Thanjavur Maratha kingdom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maratha Kingdom of Thanjavur
Princely State of Thanjavur |
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| 1674–1855 | |||||||||||
Map of Tanjore
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Approximate extent of the Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom, at the time of its accession to the British in 1798
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| Status | Kingdom from 1674 to 1799. Princely state under the paramountcy of the British Raj (1799–1855) |
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| Capital | Tanjore | ||||||||||
| Common languages | Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||||
| Ruler | |||||||||||
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• (first) 1674 - 1684
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Venkoji | ||||||||||
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• (last) 1832 - 1855
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Shivaji II of Thanjavur | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
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• Conquest of the Madurai Nayak Kingdom by Venkoji
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1674 | ||||||||||
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• Earliest records
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1674 | ||||||||||
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• Disestablished
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1855 | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | India | ||||||||||
The Thanjavur Maratha kingdom was a powerful state in Tamil Nadu, India. It was ruled by the Bhonsle family from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The people of this kingdom mainly spoke Marathi. Venkoji was the person who started this royal family.
Contents
How the Marathas Took Over Thanjavur
After the Chola rulers lost power around 1279, the Thanjavur area was ruled by the Pandyas. Later, an invasion by Malik Kafur caused a lot of trouble.
The Pandyas soon became independent again and took control of Thanjavur. But then, the Vijayanagara Empire conquered them. The Emperor put his relatives, who were from the Telugu Balija group, in charge as governors (called Nayakas) of Madurai and Thanjavur.
A disagreement between Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai and his uncle Vijayaraghava Nayaka of Thanjavur led to a war. Thanjavur was defeated. The Thanjavur Nayaks ruled until 1673. That's when Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai invaded Thanjavur and killed its ruler, Vijayaraghava.
Chokkanatha put his brother Alagiri on the throne of Thanjavur. However, Alagiri soon decided he didn't want to follow Chokkanatha anymore. So, Chokkanatha had to accept Thanjavur's independence.
A son of Vijayaraghava asked the Bijapur Sultan for help to get the Thanjavur throne back. In 1675, the Sultan of Bijapur sent an army led by the Maratha general Venkoji (also known as Ekoji). Venkoji was supposed to help the prince. But after defeating Alagiri and taking Thanjavur, Venkoji decided to keep the kingdom for himself. This is how the Marathas began to rule Thanjavur.
Important Maratha Kings of Thanjavur
The Thanjavur kingdom was ruled by several Maratha kings. Here are some of the most important ones:
Venkoji: The First King
Vyankoji, who was the half-brother of the famous Maratha king Shivaji, became the first Raja (king) of Thanjavur from the Bhosale family. He took control in April 1674 and ruled until 1684. During his time, Shivaji Maharaj invaded some areas in 1676–1677. He made his brother Santaji the ruler of lands north of the Coleroon River. Towards the end of his rule, Vyankoji also teamed up with Chokkanatha of Madurai to fight off an invasion from Mysore.
Shahuji I: A King Who Loved Books
Shahuji I was Venkoji's oldest son. He became king when he was just twelve years old. During his reign, the Mughals took over the Coromandel coast and Tiruchirapalli. They made Shahuji pay them money. Shahuji loved literature and supported writers. His time as king also saw many small fights and battles with the rulers of Madurai and Ramnad over land borders.
Sarabhoji I: A King of Wars
Serfoji I was a younger son of Venkoji. He ruled from 1712 to 1728. His time as king was known for constant wars and arguments with the Madurai Nayak rulers.
Tukhoji: Defending the Kingdom
Tukkoji, who was Serfoji I's younger brother, ruled Thanjavur from 1728 to 1736. During his rule, Chanda Sahib invaded. Tukhoji is remembered for successfully pushing back a Muslim invasion of Madurai.
Pratapsingh: Alliances and Treaties
After Tukhoji died, there was a period of confusion. This ended when Pratapsingh became king in 1739. He ruled until 1763. He formed an alliance with Muhammad Ali, the Nawab of the Carnatic. He also helped the British East India Company fight against the French East India Company in the Carnatic Wars and the Seven Years' War. He was the last king to be called "His Majesty" by the British East India Company. In 1762, a special agreement was made between Thanjavur, Carnatic, and the British. This agreement made Pratapsingh a vassal, meaning he had to follow the Nawab of the Carnatic.
Thuljaji: The Last Independent King
Thuljaji was a weak ruler and the last independent king of Thanjavur. In 1773, the Nawab of the Carnatic took over Thanjavur and ruled it until 1776. The British East India Company later gave the throne back to Thuljaji. However, this came at a high cost, as he lost his independence.
Serfoji II: A King of Knowledge
Thuljaji's teenage son, Serfoji II, became king in 1787. Soon after, his uncle and guardian, Amarsingh, removed him from power and took the throne for himself. With the help of the British, Serfoji II got his throne back in 1798.
After this, a new treaty made him give control of the kingdom to the British East India Company. Thanjavur then became part of the Tanjore District (Madras Presidency). The British set up a system to manage public money. Serfoji II was still in charge of the Fort and nearby areas. He ruled until 1832. His time as king is famous for the many achievements in literature, science, and technology in the Thanjavur region.
Shivaji: The Final Maratha Ruler
Shivaji was the very last Maratha ruler of Thanjavur. He reigned from 1832 to 1855. His first wife did not have any sons. After Maharaja Shivaji died in 1855, his queen adopted her nephew. However, the British did not accept this adoption. Because of a rule called the Doctrine of Lapse, the British took over Thanjavur.
Literature and Learning in Thanjavur
The Maratha kings of Thanjavur really liked Sanskrit and Telugu languages. Because of this, classical Tamil writing became less popular. Most of the plays written during this time were in Sanskrit.
Venkoji, the first ruler, wrote a version of the Ramayana in Telugu. His son, Shahuji, was a great supporter of learning and literature. Most of the famous writings from the Thanjavur Maratha period are from his time. Many of these were different versions of the Ramayana or plays and short stories about history. Sanskrit and Telugu were the main languages used in these plays. There were also some Tamil 'koothu' (traditional plays). Advaita Kirtana is one important work from this time.
Later rulers like Serfoji II and Shivaji also loved learning and writing, even after they lost their empire. Serfoji built the Saraswathi Mahal Library inside the palace. He kept his huge collection of books and old writings there. Besides Indian languages, Serfoji II was also good at English, French, Dutch, Greek, and Latin.
How the Kingdom Was Run
The king had a group of ministers who helped him run the country. The most important person in this group was the Mantri or Dalavoy. The Dalavoy was also the main commander of the army.
Next in importance was the Pradhani or Dewan, also called Dabir Pandit. The country was divided into smaller areas for easier management. These areas were called subahs, seemais, and maganams, from largest to smallest. The five main subahs were Pattukkottai, Mayavaram, Kumbakonam, Mannargudi, and Tiruvadi.
The Economy of Thanjavur
The king collected taxes from the people through officials called mirasdars or puttackdars. These taxes were collected starting from the village level. They were based on the crops grown in the village. Rice was a very important crop in the region, and large landowners owned the land used for farming. Anatharama Sashtry suggested collecting taxes to help improve conditions for poor people.
The kingdom did not do its own foreign trade. The only foreign trade was done by European traders. They paid a certain amount of money as rent to the Raja. The money system used coins called chakram or pon (1 chakram was worth about one and three-fourths of a British East India Company rupee). Other coins used were pagoda (1 pagoda was worth about three and a half Company rupees), a big panam (one-sixth of a Company rupee), and a small panam (one-thirteenth of a Company rupee).
See also
In Spanish: Reino Maratha de Thanjavur para niños
