Mughal–Maratha Wars

The Mughal–Maratha Wars was a conflict between the Mughal Empire and the descendants of the Maratha ruler Shivaji from the time of Shivaji's death in 1680 until the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Shivaji was a central figure in what has been called "the Maratha insurgency" against the Mughal state. Both he and his son, Sambhaji, or Shambuji, typically, alternated between rebellion against the Mughal state and service to the Mughal sovereign in an official capacity. It was common practice in late 17th-century India for members of a ruling family of a small principality to both collaborate with the Mughals and rebel.

Upon Shivaji's death in 1680, he was immediately succeeded by Rajaram, his second-born son by his second wife. The succession was contested by Sambhaji, Shivaji's first-born son by his first wife, and quickly settled to his benefit by the murders of Rajaram's mother, of the loyal courtiers favouring Rajaram's succession, and by Rajaram's imprisonment for the following eight years. Although Sambhaji's rule was riven by factions, he conducted several military campaigns in southern India and Goa.

In 1681, Sambhaji was contacted by Prince Akbar, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's son, who was keen to renounce or resist his ageing father's authority by entering into a partnership with the Marathas. The prospects of an alliance incited Aurangzeb to move his household, court and army to the Deccan. Akbar spent several years under the protection of Sambhaji but eventually went into exile to Persia in 1686. In 1689 Sambhaji was captured by the Mughals, and executed with some cruelty. Sambhaji's wife and minor son, later named Shahuji was taken into the Mughal camp, and Rajaram, who was now an adult, was re-established as ruler; he quickly moved his base to Gingee, far into the Tamil country. From here, he was able to frustrate Mughal advances into the Deccan until 1700.

In 1707, Emperor Aurangzeb died. Although by this time the Mughal armies had regained total control over lands in the Deccan, their forts had been stripped bare of valuables by the exiting Marathas, who thereafter took to raiding Mughal territory in independently operating "roving bands." Sambhaji's son, Shahu who had been raised in the Mughal court received in 1719 the rights to the Chauth (25% of the revenue) and sardeshmukhi over the six Deccan provinces in exchange for his maintaining a contingent of 15,000 troops for the Mughal emperor.