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Mahadaji Shinde (Marathi: महादजी शिंदे Mahādajī Śiṃdē) (c. 1730 – February 12, 1794), was a Maratha ruler of the state of Gwalior in central India. Mahadaji was instrumental in resurrecting Maratha power after the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, and rose to become a trusted lieutenant of the Peshwa, leader of the Maratha Empire. During his reign, Gwalior became the leading state in the Maratha Empire and one of the foremost military powers in India. After accompanying, Shah Alam II in 1771 to Delhi in order to restore the Mughal Empire,[2] Mahadji became Naib Wakil-i-Mutlaq (deputy regent of Mughal affairs). The Mughals also gave him the title of Amir-al-Umara (head of the amirs).[3]Contents [hide] 1 Shinde family 2 Wives 3 Early campaigns of Mahadji 3.1 South India 3.2 North India 4 Ruler of Gwalior 5 Later campaigns 6 First Anglo-Maratha War 6.1 Battle of Wadgaon, 1779 6.2 Defeat at Sipri 6.3 Treaty of Salbai 17 May 1782 7 Vakil-ul-Mutlak 8 Death and legacy 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

[edit] Shinde family Main article: Scindia family

Suhasini Shinde was the daughter of Jankojirao Shinde, the Patil of Kanherkhed in Maharashtra. Ranoji was put in charge of the Maratha armies in Malwa by the Peshwa. He conquered much of Malwa from the Mughal Empire, and fixed his headquarters in the ancient city of Ujjain, which ultimately became the capital of the Shinde dominion, which was known after its later capital of Gwalior. Ranoji died in 1745 and left three legitimate sons, Jayapa, Dattaji and Jotiba, and two illegitimate, Tukaji and Mahadji. He was succeeded by Jayappa Shinde who expanded their territories up to the River Yamuna Mahadji's mother was a Rajput woman named Chimabai. From an early age, he was given a thorough military education. He first went to war at the age of 10. [edit] Wives

Mahadji Shinde married to nine wives from Maratha community of Maharashtra viz. 1) Annapurnabai from Nimbalkar family of Beed, 2) Bhavanibai from Ghatge family, 3) Parvatibai from Sardar Narsing Ghatge family, 4) Bhavanibai from Deshmukh family of Sangamner, 5) pravinbai from Pokharkar family, 6) Radhabai from Padmasing Raul family, 7) Bhagirathibai from Kardekar family, 8) Yamunabai from Ramling Raul family and 9) Laxmibai from Bhope-Kadam family ( Bhope means devotee of Godess of Tuljapur ). [edit] Early campaigns of Mahadji [edit] South India

In 1742, the Maratha's were attacked by the Nizam of Hyderabad at Berar and Belur.1742 a war took place in berur and belur against the maratha. Balaji peshwa son of bajirao (i) forwarded Sardar Abajirao Jagdale of Garade (age 73), moroji and visaji pant brothers age approx (68) and (64) resp along with Mahadji(12 years) and Jyotiba Shinde(age 15 years) to handle the Matter. Both the Shinde Brothers along with only 1500 army reached berur and defeated the enemy next day morning the army under Sadashiv rao bhau rechead there and Mahadji had already set a camp for them. There was meeting between Mahadji, Jyotiba ji Shinde and Sadashivrao Bhau. Bhau ordered both the Shindes to capture the enemy army at belur. So Mahadji and Jyotiba Shinde reached belur to decide the matter finally and successfully won the war. [edit] North India Ahmad Shah Durrani and his coalition decisively defeat the Maratha Confederacy, during the Third Battle of Panipat and restore the Mughal Empire to Shah Alam II.[4]

Between 1745 and 1761, Mahadji fought in around 50 wars, including those in Malwa, Rajputana, Bundelkhand, Brij, Doab, Rohilkhand, Delhi, Kunjpur, and in the Battle of Panipat. Among the campaigns which Mahadji assisted, the notable ones include the ones at Chandravati Ganj (1746), Fatehabad (1746), Badi Sadri (1747), Marwar (1747), and Himat Nagar (1748)

The army of Malharrao Holkar joined the Shinde army to bring all the Rajput states under Maratha control and force them to accept Maratha suzerainty, as directed by the Peshwa. Under this campaign, several city states were added to the Maratha Empire such as Medtya, Ratangarh, Lalgarh, Bikaner, Laswari, Lachhmangarh, Kumher and Deeg and the states with territory of Jaipur and Jodhpur agreed to become vassals of the Maratha Empire. All the Jat states except Bharatpur and Vijaynagar too were conquered.

Mathura which was under Mughal rule was conquered by Mahadji in 1755 where he reconstructed various old temples and established a centre for Sanskrit learning. In January 1758, Mahadji established Gwalior as his headquarters. [edit] Ruler of Gwalior A Bazaar in Seendhiya's Camp,

Jayappa Shinde, the head of the Shinde family was murdered in his own house and was succeeded by his son Jankoji. In 1761, the Shindes joined the Peshwa's army led by Sadashivrao Bhau against the Afghan forces of Ahmad Shah Abdali at the Third Battle of Panipat. In this battle, Jankoji was taken prisoner and put to death. Dattaji, brother of Jayappa had also been killed previous year in a battle with Abdali's forces at Buradi Ghat in 1760 and so Mahadji being the next successor in line ascended as the ruler of the Gwalior state.

Mahadji too had fought at Panipat, and made a hair-breadth escape from the rout of the Maratha army. He suffered a serious wound in his leg, which left him with a limp for the rest of his life.

Besides his military training, Mahadji was also literate in Persian and Sanskrit. He used to read all his audits himself, unlike other rulers of later medieval India who employed scribes. [edit] Later campaigns

When the Maratha army crossed the Narmada in February 1770, the Jat king Nawal Singh of Bharatpur opposed them. However, in the battle on 6 April 1770 Mahadji defeated him and Maratha supremacy over the North was re-established.

In early 1771, ten years after the collapse of Maratha supremacy in North India following the Third Battle of Panipat, Mahadji recaptured Delhi and installed Shah Alam II as the puppet ruler on the Mughal throne.[5] He became Naib Vakil-i-mutlaq(deputy regent of Mughal affairs). The Mughals also gave him the title of Amir-ul-Amara(head of the amirs).[6] Mahadji ruled the Punjab as it was a Mughal territory and Sikh sardars and other Rajas of the cis-Sutlej region paid tributes to him.[7]

In 1777, Mahadji provided military assistance to the Peshwas against the Maratha army of Kolhapur. Mahadji besieged and attacked the town of Karvir in Kolhapur. [edit] First Anglo-Maratha War Mahadaji Sindhia entertaining a British naval officer and military officer with a nautch Main article: First Anglo-Maratha War

In 1773, Peshwa Narayanrao was murdered in a conspiracy involving his uncle Raghunathrao who placed himself as the next Peshwa although he was not a legal heir. Meanwhile, a group of twelve Maratha chiefs known as the Barbhai council made Narayanrao's infant son Sawai Madhavrao the legal Peshwa. The Barbhai council included Mahadji Shinde and Nana Phadnis, who was acted as the Peshwa's regent. Raghunathrao, unwilling to give up his position of power, sought help from the British East India Company at Bombay. [edit] Battle of Wadgaon, 1779

In 1777, Nana Phadnis violated his treaty with the Calcutta Council by granting the French a port on the west coast. The British replied by sending a force towards Pune. Mahadji Shinde joined forces with other Maratha generals to fight the British army supported by Raghunathrao.

In January 1779, the forces of British troops consisting of about 3,900 men under command of Col. Egerton marched towards Pune. They were joined on the way by Raghunath's forces, adding several thousand more soldiers, and more artillery. The Maratha army was commanded by Mahadji Shinde and Tukojirao Holkar. Mahadji slowed down the British march by firing from above a hill and sent forces under Jiwbadada Bakshi and Lakhbaji to cut off its supply lines by burning food and fodder. When they found out about this, the British halted at Talegaon near Pune. The Maratha cavalry harassed the British from all sides and applying a scorched earth policy, burnt farmland and poisoned wells. The British began to withdraw from Talegaon in the middle of the night, but the Marathas attacked, forcing them to halt at Wadgaon, where the British force was surrounded on 12 January 1779.

On 16 January, the British signed the Treaty of Wadgaon that forced the Bombay government to relinquish all territories acquired by East India Company in western India since 1773 which included Sashti (Salsette), Thane, and the entire Gujarat region. The British were also made to pay Rs. 41,000 as an indemnity to the army of Mahadji. It was agreed that Raghunathrao would be handed to the Marathas. On 18 January 1779 Mahadji captured Raghunathrao and his forces. He also defeated and arrested Sakharam Bapu and imprisoned him in the jail of Sinhagad. [edit] Defeat at Sipri

The British Governor-General in Bengal, Warren Hastings, rejected the Treaty of Wadgaon on the grounds that the Bombay officials had no legal power to sign it, and ordered Colonel Goddard to secure British interests in the area. Goddard's 6,000 troops captured Ahmedabad in February 1779, and Bassein in December 1780. Another Bengal detachment led by Captain Popham captured Gwalior in August 1780. Hastings sent yet another force commanded by Major Camac to harass Mahadji Shinde. In February 1781, the British beat Mahadji at the town of Sipri, but every move they made after that was shadowed by his much larger army, and their supplies were cut off, until they made a desperate night raid in late March, capturing not only supplies, but even guns and elephants. Thereafter, the military threat from Shinde's forces to the British was much reduced. [edit] Treaty of Salbai 17 May 1782 Main article: Treaty of Salbai

After Mahadji's defeat, he proposed a new treaty, known as the Treaty of Salbai, between the Peshwa and the British that would recognize Sawai Madhavrao as the Peshwa and grant Raghunathrao a pension. The treaty also returned to Shinde all his territories west of the Yamuna and so was made to withdraw to Ujjain. Mahadji was recognized as an independent chief and not as a vassal of the Peshwa. A resident, Mr. Anderson (who had negotiated the treaty) was at the same time appointed to Mahadji's court. [edit] Vakil-ul-Mutlak Shinde Chhatri, Pune is a memorial dedicated to Mahadji Shinde for his service as the commander-in-chief of the Maratha army. A mural of Amir-al-Umara (Head of the amirs), Naib Wakil-i-Mutlaq (Deputy Regent),[8] The Great Maratha, Shrimant Maharaja Mahadaji Shinde (Scindia), the Maharaja of Gwalior, India. In this mural, he is seen discussing political affairs with H. H. Shrimant Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa

Mahadji took full advantage of the system of neutrality pursued by the British to resurrect Maratha power over Northern India. In this he was assisted by Benoît de Boigne who increased Sindhia's regular forces to three brigades. With these troops Sindhia became a power in northern India.

After the growth in power of feudal lords like Malwa sardars, landlords of Bundelkhand and Rajput kingdoms of Rajasthan, they refused to pay tribute to Mahadji. So he sent his army conquer the states such as Bhopal, Datiya, Chanderi (1782), Narwar, Salbai and Gohad. He launched an expedition against the Raja of Jaipur, but withdrew after the inconclusive Battle of Lalsot in 1787.

The strong fort of Gwalior was then in the hands of Chhatar Singh, the Jat ruler of Gohad. In 1783, Mahadji besieged the fort of Gwalior and conquered it. He delegated the administration of Gwalior to Khanderao Hari Bhalerao. After celebrating the conquest of Gwalior, Mahadji Shinde turned his attention to Delhi.

On June 17, 1788 Mahadji's armies defeated Ismail Beg, a Mughal noble who resisted the Marathas. The Rohilla chief Ghulam Kadir, Ismail Beg's ally, took over Delhi, capital of the Mughal Empire, and deposed and blinded the Emperor Shah Alam II, placing a puppet on the Delhi throne. Mahadji intervened, taking possession of Delhi on October 2, restoring Shah Alam to the throne and acting as his protector. Mahadji sent de Boigne to crush the forces of Jaipur at Patan (June 20, 1790) and the armies of Marwar at Merta on September 10, 1790.

Mahadji reinstated the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II on his throne at Delhi, receiving in return the title of deputy Vakil-ul-Mutlak or vice-regent of the Empire and that of Vakil-ul-Mutlak being at his request conferred on the Peshwa.

Another achievement of Mahadji was his victory over the Nizam of Hyderabad’s army in a battle. The Nizam ceased be a factor in the north Indian politics after this battle and it generally confined itself in the Deccan afterwards. After the peace made with Tipu Sultan of Mysore in 1792, Mahadji successfully exerted his influence to prevent the completion of a treaty between the British, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the Peshwa, directed against Tipu.

By 1771 he had re-established Maratha power over North India. [edit] Death and legacy

De Boigne defeated the forces of Tukaji Holkar at Lakheri on 1 June 1793. Mahadji was now at the zenith of his power, when he died on February 12, 1794 at Wanowri near Pune. He left no heir, and was succeeded by Daulatrao Shinde, a grandson of his brother Tukaram Shinde, who was scarcely 15 years of age at the time.

Kini, the English Biographer of Mahadaji Shinde, has described Mahadaji as "the greatest man in Asia in the 18th century".[9] Mahadaji Shinde’s role was instrumental in establishing Maratha supremacy over North India. [edit] See also Maratha Clan System Shinde Chhatri Maratha Empire Gwalior State Shinde/Scindia Dynasty [edit] References ^ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC&pg=PA334&lpg=PA334&dq=daulatrao+scindia+punjab&source=bl&ots=UHK_WUGdoH&sig=CV3YuivuM4b0R-mR8KQUTa1d_hU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0J3AT6H1H8vqrQeP2LDFCQ&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=amir%20title&f=false ^ The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia - N. G. Rathod - Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 2012-07-21. ^ A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid ... - Farooqui Salma Ahmed, Salma Ahmed Farooqui - Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 2012-07-21. ^ S. M. Ikram (1964). "XIX. A Century of Political Decline: 1707–1803". In Ainslie T. Embree. Muslim Civilization in India. New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved 5 November 2011. ^ The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia - N. G. Rathod - Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 2012-05-26. ^ A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: From Twelfth to the Mid ... - Farooqui Salma Ahmed, Salma Ahmed Farooqui - Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 2012-05-26. ^ History Of The Marathas - R.S. Chaurasia - Google Books. Books.google.co.in. Retrieved 2012-05-26. ^ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=sxhAtCflwOMC&pg=PA334&lpg=PA334&dq=daulatrao+scindia+punjab&source=bl&ots=UHK_WUGdoH&sig=CV3YuivuM4b0R-mR8KQUTa1d_hU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0J3AT6H1H8vqrQeP2LDFCQ&ved=0CE4Q6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=amir%20title&f=false ^ http://books.google.co.in/books?id=uPq640stHJ0C&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156&dq=mahadji+shinde+titles&source=bl&ots=Ohyu5mwQmk&sig=vWWtlHI6zQ9eX8866sRgyIxtJcw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3h9DUL6UHc2qrAf7ioHYCA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=mahadji%20shinde%20titles&f=false Hunter, William Wilson, Sir, et al. (1908). Imperial Gazetteer of India, Volume 12. 1908–1931; Clarendon Press, Oxford. Keene, H. G. The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan e-text Markovits, Claude (ed.) (2004). A History of Modern India: 1480–1950. Anthem Press, London. [edit] External links Alija Srinath (www.bluwiki.org) Brief biography and detailed genealogy [1][dead link]Mahadaji Shinde Scindia Dynasty Born: 1730 Died: 12 February 1794 Regnal titles Preceded by Manajirao Scindia	Maharaja of Gwalior 1768–1794	Succeeded by Daulatrao Scindia [hide] v · t · e Maratha Empire

Rulers	Shivaji I · Sambhaji · Rajaram I · Tarabai · Shahu I · Rajaram II · Shahu II

Peshwas	Moropant Trimbak Pingle · Ramchandra Pant Amatya · Bahiroji Pingale · Parshuram Tribak Kulkarni · Balaji Vishwanath · Bajirao · Balaji Bajirao · Madhavrao Ballal · Narayanrao · Raghunathrao · Sawai Madhavrao · Baji Rao II · Amrutrao · Nana Sahib

Others	Ahilyabai Holkar · Gopikabai · Jankibai · Jijabai · Mastani · Muddupalani · Parvatibai · Putalabai · Radhikabai · Ramabai · Saibai · Sakavaarbai · Soyarabai · Umabaisaheb · Yesubai

Maratha Confederacy (Subsidiary or Feudatory states)	Bhonsle of Nagpur · Gaekwad of Baroda · Scindia of Gwalior · Holkar of Indore

Battles	Pratapgarh · Kolhapur · Pavan Khind · Surat · Sinhagad · Palkhed · Mandsaur · Riwas · 1st Delhi · Vasai · Trichinopoly · Expeditions in Bengal · Udgir · Attock · Peshawar · 3rd Panipat · Rakshabhuvan · Panchgaon · Gajendragad · Lalsot · Patan · Kharda · Poona · 2nd Delhi · Assaye · Laswari · Farrukhabad · Bharatpur · Khadki · Koregaon · Mahidpur · full list

Wars	Maratha War of Independence · Maratha-Mysore War · First Anglo-Maratha War · Second Anglo-Maratha War · Third Anglo-Maratha War

Adversaries	Adilshahi · Mughal Empire · Durrani Empir