Know Your City: How Maratha Queen Tarabai fought Mughals and resisted Peshwas’ conquest of Gujarat

Shivaji II would be declared the ruler of the Maratha Kingdom and his mother as the regent. As regent, Tarabai took command of the Maratha forces at a time when Aurangzeb’s Mughal army was pressing hard towards the Maratha heartland. Not the one to play the role of a grieving widow for long, she quickly organised a rigorous resistance that threw Aurangzeb off guard.

She personally led the war against the Mughals in many pitched battles against them. In her seven-year role as the regent, Tarabai single-handedly ensured that the Maratha resistance not only endured against the Mughals but would also rise to become a dominant force in the Indian subcontinent long after her death.

To counter the rising power of the Marathas under Queen Tarabai’s stewardship, the Mughals released Shahu I, the son of the late Sambhaji, from captivity after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707.

Having a far more legitimate claim on the Maratha throne than Tarabai, he caused a succession crisis in the Maratha camp by challenging Tarabai for the Maratha throne. This severely weakened the Maratha onslaught against the Mughals. Tarabai refused to acknowledge Shahu as the sovereign, reasoning that a long period of captivity under the Mughals had made him unfit to sit on the throne. Soon, the dispute gave way to full-scale war.

The war quickly went downhill for her because Shahu’s legal claim ensured that most of Tarabai’s chieftains defected to his side. In 1713, Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath Bhat the Peshwa in acknowledgement of his services. In 1719, Shahu appointed Balaji’s son, Baji Rao I, the Peshwa, making the position hereditary in the Bhat family. Baji Rao proved his loyalty by controlling the feudal chieftains who wanted independence from the Maratha Empire.

After Bajirao’s death, Chhatrapati Shahu declared his son, Peshwa Balaji Bajirao, to be the next Peshwa on June 25, 1740. Peshwa Balaji Bajirao died in 1761.

Shahu had no legitimate sons to succeed him. His only son had died in infancy, starting a succession war. Eventually, Shahu’s old foe, Tarabai, beat all other rivals and installed her grandson Ramraja as king. She tried to control him, not allowing him access to his Peshwa. Ramraja, however, protested against his grandmother’s overbearing nature.

As a result, Tarabai declared Ramraja an imposter, forcing Him to work in close unison with the Peshwa. In 1750, Ramraja signed the famous Sangola agreement, whereby he invested the Peshwa with more authority and reduced himself to a titular king. This was in return for continuing his rights as a Chhatrapati and protection from Tarabai and her henchmen.

This, however, furthered the chasm between the dowager queen Tarabai and the Peshwa. Under these circumstances, as part of her plan to upstage the Peshwa, Tarabai summoned Damaji Rao Gaekwad from Gujarat to rescue her grandson Ramraja and all of Maharashtra from the power of the Brahmans.

Damaji Rao Gaekwad was the agent of Umabai Dabhade, the widow of Khanderao Dabhade, who was the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s bodyguard Yeshaji Dabhade. Khanderao had been conferred the hereditary title of sarsenapati/commander-in-chief by Shahuji in 1717. The Dabhades had the right to collect taxes (chauth and sardeshmukhi) from Gujarat province, which was an essential revenue source for them.

On the death of her husband Khanderao in 1729, and her son Trimbak Rao, Umabai, exercised executive powers while her minor son Yashwant Rao remained the titular senapati. As he grew up, Yashwant Rao became addicted to alcohol and opium, and the Dabhades’ lieutenant Damaji Rao Gaekwad increased his power, though he remained loyal to Umabai Dabhade till she was alive.

Damaji accepted Tarabai’s call. The moment appeared appropriate, as the Peshwa was away in Karnataka on a campaign against the Nizam in 1751.

Advancing from Songadh in South Gujarat, with an army of 15,000 men, Damaji crossed the Salpi pass and defeated a much stronger force under the Peshwa’s officers at Bahadurpur in Khandesh. He next advanced towards Poona, plunging the city into panic. In Satara, the Peshwa General Trimbakpant offered him a stiff battle, defeating him and putting him on the defensive.

Meanwhile, the Peshwa also hurried back with his army from Aurangabad, in great alarm to repulse Damaji and his allies. Damaji found his position untenable against a severe offensive by the Peshwa. He was forced to ask for terms. Balaji, solemnly promising him safety, invited him to camp in his immediate neighbourhood for further discussions.

After Damaji complied, the mask was off, and Damaji found himself at the mercy of the Peshwa. The Peshwa desired half the share of the tribute from Gujarat. While these negotiations were on, Peshwa’s forces suddenly attacked Damaji’s camp, plundered it, and took two of his brothers captive. Umabai was also arrested.

In April 1751, Damaji walked to the Peshwa’s camp and offered himself for arrest, while protesting against the breach of sacred oath, by the Peshwa. Since the death of Pilaji in 1732, no such misfortune had fallen to the Gaekwad family. For over 10 months, the powerful warlord of Gujarat and the most formidable opponent of the Peshwa was confined to rigorous imprisonment while the Peshwa used the opportunity to advance his own interests in the state.

Realising that he could no longer resist the Peshwa’s demand, and that his presence was necessary in Gujarat to prevent further damage, Damaji was forced to submit. A treaty was arranged and formally ratified on March 30, 1752, and Damaji was allowed to proceed to Gujarat.

According to the treaty’s terms, Damaji agreed to pay a fine of Rs 15 lakh as an acquittance on account of arrears of tribute. He was to cede half of the parganas he held in Gujarat and half of all future conquests. He also agreed to serve the Peshwa loyally with 10,000 horses, whenever called upon. The agreement was subsequently confirmed by Tarabai also.

After the Partition Treaty of 1752, the Dabhade’s claims to Gujarat were ultimately abandoned. They were compelled to accept the terms offered by the Peshwa and come to terms with their situation. By this time, Umabai had grown old and fallen ill. She passed away in 1753, followed by her son Yeshwant Rao in 1754.

With this change, the office of the Senapati, one of the eight members of the Ashta Pradhan, became purely ornamental. After this point, the Khanderao family ceased to play a significant role in Maratha history.

Despite losing half of their territories, Damaji retained control over the following areas: In Surat Athavisi, the parganas of Chorasi, Balesar, Kamrej, Temba, Tadkeshwar, Navsari, Mandvi, Gandevi, Bilimora, Mahua, Songarh, Vyara, and Gala, among others. Between the Narmada and Mahi rivers, he held the parganas of Baroda, Bharuch, Sankheda, Sinor, Chandod, and Vaghodia. North of the Mahi, he retained control over the parganas of Petlad, Nadiad, Mahudha, Matar, Dholka, and half of Daskroi.

The Peshwa took control of several locations, including Ankleshwar, Hansot, Olpad, Sarbhon, Supa, Barodli, Parnera, Bhutsar, Parchod, and Uvarsad. He also gained control over Valod in Surat, Athawisi, Dabhoi, Amod, Dahejbhara, and Jambusar, which are situated between the Narmada and Mahi rivers. Additionally, he governed the Parganas of Mehmdabad, Godhra – Thasra, half of Daskroi, Dhandhuka, and Viramgam, all of which are located north of the Mahi river.

Each region’s revenue amounted to approximately Rs 25 lakh annually. Saurashtra was also affected by these changes. From this period onwards, the Marathas tightened their grip on peninsular Gujarat. The ruling princes of the peninsula were forced to exchange their allegiance to the Mughal Empire for the dominance of the Marathas. The numerous Rajput dynasties, which had existed for many centuries, were compelled to pay tribute to the Peshwa and the Gaekwads, whose names as ruling powers had been largely unknown just a generation earlier.

These rights continued under the Poona Government until they were transferred to the Gaekwads and the British by the Treaty of Poona in 1817. They were finally extinguished with the fall of Bajirao II in 1818.

(Amarjit Singh is a retired IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre who has served with the state and central governments)