Unlike his father who proved to be a natural ruler, Shivaji’s son Sambhaji was not so efficient. Though he gave shelter to Aurangzeb’s son Akbar, Sambhaji did not help him fight against Aurangzeb.
Sambhaji was killed by the Mughals in 1689 following which his younger brother Rajaram came into power. After Rajaram’s death in 1700, his widow Tara Bai and Sambhaji’s son Shahu, fought for power.
It was under Shahu that the Peshwas or the prime ministers became powerful. Peshwa Baji Rao proved to be a warrior; he plundered territories up till Delhi, and managed to receive Malwa and a large sum of money from the Mughal emperor. With this, it did not take very long for the Peshwas to extend their control from Malwa and Gujarat to Bundelkhand.
By 1752, during the rule of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, the Marathas had captured territories all over India.
Picture Credit : Google
