CHAPTER 7 Rise of Regional

Kingdoms Learning Outcomes

Rise of independent regional kingdoms Rise of Marathas under the Peshwas Emergence of Hyderabad, Bengal, Awadh and Mysore

Role of Rajputs and Sikhs

The decline of the Mughal Empire led to Maratha kingdom. These powers attempted to

the emergence of numerous strong regional challenge the rising British power in the second

independent and semi-independent powers who half of the eighteenth century.

started to assert their authority. These included

Bengal, Awadh, Hyderabad, Mysore and the While regional established some powers

administration under Mughal autonomous

suzerainty, others openly rebelled against the

Mughals and asserted their independence. REFERENCES

Temicnes uncer hosn Es

eTones ncer te Btsh

The Maratha Confederacy TeTiones under Oher Euopaan Powers

The Marathas emerged as a powerful force

under Shivaji and his successors. They constantly challenged the Mughals. In fact, among the

regional kingdoms that posed a political threat to

the Mughals, the Marathas were probably the most

KAD

MJGALS De

A

SDHIA

HOLKAR MALA MARAT HA auARAT

formidable. BHOSLE

Aurangzeb had imprisoned Shahu, the grandson

of Shivaji, in 1689. He was released only in 1707

after Aurangzeb's death. Shahu's release was marked

by war of succession between Shahu and his aunt

Tarabai and her son Shivaji I1. With the help of

Balaji Vishwanath, Shahu assumed the Maratha

throne and in return Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath as Peshwa or Chief Minister of the

BAY OF BENaAL

A

ZAM

Madrw*

Andama and Nacobar laiard

100 200 millton

Sale 1 on (Approa

Maratha Kingdom in 1713. India in Early Eighteenth Century

HISTORY 51

He pursued an expansionist policy and is

credited for expanding the Maratha Empire by

capturing Malwa, southern Gujarat and parts of

RISE OF THE PESHWAS

Shahu was a weak ruler who could not consolidate

the Maratha kingdom. Gradually, the effective

control over the kingdom fell into the hands of

Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath. This was the start of

the Peshwa Era in Maratha history. As the Peshwas

wielded real power, the Maratha king was reduced

to a mere figurehead of the kingdom.

Bundelkhand.

He annexed Salsette and Bassein from the

Portuguese.

QACTIVITY Balaji Visbrwanath

Balaji Vishwanath was the first of a series of

hereditary Peshwas. He consolidated the Maratha

Trace the origin, history and rise of the Marathas to

power.

power.

It was during this time that the Marathas families

of Gaekwads of Baroda, Holkars of Indore,

Sindhias of Gwalior and Bhonsles of Nagpur

He restored the territories which were once

part of the Shivaji's kingdom but conquered by

Aurangzeb. came into prominence. Territories captured from

He also obtained the right to levy chauth and the Mughal Empire were divided among these

families. These families enjoyed relative autonomy sardesbmukbi of six Mughal provinces in the

within these regions. The Marathas thus emerged

as a loose confederacy under the official leadership

Deccan.

In 1719, Balaji Vishwanath helped the Saiyyid brothers to overthrow the Mughal Emperor of the Peshwa.

Farrukh Siyar in Delhi.

Balaji Baji Rao Baji Rao was succeeded by his son Balaji Baji

Baji Rao I

After Balaji Vishwanath's death in 1720, his

son Baji Rao I succeeded him as Peshwa. He was Rao (Nanasaheb) in 1740. He was appointed

a brilliant military strategist. During his reign from as Peshwa by Shahu. When Shahu died in 1749,

1720-1740, Baji Rao I transformed the Maratha

Kingdom into an empire.

Balaji Baji Rao became the official head of the

Marathas.

Balaji Baji Rao shifted the Maratha capital from

Satara to Poona.

He undertook six expeditions to Bengal from

1741-1748 and annexed Orissa (Odisha).

He also expanded Maratha borders to Delhi

and Punjab.

Under him, the Marathas became the virtual power behind the Mughal throne.

The conquest of Punjab brought the Marathas

in direct contact with Ahmad Shah Abdali, an Pesbrua Baji Rao Iwith His Ministers

52 HISTORY

Afghan general. The two sides fought the Third

Battle of Panipat in 1761, where the Maratha army respectively. was decisively defeated by Abdali's forces.

at Chandernagore Calcutta (Kolkata) and

Siraj-ud-Daula (1756-1757), Alivardi's favourite

grandson, ascended the throne after him. He was

the last independent ruler of Bengal.

The erushing defeat at Panipat shattered all

Maratha hopes of establishing a mighty empire replacing the Mughals. This paved the way for the

English East India Conmpany to gain ground in India. The province of Bengal prospered under these rulers,

who set up cfficient administration.

However, the nawabs of Bengal failed to assess

the increasing influence of the European trading

companies and did not curb their growing military

preparation in Bengal. They continued to believe

that a mere trading company could not threaten

their authority. In addition to this, the Nawabs of

Bengal also neglected to build a strong army and

Bengal Bengal was a rich and prosperous province of

the Mughal Empire. The decline of the Mughals gave Murshid Quli Khan, the Mughal governor

of Bengal, a chance to free himself from Mughal authority. He started to rule Bengal independently

while paying annual tribute to the empire. paid a heavy price for it.

Murshid Quli Khan was an efficient administrator, In 1757, Siraj-ud-Daula was defeated by the British

who brought stability and peace to Bengal. He curbed both internal and external conflicts

was a gradual increase in British power in the region.

forces in the Battle of Plassey. After the war, there

and promoted agriculture, trade and industry. Murshid Quli Khan was succeeded by his son-in-law

Shuja-ud-Din (1725-1739). He was a charitable,

just and an impartial ruler, who patronised learning,

Awadh (Oudh) Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk, the Mughal

governor of Awadh, founded the independent

kingdom of Awadh. He was an able administrator art and culture.

Shuja-ud-Din died in 1739 and was succeeded

by his son Sarfaraz Khan (1739-1740). He was a administration, and introduced several revenue who strengthened his army, maintained an efficient

brave man but of a religious temperament. His brief reforms. He succeeded in establishing law and order

career ended in 1740 when he was deposed and by suppressing the big zamindars, which increased

killed by Alivardi Khan. the finances of the government.

Alivardi Khan (1740-1756), who was earlier the Saadat Khan was succeeded by his nephew Safdar

Jung, who was appointed as the wazir of the empiregovernor of Patna, became the nawab of Bengal in 1740 and ruled for 16 years thereafter. Though in 1748. He waged wars against the Rohillas, Jats,

an efficient ruler, he had to face continual attacks and the Marathas.

by the Marathas and rebellion by the Afghans. To

attain peace, he allowed many concessions to the

Marathas. He maintained good relationships with ud-Daula.

the Europeans but did not allow them to increase

their military presence. He did not allow the of the Nawabs resulted in the growth of a distinct

Safdar Jung was succeeded by his son Shuja-

The stabiliry and economic prosperity under the rule

French and the British to fortify their settlements culture of Lucknow around the Awadh court.

HISTORY 53

Atter 1775, Asaf-ud-Daula, the fourth Nawab of With the

Awadh, shitted the seat of Awadh tiom Faizabad to disintcgra-

Lucknow. tion of the

wcrful

In 1856, Awadh was annexed by the English ast Vijayanagara India C'onmpany and its Nawab Wajidl Ali Shah was

eniled to Caleutta. Empirc in the

seventcenth

Hyderabad cent ury, the state The autonomous state of Hyderabad was founded

of by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jha, originally named Mysore Chin Qilich Khan, in 1724. In 1712, the Mughal re m a ine d

Emperor Farukh Siyar had made him the governor independent,

ot the Deccan provinces. While he never officially declared his independence from the Mughals, he

began to nule the state of Hyderabad independently.

Tipu Sultan despite going through political turmoil.

Haider Ali had a humble beginning as a soldier in

the Mysore army, who gradually rose in ranks. He

was a brilliant commander and a diplomat. In 1761,

he took over the state of Mysore, established his

authority and made it a powerful state.

Asaf Jha. established an eficient administration,

which helped him to consolidate his power. He

protected his state from internal conflicts and

external threats, particularly the powerful Marathas.

He also attempted to get rid of the corruption in the In 1767, the British formed an alliance with the

revenue system. Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad to stop the

After his death in 1748, the state of Hyderabad rise of Haider Ali, resulting in First Anglo-Mysore

faced a war of succession. The political instability

in the kingdom made it easy for the British and were forced to enter a treaty of mutual defence with

French companies to intervene it its affairs.

War. After two years of fierce battle, the British

Haider Ali.

During the Second Anglo-Mysore War (17SO-84), Haider Ali died and was succeeded by his son

Tipu Sultan.

Carnatic

The Carnatic was a suba of the Mughals in the

Deccan, under the authority of the Nizam of

Hyderabad. The Nawab of Carnatic freed himself

from the Nizam's rule and established hereditary rule Mysore. He was an innovator, a brave command Tipu Sultan was popularly known as Tiger ot

ardent fighter aginst the rising British power Tipu introduced several administrative retomns He also attempted to build a modern, eficient and

in his state. After 1740, there were constant internal

struggles for succession. This gave the European

trading companies a chance to intervene in the internal matters of the state for their economic and disciplined army. The state of Mysore tlourishe

territorial gains. under the rule of both H:aider Ali and Tipu Sultan.

It was only atter the death of Tipu Sultan in the

Fourth Anglo Mysore War in 1799 that British

(Assisted by the Mlarathas and the Nizam Hyderabad) occupied the state ot Mysore.

Mysore The statc of Mysore emerged as an important and

powerful kingdom in south Indi under I laider Ali.

54 HISTORY

Rajpuis While the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb had lost the lovalty of Rajput rulers, it was

The Sikhs were divided into twelve groups known

as misls or confederates operating in different parts of the province. Each misl was ruled by a chief.

after Aurangzebs death that the Rajput states Ranjit Singh, the chief of Sukerchakia misl, united

took advantage ot the growing weakness of the

Mughal Empire to free themselves from the central authority. The major Rajput states of Jaipur (Amber). Jodhpur (Marwar) and Udaipur (Mewar) asserted their autonomy.

all the misls and became the ruler of Punjab, with

Lahore as his capital

However, the Rajput states were themsclves

involved in contlicts with cach other and failed to

torm a united Rajput entity. The English East India Company took advantage of the internal factionalism anmong the Rajput states to further their interests.

Sikhs The Sikhs emerged as a political and military force

under the leadership of the tenth and last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. He organised the Sikhs into a military brotherhood called Khalsa to fight against Aurangzeb's forces. Maharaja Ranjit Singb

Banda Bahadur emerged a powerful leader of the

Sikh rebellion when he declared the sovereign ACTIVITY rule of the Sikhs. They started minting coins in the

name of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. Can you think of a way in which the regional powers

could have prevented the English East India Company

from gaining supremacy in the Indian subcontinent? Banda Bahadur was executed in 1716 and the Sikh

movement lost momentum for some time.

The invasions of Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Ranjit Singh was an efficient administrator, skilful

Abdali weakened Mughal control over Punjab. diplomat and: courageous soldier. He built a This gave an opportunity to the Sikhs to reassert wel-equipped, efticient and disciplined army

themselves. organised along European lines. He was tolerant and liberal in religious matters.

In 1809, Ranjit Singh signed the Treaty of Amritsar

with the Governor General of English East India

Company, Lord Minto. The treaty recognised the

Sutlej River as the boundary between the Sikh kingdom

and the British teritories.The British promised not to

interfere in the internal affairs of the Sikh kingdom.

Did you know?

The word khalsa means pure, The members of the

Sikh community who have undergone the sacred Amrit

Ceremony introduced by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth

Sikh Guru, are considered part of the khalsa. The khalsa

was meant to be an army to defend the Sikh faith.

HISTORY 55

Timeline

1809:Treaty of Amritsar signed between Ranjit Singh and the English

East India Company

1713: Balaji Vishwanathawarded the post of Peshwa

Mysorc emerged as a powerful

kingdom in

south India

1850 CE 1 CE 1750 BCE

1800 1700

1761: Hyder Ali established

his authority over Mysore state 1724: Nizam-ul-Mulk

Asaf Jah founded the state

of Hyderabad

CONCEPT MAP

Rise of Regional Kingdoms

Rajputs Maratha Confederacy

Bengal Awadh (Oudh) Mysore Rajput states of

Jaipur (Amber), Jodhpur (Marwar) and Udaipur (Mewar) asserted

their autonomy. Failed to form a

Emerged Founded by Saadat Khan

Emerged as an

independent kingdom under

Murshid Quli

Khan.

Peshwas or powerful

kingdom in South India under Haider

Chief Minister Burhan-ul-Mulk Succeeded by his nephew Safdar

Jung, Shuja-ud- Daula and Asaf-ud-Daula

emerged as

power centre

Balaji Viswanath started Peshwa Ali Succeeded by

Shuja-ud-Din, Sarfaraz Khan, Alivardi Khan

Constant era.

unified front struggles with the

Important Peshwas: Balaji

Vishwanath, Baji Rao I and Balaji Baji Rao Marathas divided

1856: Awadh was against British

British annexed by the

English East India Company under Nawab

and Siraj-ud-

Daula Sikhs Four Anglo- Mysore wars under Haider Ali, and later

Tipu Sultan Defeated by the British in

Increasing British influence in the Guru Gobind

Singh organised the Sikhs into a

Wajid Ali Shah kingdom Siraj-ud-Daulah

defeated by

into clans of Gaikwads of

military brotherhood

called Khalsa Baroda, Holkars

of Indore, Sindhias of

British forces in Hyderabad Battle of Plassey Fourth Banda Bahadur

Founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk

declared the Anglo-Mysore War

Gwalior and sovereign rle of

the Sikhs Bhonsles of Asaf Jha

War of succession after his death

Nagpur Rise of Maratha

confederacy under the official leadership of the

Peshwa.

Ranjit Singh united the 12 misls or confederates and established Sikh

kingdom

56 HISTORY

Exercise

A. Fill in the blanks.

1. Many regional kingdoms broke awav tirom the Mughal Empire after the death of

was the tist Peshwa of the Maratha kingdom.

Siraj-ud-Daula was deteated by the English East India Company in the

founded the autonomous state of Hyderabad.

united all the 12 Sikh misls into a single kingdom.

B. Name the following.

1. Maratha king who appointed Balaji Vishwanath as Peshwa in 1713

2 The ciy which was made the capital of Awadh in 1775

3. Trear berween Ranjit Singh and the English East India Company

4 Father of Tipu Sultan

5. The warior brotherhood of Sikhs

C. Choose the correct answer.

1. The Third Bartle of Panipat took place in

1761 b. 1757 c. 176 d. 1861

2. The rulers of Hyderabad were known as

a. Peshwas b. Maharajas Nizams d. Nawabs

founded the Sikh kingdom.

b. Guru Gobind Singh d. Guru Tegh Bahadur

a. Banda Bahadur

c. Ranjit Singh

founded the Khalsa panth.

b. Ranjit Singh d. Guru Gobind Singh

a. Guru Nanak c. Guru Tegh Guru

5. The Sikhs were divided into misls.

a. 12 b. 10 14 d. 15 c.

D. Answer the following questions in brief.

1. What were the reasons for the rise of independent regional kingdoms?

2. What is the significance of the Third Battle of Panipat?

3. How did Carnatic emerge as an autonomous state?

4. Why did Rajputs fail to establish an empire in India?

5. What was the main provision of the Treaty of Amritsar?

HISTORY 57

E. Answer the following questions in detai.

1. Explain the role of the Peshwas in consolidating the Maratha Empire.

2.How did Bengal emerge as a regional power under Murshid Quli Khan and Ali vardi Khan?

. How did Saadat Khan lay the foundation of the kingdom of Awadh?

* Give an account of the rise of Mysore as a major power in the Deccan.

5. Describe the emergence of the Sikh kingdom.

F. Snap Shot!

Observe the given picture and answer the questions. 1. ldentify the person. What was he popularly known as?

2. Name the kingdom ruled by him.

3. How did he expand his kingdom? G. Map Work

On an outline map of India, highlight the areas of the Marathas, the Sikhs, the Rajputs and the Nawabs of Bengal.

Life Skills Communication

Organise a debate in the class on what would have happened had the Marathas won the Third Batle

of Panipat. Would they have been able to fill the power vaccum created by the decline of the Mughal

Empire?

Integration Arts Education

During the reign of Nawabs of Awadh, Lucknawi culture, literature and art blossomed. Lucknow

became a centre for creative and performing arts. Find out about any major aspect of Lucknawi culture

that appeals to you and make a presentation in your class.

Project Collect information on the various Rajput clans in the eighteenth century India. Prepare a chart

displaying their area of influence, their capitals and the chiefs.

58 HISTORY