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How did the Marathas reduce Mughal control in northern India?
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Mughal dynasty
Emperors (from left, seated) Jahangir, Akbar, and Shah Jahan are depicted with their ministers (foreground) and Prince Dara Shikoh in a watercolor from India, c. 1630ā40.
The Marathas reduced Mughal control in northern India through a combination of military expansion, strategic diplomacy, and the systematic erosion of the empire's administrative authority. By the mid-18th century, the Mughal Empire had declined significantly, retaining only symbolic power centered around Delhi.12
The Marathas accelerated this decline through several key methods:
- Territorial Expansion and Tribute: Under the leadership of the peshwas, particularly Bajirao I and his successors, the Marathas expanded into regions such as Malwa, Gujarat, and eventually the Delhi region. They imposed their own tax regimes, including the collection of chauth (a 25 percent land revenue tribute), which effectively diverted resources away from the Mughal state.342
- Political Intervention: The Marathas frequently intervened in Mughal court politics and succession disputes, often acting as the "protectors" of the Mughal throne, as formalized in the 1752 Mughal-Maratha treaty.152
- Military Pressure: By occupying strategic areas and challenging other regional powers, the Marathas gradually replaced Mughal authority with their own, eventually dominating much of the subcontinent before their defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.315