Important India

Discover India with Important India

  • Home
  • About
  • History
  • Important India
  • Categories
  • TOU
  • Contact Us

Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj

On October 7, 2013 By Santanu Mondal Category: History of Mughal Empire

Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj was the younger son of Shivaji Raje Bhosale. He was born on February 24, 1670. After the death of his brother, Sambhaji Maharaj, he become the king of Maratha empire in 1689. He was just 19 years old at that time.

The mother of Rajaram Maharaj was Soyarabai, the second wife of Shivaji Maharaj.

Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had sent Zulfiqar Khan against the Maratha army of Rajaram Maharaj, to capture Raigarh.

The widow of Shambhuji Maharaj, Yesu Bai, advised Rajaram Maharaj to move to Pratapgarh for safety, while she herself boldly stood the siege at Raigarh. Under this lady’s inspiration the Maratha army started an unprecedented fight against the Mughal army. They tried to prevent reinforcements from reaching Zulfiqar Khan at Raigarh, but the Maratha capital fell through the treachery of one of their own officers. Suryaji Pisal opened the gates to Zulfiqar Khan on 13th November, 1689 on the promise of the grant to him of the Deshmukhi watan of Wai which he had coveted for a long time. Yesu Bai and her young son Shahu and many other notable persons were taken prisoner and carried away by Zulfiqar Khan to the Mughal camp. Thereafter, Aurangzeb captured many other forts, but his triumph was short lived, for now the Maratha war of independence took the turn of a people’s war.

Rajaram Maharaj who was not a great organizing genius like his father. But he had support of many influential personalities, the most important among whom were Prahlad Niraji and Ram Chandra Nilkanth. They toiled hard to roll back the tide of the Mughal invasion. Under these two inspiring leaders, four lieutenants of exceptional abilities, namely, Paras Ram Trimbak Pratinidhi, Shankarji Narayan Sachiva, Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, worked wonders, frustrated Aurangzeb’s schemes and secured Maratha independence which had been lost by the capture of Shambhuji and the fall of their capital Raigarh.

After the capture of Raigarh, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj shifted the Maratha capital to Jinji. Aurangzed again sent the Mughal army under the leadership of Zulfiqar to Khan to capture Jinji. Though Maratha army was strong and enthusiastic, Jinji was finally captured by the Mughals in 1698.

The siege lasted for eight years, but Rajaram Maharaj had already escaped to Maharashtra. The struggle continued and Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav inflicted unspeakable misery on the imperialists, hovered round Aurangzeb’s own camp and plundered it more than once.

Chhatrapati Rajaram moved to Vishalgarh early in 1698. He established his court at Satara, and although it was lost soon afterwards, the Marathas recovered it in 1704. Rajaram Maharaj made a tour of his country and cheered up his officers in the various forts. The Maratha spirit by that time had risen high and they were gradually becoming confident of rolling back the tide of the Mughal invasion.

But Rajaram Maharaj soon after fell ill and died on March 2, 1700 at Sinhagad fort. He died at the early age of thirty.

Conclusion

Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj was barely ten years of age at the time of Shivaji’s death. He had not been given proper education. His great virtue as a ruler was that he gave his confidence and support to his ministers and rarely interfered with their work. Sambhaji’s capture and death, however, raised him to the throne. He was fortunate in having two advisers, Ramchandra Pant and Prahlad Niraji, of exceptional ability and two brave warriors, Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, to carry out his plans and policy.

Though, Rajaram Maharaj did not possessed the military genius of his father, his reigh is considered as the turning point in the history of Maratha war of Independence.

Related posts:

  1. Who was Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?
  2. Short Paragraph on Shivaji Jayanti (Birth Anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji)
  3. Rani Tarabai (Maratha Queen)
  4. Sambhaji Maharaj (Sambhaji Raje Bhosale)
  5. The Maratha War of Independence
  6. Short paragraph on Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj
  7. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
  8. Complete Biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
  9. Biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Shivaji Raje Bhosale)

Category: History of Mughal Empire Tagged With: Maratha Empire

Related Posts

  1. Who was Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?
  2. Short Paragraph on Shivaji Jayanti (Birth Anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji)
  3. Rani Tarabai (Maratha Queen)
  4. Sambhaji Maharaj (Sambhaji Raje Bhosale)
  5. The Maratha War of Independence
  6. Short paragraph on Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj
  7. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj
  8. Complete Biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
  9. Biography of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Shivaji Raje Bhosale)

Search ImportantIndia.com

Tag Cloud

Women In India Water Tribal People of India Tradition Tourism Short Moral Stories for Children Science and Technology Rivers in India Pollution Minerals in India Maratha Empire Mahatma Gandhi Indian Festivals Indian Constitution History of Akbar Himalayas in India Freedom Fighters of India Family System Education Ecosystem Communication Buddhism Battles and Wars in India Art and Architecture Agriculture in India

Categories

Archives

  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • Categories
  • History of India
    • History of Ancient India
    • History of Medieval India
    • History of Mughal Empire
    • Modern History of India
  • Important India
    • Administration in India
    • Indian Constitution
    • Parliament of India
  • Indian Geography
  • Indian Government
  • Indian Literature
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Report an Article
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Copyrights.

Copyright 2013 -2017 · Discover the Importance of India ·