The Marathas, and mainly the family of Santaji Ghorpade, did not accept the Badshah, mounted a huge struggle, and brought much of the Carnatic under their control. After Aurangzeb’s death, when Shahu got the position of the Chhatrapati, he recognised his brothers at Tanjore and asked Shankaraji Mahadik to operate in those areas. Santaji’s brother Bahirji Hindurao Ghorpade and Bahirji’s son Sidhoji established their own rule all over the Carnatic based on their own strength, but in the Chhatrapati’s name, and made Gutti their central base. All this is described in the published papers from the Sondhe principality. If the dissension between Shahu and Sambhaji II had not come about, this enterprise of the Ghorpades would have got the support of the whole Maratha Confederacy, and not a single Muslim power would have remained in the Carnatic.
But many of the clever Muslim Subedars like Zulfiqar Khan, Daud Khan Panni, and Mubarij Khan etc. arose, who were capable enough to suppress the Ghorpades. Bahadurshah attacked Kaambaksh in year 1708. At that time, he recalled Daud Khan Panni from the Carnatic to Maharashtra for his help. Daud Khan while leaving entrusted the administration of Carnatic to his intelligent official Saadatullah Khan. Saadatullah was a brave, alert, and honest gentleman. He kept the Ghorpades and other rulers under his control and firmed up the Muslim rule in the Carnatic. He selected a convenient place Arcot right in the middle of Balaghat and Painghat and made it his permanent place of stay. This became famous as the capital of the Carnatic Nawabs later in history. Saadatullah died in 1732, and after this the power of the Nawabs declined.
Under Saadatullah’s lordship, many secondary Nawabs were managing the affairs at many places like Cudappah, Kurnool, Shire, Savnoor etc. They became hereditary in their own regions. These Nawabs were present in the battle of Sakharkherda to help Mubarij Khan. The Marathas later came into contact with many such Nawabs. The imperial grant notifications of 1719, gave the Marathas the Chauth rights over Mughal dominions. Bajirao accepted the responsibility of implementing these rights. This original objective of establishing the Hindupadpaadshahi which was born in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s mind, was taken up by Shahu as inheritance. Shahu’s simple desire was that the Nizam and Bajirao should act in unison and take care of the benefit of both parties.
Having met Bajirao three times and seen his intense nature, the Nizam realised that the truce with Shahu would not last. Bajirao was seen as ambitious, not amenable to any control by his king and desirous of founding an Empire. His demands were growing in conjunction with his military abilities. While the Nizam desired to have the Maratha army with him and was prepared to pay for its expenses, he did not want the Nawabs and Rajas of the south to pay any tribute to the Marathas. Here, he found Bajirao blocking his path and aspiring to extend Shahu’s kingdom to the south.
Shahu’s court had seen the first confrontation between Bajirao and Shripatrao Pratinidhi over the ‘north or south’ debate. Shahu had largely separated the two areas of influence thereafter, sending the Pratinidhi with Fatehsingh Bhosale to the campaigns in the Carnatic, and Bajirao to the north. Many Maratha chiefs, once unified under a strong king in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s time, now offered their services where they found better prospects. Outside powers such as the Nizam were always looking for opportunities to drive a wedge in the Confederacy. Many restless Maratha chiefs such as Udaji Chavhan, Chandrasen Jadhav, Raorambha and the sons of Santaji Ghorpade had already joined either Chhatrapati Sambhaji II of Kolhapur or the Nizam. The lack of a strong central authority to ensure cohesive action was driving this. However, with the monarchy itself divided between Satara and Kolhapur, this was a big ask.
In 1725 a seven-point treaty was signed between Shahu and Sambhaji II pledging to support each other in their fight with the Mughals. However, the arrival of the Nizam changed political equations in the Deccan. There was a short period of amity between Bajirao and the Nizam; their interests, however, soon drew them apart. The first theatre of conflict was the south, in the Carnatic.
To be continued…
NDHistories 