Udaipur : NCERT’s map for Class 8 depicts the entire Rajputana as part of the Maratha Empire, a claim that is entirely incorrect. The Marathas came only for ‘chauth’ collection, and looters cannot be declared emperors.
In 1326 CE, Hammir, grandson of Lakshman Singh’s son Ari Singh, became the ruler of Chittor. Lakshman Singh’s other son, Ajay Singh, had a son named Sajjan Singh, who moved to Maharashtra, where his descendants, including Chhatrapati Shivaji, envisioned the establishment of Hindu Pad Padshahi and Swaraj.
When Aurangzeb demanded jizya, Shivaji’s response — to first collect it from his elder brother Maharana Raj Singh — indicated that he considered his origins to be from Mewar. Chhatrapati Sahu’s request to send a prince from Mewar as an adopted son also reflects strong Maratha–Mewar ties. However, later looting parties not only damaged these relations but also troubled the common populace.
During Maharana Jagat Singh II’s reign, Peshwa Bajirao visited Mewar. As a high-born Brahmin and minister of another princely state, he was seated on a cushion before the royal throne alongside Udaipur’s chief priest.
The Marathas never collected tribute from Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Alwar, Karauli, Kishangarh, or Jhalawar. In Mewar, Marwar, Amer, and Hadoti, they initially participated in succession disputes in exchange for money and later looted and harassed innocent people.
Battles at Shipra (1769), Tunga (1787), Patan (1790), and Malpura (1800) were all fought against the Marathas. In one instance, Jaipur’s army and citizens killed thousands of these looters. If Rajputana was part of the Maratha Empire, such wars would not have occurred. Similarly, if Rajasthan was under Maratha control, the accusation that it did not support them in the Third Battle of Panipat would make no sense. No treaty exists in which Rajputana’s princely states accepted Maratha subordination.
The Marathas were mercenaries who plundered Rajputana but never governed it. Yet, the 1759 map depicts Rajputana as part of the Maratha Empire.
In 1769, during Maharana Ari Singh II’s reign, Mahadji Scindia led the Marathas to extract tribute from Mewar, while 8,000 Marathas under Raghu Paygiya and Daulamiya fought for Mewar in exchange for ₹20 lakh. That same year, in the Battle of Eklinggarh, Mahadji besieged the fort and initially demanded ₹70 lakh. Upon seeing Udaipur’s wealthy homes, he raised the demand to ₹90 lakh. Offended, Prime Minister Amarchand Badwa tore the agreement and prepared for battle. Eventually, the siege was lifted for ₹60 lakh.
Around 1775, Mahadji Scindia’s son-in-law Bahirji Takpir plundered homes in Chittor but was defeated by 10,000 Mewar soldiers sent by Maharana Hamir Singh II. Mahadji also attacked Begun and looted ₹9 lakh. From 1734 to 1778, records show the Marathas looted ₹1.81 crore from Mewar alone, excluding unrecorded loot from civilians.
In 1787, Ahilyabai Holkar sent an army under Tulaji Scindia against Mewar. Mahadji Scindia and Nana Sadashiv Rao’s forces joined en route. On 26 January 1788, a fierce battle took place at Hadkiya Khal. In the 1790s, Amba Ji Inglia, Ganesh Pant, and Lakwa plundered across Mewar, even fighting among themselves over stolen wealth.
In 1802, Yashwantrao Holkar attacked Mewar and demanded ₹3 lakh from Nathdwara temple’s Gosainji. On refusal, he planned to loot the temple, but Maharana Bhim Singh moved the idol of Shrinathji to Udaipur for safety. Umrao Vijay Singh of Kotharia died defending the temple. The idol was later restored to Nathdwara. In 1803, Holkar attacked again, looting ₹40 lakh.
Despite the 1759 depiction, the Marathas continued plundering Rajputana until 1818, when its rulers signed treaties with the British, one of whose conditions was protection from Maratha and Pindari raids — a promise fulfilled.
Udaipur’s population fell from 50,000 houses to just 3,000 after repeated Maratha invasions. Depicting all of Rajputana under Maratha rule insults Rajasthan’s history, as no true historian would make such a claim.
These facts clearly prove that the Marathas never had any administrative structure anywhere in Rajputana, where various princely states remained sovereign over their respective regions.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
