Raghoji I of Nagpur
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Raghoji I | |
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Senadhurandar Sarkar Senasahibsubah Bhonsle (Nagpur) | |
Father | Bimbaji Bhonsle |
Mother | Kashibai |
Religion | Hinduism |
Raghoji I (Raghoji Bhonsle; Marathi pronunciation: His successors ruled the kingdom until 1853.
Early life
Bimbaji died shortly after his son was born, and Raghuji grew up with his mother Kashibai and grandmother Baijabai at the same Pandavavadi near Wai. On attaining maturity Raghuji served under his uncle Ranoji as a Shiledar (cavalryman) at Amravati, participating in various military operations.[6] His uncle Senasahibsubha Kanhoji Bhonsle based at Bham, sixteen miles south of Yavatmal, invited him to his fief as he was heirless up to that point.
Senasahibsubha Kanhoji looked after and mentored Raghuji, who was the son of his cousin Bimbaji, with hopes of gradually passing his duties to him. But after the birth of his son Rayaji Bhonsle, his plans for adopting Raghuji ended and their relations were disrupted.[7]
Origin
The
During
Rise to power
Raghuji then left his uncle and travelled with 100 horsemen to offer his services to Gond Kingdom of Devgad, then under rule of Chand Sultan, where he fought for many years and familiarised himself with local politics. Eventually Raghuji returned to Satara to directly serve the Chhatrapati Shahu Bhonsle. Raghuji's status dramatically escalated when he bravely slew a maneater tiger which threatened Shahu's life during a hunting expedition. Following this Shahu bestowed many rewards on Raghuji, most importantly arranging the marriage of his own Shirke clan wife Rani Sagunabai's sister Salubai to Raghuji. This further bound the Chhatrapati Bhonsle and the Senasahibsubha Bhonsle families.[7]
This was simultaneously followed with the Senasahibsubha Kanhoji Bhonsle's downfall who had entered into talks with the Nizam. For further examination he was invited by Chhatrapati Shahu to Satara. On 23 August 1725 Kanhoji left Satara without permission, fleeing the officers sent after him. After 3 years of distant correspondence, Chhatrapati Shahu finally appointed Raghuji Bhonsle as the new Senasahibsubha in 1728.
Following Raghuji's appointment to the post of Senasahibsubha, Chhatrapati Shahu granted him the
Raghuji's first campaign as Senasahibsubha was to bring his uncle Kanhoji to justice and restore centralization in the eastern provinces for which he was deployed with an army of 30,000 cavalry. Raghuji's armies roved in all directions exacting the pending Chauth and Sardeshmukhi, which served as return of central authority over the lands. In 1731 Raghuji Bhonsle killed Isa Khan and seized all the villages in Kherla as well as the Fort of Salbardi.[12] Raghuji followed this by defeating Shujayat Khan of Akola, the deputy of the Nawab of Ellichpur and subjugated his territory. In this duration Kanhoji and prepared countermeasures by fortification of his base at Bham. Raghuji received the aid of his uncle Sawai Santaji Ranoji Bhonsle of Amravati. The two armies jointly besieged the fort of Bham and killed Kanhoji's general Tukoji Gujar. The death of Kanhoji's general Tukoji Gujar broke Kanhoji's patience and he fled from the fort, closely pursued by cavalry of Senasahibsubha and Sawai Santaji. Raghuji and Ranoji overtook Kanhoji at Mandar near Yavatmal and defeated him in the fight. Kanhoji was imprisoned in the fort of Satara while his son Rayaji continued at Bham.[11]
The tensions regarding Rayaji and Raghuji's rights over Senasahibsubha post ended only by 1748 when Rayaji died childless ensuring the supremacy of Raghuji Bhonsle's line. Shahu Chhatrapati then bestowed the authority to impose
Reign and military campaigns
Bold and decisive in action, Raghuji was the archetype of a Maratha leader; he saw in the troubles of other states an opening for his own ambition, and did not even require a pretext for invasion. Twice his armies occupied
Campaigns in South India
The Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, sent his son, Safdar Ali and Husayn Dost Khan better known as Chanda Sahib to extort tribute from the Hindu states of Deccan. Through treachery Chanda brought about the abdication of queen of Tiruchirappalli. After entering the fort by swearing the most solemn sacred oaths on the Quran of peace and behaving like a brother to the widowed queen, Husayn facilitated the storming of the fort by having his men enter through the palace known as Dilwar Mandap adjoining the fort of Tiruchirappalli. Heartbroken on such betrayal the widowed queen burnt herself in disgrace.[13]
The extension of the Muslim power in the far south had set in motion a Hindu reaction led by Vangaru Tirumala, a member of the
Pratapsingh Bhonsle of Tanjore was neither regular in the payment of tribute nor obedient to the Subehdar, causing the Nawab to remove him from Tanjore by force and install a Muslim deputy. Finally incensed by the atrocities of the Nawab, Chhatrapati Shahu deployed Raghuji Bhonsle of
The rapid advance of the Marathas filled the Nawab Dost Ali Khan with dismay. Soon afterwards took place the Battle of Damalcherry in May 20, 1740, which was a major confrontation between the
Raghuji discarded the meagre offer and deployed his men against Tiruchirappalli. The main body of the Maratha cavalry took positions before the city and cut off its communications. In this while, a large body of the Nevayet troops under Chanda Sahib's brother Zaynut Abdul Khan, known as Bada Sahib, marched to the northern borders of their territory to prevent a total encirclement.[19] The Maratha contingents attempted to intercept the march of Bada Sahib, but the flank of his brother Sadak Sahib, defeated their stretched lines at Dindigul. The two then merged their forces and rushed to Tiruchirappalli for aiding their brother but were intercepted by Senasahebsubh Raghuji Bhonsle at Manapparai. In the fierce battle which lasted for nine hours the Marathas emerged victorious. Raghuji killed Bada Sahib and Sadak Sahib with more than 3,000 men in each of their contingents slain. This decisive victory of the Marathas considerably helped their siege of Tiruchirappalli. Despite the formidable odds, Chanda Sahib resisted the onslaught for more than a month.[20]
On the 16th of March 1741, the Marathas finally scaled the walls of the ramparts of
According to Ramesan, it must have been at this time of his invasion in 1740 when Raghuji was in the Chittoor district and very near to Tirupati that Raghuji Bhonsle took the opportunity to visit the Venkateswara temple and offer his obeisance to the deity with offerings of many valuable jewels. These jewels are still preserved in the temple in a chest known "Raghojivari Pette".[21]
Final takeover of Devagad
Dissensions continued between the Devgad Gond brothers and once again, the elder brother Burhan Shah requested the aid of Raghoji Bhonsle. Akbar Shah was driven into exile and finally poisoned at Hyderabad. However this time, Raghoji Bhonsle did not have the heart to leave such a plentiful and rich country, with it being within his grasp.[22][23] He declared himself 'protector' of the Gond king. Thus in 1743, Burhan Shah was practically made a state pensionary, with real power being in the hands of the Maratha ruler. After this event the history of the Gond kingdom of Deogarh is not recorded.[24]
Conquest of Chhattisgarh
Raghoji Bhonsle's Diwan Pandit Bhaskar Ram invaded and placed Mohansingh, an illegitimate son of Raghuji, in charge of the States of Raipur, Ratanpur, Bilaspur and Sambalpur in Chhattisgarh before advancing on to Orissa.
Expeditions in Orissa and Bengal
The Expeditions in Bengal was taken by the
Death and legacy
King of Nagpur Raghuji Bhonsle died on February 14, 1755. Six wives and seven concubines of Raghuji Bhonsle are said to have immolated themselves on his funeral pyre. Other chronicles record 8 of his 13 wives and innumerable concubines conducted Sati.[27] He left behind four legitimate sons Janoji, Mudhoji, Sabaji and Bimbaji and one known natural son Mohansingh.
References
- ^ Vaidy, Sankara (7 April 2024). "Vaidya-daptarantuna Nivadalele Kagada".
- ^ The Cyclopedia of India: Biographical, Historical, Administrative, Commercial, Volume 3, pg. 312 [1]
- ^ The Political History of Chhattisgarh, 1740-1858 A.D by PL Mishra pgs.38,39,88 [2]
- ^ British Relations with the Nāgpur State in the 18th Century: An Account, Mainly Based on Contemporary English Records by Cecil Upton Wills, pages 19, 40, 186 [3]
- ^ "Forgotten Indian history: The brutal Maratha invasions of Bengal".
- JSTOR 44138856.
- ^ a b Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Akola pg.139
- ^ Proceedings of Indian History Congress Volume 36 - Page 311
- ^ Maharashtra Nagpur District Gazetteer
- ^ a b Maratha Generals and Personalities: A gist of great personalities of Marathas. Pratik gupta. 1 August 2014.
- ^ a b c Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Akola District pg. 134
- ^ Scribes and the Vocation of Politics in the Maratha Empire by D Vendell pg.53 [4]
- ^ Maratha Rule In The Carnatic by C. K. Srinivasan pg. 252
- ^ Kunju, A. P. Ibrahim. “TRAVANCORE AND THE CARNATIC IN THE XVIII CENTURY: Fresh Light Thrown by the Matilakam Records.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 22 (1959): 368 [5]
- ^ Maratha Rule In The Carnatic by C. K. Srinivasan pg. 253
- ISBN 9780230370005.
- JSTOR 44140671. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ "Brief history of Arcot" (PDF). Tamil Nadu Govt. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Pg. 277
- ^ a b Rajayyan, K. “THE MARATHAS AT TRICHINOPOLY : 1741-1743.” Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute 51, no. 1/4 (1970): 222–30. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41688690.
- ^ The Tirumala Temple by Dr. D. N. Ramesan, page 431
- ^ Hunter, William Wilson (1881). Naaf to Rangmagiri. Trübner.
- ^ Society (MANCHESTER), Northern Central British India (1840). Proceedings of a Public Meeting for the formation of The Northern Central British India Society held in the Corn Exchange, Manchester, on Wednesday evening, August 26th, 1840. Northern Central British India Society.
- ^ Kurup, Ayyappan Madhava (1986). Continuity and Change in a Little Community. Concept Publishing Company.
- OCLC 77864804.
- ^ Fall Of The Mughal Empire- Volume 1 (4Th Edn.), J.N.Sarka
- ^ British Relations with the Nāgpur State in the 18th Century: An Account, Mainly Based on Contemporary English Records by Cecil Upton Wills, pg 16 [6]
- Hunter, William Wilson, Sir, et al. (1908). Imperial Gazetteer of India 1908-1931; Clarendon Press, Oxford.