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Maratha Dynasty
The Maratha dynasty came into ruling power by defeating the Mughal Empire in 1674. They were Hindus and especially, they also belonged to the families of peasants, soldiers and landowners in the western Deccan. At present, the province is known as Maharashtra.
Shivaji was one of the most respected Marathas who regained the empire defeating the Mughals and established ‘Hindavi Swarajya’. In the Maratha dynasty, there were different rulers like the Royal, the Peshwas and the Confederacy. Maratha fought for social justice, equality and reforms and established better administration in the regions where they ruled. The Maratha dynasty came to an end with the rise of British Empire in India in 1818.
Origins
Historically, it is said that the main founder of Maratha Empire was Shivaji. Under the true leadership of Shivaji, Maratha defeated Mughal and spread the empire in many of the central parts of India. They all were known for their virtues, dedication and faithfulness to the empire. Due to his extreme passionate ruling power over the opponents, Shivaji was coined as ‘Chatrapati Shivaji’.
During the Maratha rule, many Hindu emperors ruled the provinces and re-established Hindu empire in the regions. Shivaji won many battles and spread the Maratha Empire and then allowed his ministers, the Peshwas to rule that region.
Cultural Contributions
Art
During the reign of Maratha, there wasn’t much development of art and architecture. However, their palaces were built in ancient architectural ways. The Vishrambaugh Wada was developed under the rule of Maratha. It was rich in style and represents ancient Indian architecture.
Literature
The Maratha dynasty was famous for winning battles. Therefore, there isn’t any literary work development having been noticed. However, the Bhakti literature was written by the famous sants Tukaram and Samarth Ramdas. They contributed well to the literary work during Shivaji’s reign. Samarth Ramdas wrote Desbodh and Manache Shlokas in Marathi language.Â
Religion
The Marathas were all Hindus. So, it is but obvious that Hindu religion was at the peak. However, they respected each religion equally and did not become obstacles to the believers of other religions such as Muslims.