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The term Marattas refers generally to the Marathi speaking people of Maharashtra state in india numbering about 35 million. In a narrow sense the term denotes members of the dominent caste in maharashtra. They claim kshatriya, or warrior, status and see themselves as equivalent to the Rajputs of the Punjab. The Marattas dominated the powerful Hindu state centered in maharashtra in the 17th, 18th and earlier 19th centuries. Of the persons concerned, none stands higher than the great shivaji - the founder of the mahratta empire. They owed allegiance to the deccan kingdoms and when they saw them being weakened by the Mughal attacks they broke away, expanded their powers and become a major source of harassment for the great mughal armies, shivaji declared himself the independent ruler of the maharatta kingdom and was crowned chhatrapati in 1674. After his death in 1680, the Mahrattas were led by peshvas ( chief ministers) in the name of shivaji`s successors, which eventually took the form of a confederacy. The mahrattas also fought three wars against the british (1775-87, 1803-05, 1817-18). This book brings together most important historical writings abou the great mahrattas in three large volumes, forming a historical antique inn itself to provide basic historical material not only for historians archaeologists but also for the general reader interested in indian history. This work still remains the only most authentic and reliable record of this great race- the Mahrattas. 3 volumes, index, appendix, biblo.Cloth.ISBN 81-702-956-0.
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