18th century in Indian history was truly the century of the Great Marathas. ^[2]

To effectively manage such a large empire, a confederacy of semi-independent Maratha states was formed under powerful Maratha chiefs called Sardars who ruled under the suzerainty of Peshwa. The Peshwas were subordinates to the Chhatrapati (the Maratha Emperor) during the days of Shivaji and his successor Sambhaji, Rajaram, and Shahu. But soon they become the de facto leaders of the Maratha Confederacy and the house of the King became a titular head. During the last years of the Maratha Empire, the Peshwas were also reduced to nominal leaders under the authority of the Maratha chiefs and the British East India Company. After the death of Peshwa Madhavrao I, various Maratha chiefs like Scindias of Gwalior and Ujjain, Gaekwads of Baroda, the Holkars of Indore and Malwa, and Bhonsales of Nagpur played the role of the de facto rulers in their regions. ^[3]

The Peshwa was one of the Ashtapradhan of Shivaji become hereditary during the reign of Shahu. Under Peshwa rule, the centre of the Maratha central administration was the secretariat called Huzur Daftar at Poona. At the provincial level, Deshmukhs and Deshpandes along with Mamlatdars and Kamavistars were main officials. Land revenue was their main source of income and they took great care that peasants were not excessively taxed. The judicial system of Peshwas was based on Dharmashastras. Civil and criminal justice were simpler and left to the community to resolve disputes. ^[4]

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