A Talk on Maratha Rule 1674-1761 an Appraisal

‘Vimarsha’, the monthly talk at Vivekananda International Foundation, was held on June 30, 2011, on the subject of Maratha Rule in India. Shri Shanti Prasad Agrawal, a scholar of history of Marathas and author of several books, gave an appraisal on one of the six golden epochs in India’s history i.e. the period from 1674-1761 during which Marathas were able to establish their writ over a vast extent of India. He commented that Mughal Sultanate was so badly pulverized by the Marathas that it would be more apt to say that the British usurped political power in India from the Marathas and not from the Mughals as it is generally believed. He further argued that great Maratha ruler Shivaji’s concept of a sovereign state encompassed a broader pan-Indian outlook and was not confined to a Hindu Rastra in parts of Maharashtra. Speaking of Shivaji’s inclusive approach, Shri Bharat Gupt, Chairman of the Session, said that even though Shivaji fought against repressive Mughal rulers, there was no evidence to suggest that he destroyed religious structures of Muslims. There were a number of Muslim soldiers who fought along side Shivaji Maharaj. Mr. Ajit Doval, Director VIF however added that the concept of Asymmetric Warfare - a popular term in military parlance today - was first concretized in India by Shivaji Maharaj. He also added that Shivaji Maharaj contributed immensely to India’s military traditions by creating a Guerilla force which could be loosely compared to Special Operation Forces of today as also by putting together a fine Intelligence network. The talk was followed by an interaction. Among the audience, Maj Gen GD Bakshi (retd.) remarked that it was during the Maratha rule that a significant military resurrection was witnessed in India.