Rajaram II of Satara

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Rajaram II Bhonsle
Chhatrapati of Maratha Empire
Reign 1749 - 1777
Born June 1726
Kolhapur
Died 11th December 1777
Satara
House Bhonsle
Father Shivaji II
Religion Hinduism
Maratha Emperors
(1674–1818) Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg
Shivaji 1674–1680
Sambhaji 1680–1689
Rajaram Chhatrapati 1689–1700
Queen Tarabai 1700–1707
Chhatrapati Shahu 1707–1749
Rajaram II of Satara 1749–1777
Peshwas Prime Ministers
(1674–1818) Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg
Moropant Pingle 1674–1689
Ramchandra Pant Amatya 1689–1708
Bahiroji Pingale 1708–1711
Parshuram Trimbak Kulkarni 1711–1713
Balaji Vishwanath 1712–1719
Bajirao I 1719–1740
Balaji Baji Rao (Nanasaheb) 1740–1761
Madhavrao Ballal 1761–1772
Narayan Rao 1772–1773
Raghunathrao 1773–1774
Sawai Madhavrao 1774–1795
Baji Rao II 1795–1818

Rajaram II Bhonsle was the 6th monarch of the Maratha Empire.[1] He was an adopted son of Chhattrapati Shahu. Tarabai had presented him to Shahu as her own grandson, and used him to grab power after Shahu's death. However, after being sidelined, she stated that Rajaram II was only an impostor. Nevertheless, Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao retained him as the titular Chhatrapati. In reality, Peshwa and other chiefs had all the executive power, while Rajaram II was only a figurehead.

Biography

In the 1740s, during the last years of Shahu's life, Tarabai brought Rajaram II to him. She presented the child as her grandson, and therefore, as a direct descendant of Shivaji through her husband Rajaram. She claimed that he had been concealed after his birth for his protection, and had been raised by a the wife of a Rajput soldier. Consequently, Shahu adopted him as a child.[2]

After Shahu's death, Rajaram II was appointed as the new Chhatrapati, the king of the Marathas. When Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao left for the Mughal frontier, Tarabai urged Rajaram II to remove him from the post of Peshwa. When Rajaram refused, she imprisoned him in a dungeon at Satara, on 24 November 1750. She claimed that he was an impostor from Gondhali caste, and she had falsely presented him as her grandson to Shahu. His health deteriorated considerably during this imprisonment. Tarabai later signed a peace treaty with the Peshwa, acknolwedging his superiority. On 14 September 1752, Tarabai and the Peshwa took an oath at Khandoba temple in Jejuri, promising mutual peace. At this oath ceremony, Tarabai also swore that Rajaram II was not her grandson, but an impostor from the Gondhali caste.[3] Nevertheless, the Peshwa retained Rajaram II as the titular Chhhatrapati and a powerless figurehead.[2]

During Ramaraja's reign, the power of the Chhatrapati based in Satara was almost totally overshadowed by his hereditary Peshwas belonging to the Bhat family in Pune and other commanders of the empire such as the Holkars, Gaekwad, Scindia and Bhonsale (Nagpur). During this period, the Marathas were engaged in a continual conflict with the Durranis based in Afghanistan.

References

  1. V.S. Kadam, 1993. Maratha Confederacy: A Study in its Origin and Development. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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Preceded by Chhatrapati of the
Maratha Empire

1749–1777
Succeeded by
Shahu II