The Maratha Empire: India's Forgotten Superpower That Challenged the British

Long before the British Raj, another power dominated the Indian subcontinent: the Maratha Empire. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the rise of the Marathas under Shivaji Maharaj, their guerilla warfare tactics, and their vast confederacy that stretched from Attock to Cuttack. They discuss the pivotal Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, where the Marathas suffered a devastating loss to Ahmad Shah Abdali's Durrani Empire, effectively ending their northward expansion. Lucas explains how the Maratha system of chauth and sardeshmukhi — a type of protection tax — funded their military campaigns, and how internal divisions among the Maratha chiefs weakened them just as the British East India Company was consolidating power. The episode covers key figures like Baji Rao I, the most celebrated peshwa, and his son Balaji Baji Rao, whose decisions at Panipat proved catastrophic. It also touches on the Maratha navy, which briefly rivaled European fleets, and the forts like Raigad and Sinhagad that symbolized Maratha resistance. A nuanced look at an empire that fought the Mughals, the Portuguese, and the British, but ultimately succumbed to internal strife and superior British diplomacy. #MarathaEmpire #ShivajiMaharaj #ThirdBattleOfPanipat #BajiRaoI #Peshwa #AhmadShahAbdali #MarathaNavy #Raigad #Sinhagad #Chauth #Sardeshmukhi #MarathaConfederacy #IndianHistory #ColonialIndia #MughalDecline #DurraniEmpire #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo