Mahadaji Shinde (23 December 1730 – 13 February 1794), later known as Mahadji Scindia or Madhava Rao Scindia, was a
Maratha
The Marathi people (; Marathi: , ''Marāṭhī lōk'') or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, ''Marāṭhī'') are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-A ...
statesman and general who served as the
Maharaja of Gwalior
The Gwalior State was a List of Maratha dynasties and states,
state within the Maratha Confederacy located in Central India. It was ruled by the Scindia, House of Scindia (anglicized from Sendrak), a Hindu Maratha Confederacy, Maratha dynasty. ...
from 1768 to 1794. He was the fifth and the youngest son of
Ranoji Rao Scindia
Ranoji Scindia or Ranoji Shinde was a Maratha army commander and the founder of the Shinde clan, who served the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire in several military campaigns. The Scindia dynasty rose to prominence in the 18th century and went on ...
, the founder of the
Scindia dynasty
House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak was a Hindu Maratha Royal House that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. Ranoji Scindia rose as a prominent military commander under Peshwa Bajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants, a ...
. He is reputed for having restored the Maratha rule over North India and for modernizing his army.
Mahadji was instrumental in resurrecting Maratha power in North India after the
Third Battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 between the Maratha Empire and the invading army of the Durrani Empire. The battle took place in and around the city of Panipat, approximately north of Delhi. The Afghan (ethnonym), Af ...
in 1761, and he rose to become a trusted lieutenant of the
Peshwa
The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...
, leader of the
Maratha Confederacy
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states under the nominal leadership of the former.
...
. Along with
Madhavrao I
Madhavrao I (formerly known as Madhavrao Ballal Bhat) was the second son of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao and grandson of Peshwa Bajirao I, who served as the 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, the Maratha Empire recovered from losse ...
and
Nana Fadnavis
Nana Fadnavis (Pronunciation: aːna pʰəɖɳəʋiːs, fəɖ- also Phadnavis and Furnuwees and abbreviated as Phadnis) (12 February 1742 – 13 March 1800), born Balaji Janardan Bhanu, was a Maratha minister and statesman during the Peshwa a ...
, he was one of the three pillars of Maratha Resurrection. He modernized his army under adventurers like
Benoît de Boigne, which allowed Maratha dominance of North India. During his reign, Gwalior became the leading state in the
Maratha Confederacy
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states under the nominal leadership of the former.
...
and one of the foremost military powers in India. After accompanying
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
to
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
in 1771, he restored the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
in Delhi and became the ''Naib Vakil-i-Mutlaq'' (Deputy Regent of the Empire).
Mahadji Shinde fought about 50 battles in his lifetime against various opponents. He defeated the
Jats
The Jat people (, ), also spelt Jaat and Jatt, are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, many Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in ...
of Mathura and during 1772–73
Pathan
Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
Rohillas
Rohillas are a community of Pashtun heritage, historically found in Rohilkhand, a region in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It forms the largest Pashtun diaspora community in India, and has given its name to the Rohilkhand region. The Roh ...
in
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand (today Bareilly, Moradabad, Badaun and Rampur; ) is a region in the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh, India, that is centered on the Bareilly and Moradabad divisions. It is part of the upper Ganges Plain, and is named after the ...
and captured
Najibabad
Najibabad is a town in the Bijnor district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, located near the city of Bijnor. It is a major industrial centre and has national transport links via rail and roadways such as NH 119 and NH 74.
History
Nawab ...
. His role during the
First Anglo-Maratha War
The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) was the first conflict fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Empire in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. As per the treaty, th ...
was greatest from the Maratha side since he defeated the British in the
Battle of Wadgaon
The Battle of Wadgaon (12–13 January 1779) was fought between the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company near Vadgaon Maval village in Maharashtra and was part of the First Anglo-Maratha War.
Event
A British force of over 3 ...
which resulted in the Treaty of Wadgaon and then again in Central India, singlehandedly, which resulted in the
Treaty of Salbai
The Treaty of Salbai was signed on 17 May 1782, by representatives of the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company after long negotiations to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War it was signed between Warren
Hastings ...
in 1782, where he mediated between the
Peshwa
The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...
and the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
. Mahadaji Shinde was also a scholar of Sanskrit.
Relations with the Mughals
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
spent six years in the Allahabad fort and after the
capture of Delhi in 1771 by the Marathas, left for his capital under their protection. He was escorted to Delhi by Mahadaji Shinde and left Allahabad in May 1771. During their short stay, Marathas constructed two temples in the Allahabad city, one of them being the famous
Alopi Devi Mandir
Alopi Devi Temple is a Hindu temple, situated in Alopibagh in Prayagraj in state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is near to the holy Lingam, Sangam, or confluence, where the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the legendary Sarasvati River, Sarasvati meet. ...
. After reaching Delhi in January 1772 and realizing the Maratha intent of territorial encroachment, Shah Alam ordered his general
Najaf Khan to drive them out. In retaliation,
Tukoji Rao Holkar
Tukoji Rao Holkar (26 June 1723 – 15 August 1797), belonging to the Holkar clan of the Maratha Empire was the feudatory ruler of Indore (r. 1795–1797). Tukoji Holkar was the adopted son of Malhar Rao Holkar, he was the second son of ...
and
Visaji Krushna Biniwale attacked Delhi and defeated Mughal forces in 1772.
The Marathas were granted an imperial ''
sanad Sanad may refer to:
People Given name
*Sanad Al Warfali (born 1992), Libyan footballer
*Sanad Ali (born 1988), Emirati footballer
*Sanad Bushara Abdel-Nadief (born 1947), Sudanese footballer
*Sanad ibn Ali, 9th century Iraqi Jewish astronomer, tran ...
'' for Kora and Allahabad. They turned their attention to Oudh to gain these two territories. Shuja was however, unwilling to give them up and made appeals to the English and the Marathas did not fare well at the Battle of Ramghat. The Maratha and British armies fought in Ram Ghat, but the sudden demise of the Peshwa and the civil war in
Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
to choose the next Peshwa forced the Marathas to retreat.
Mahadji Sindhia
Mahadaji Shinde (23 December 1730 – 13 February 1794), later known as Mahadji Scindia or Madhava Rao Scindia, was a Maratha statesman and general who served as the Maharaja of Gwalior from 1768 to 1794. He was the fifth and the youngest son o ...
was deputed the ''
Vakil-i-Mutlaq
The Vakil-i-Mutlaq (), variously translated as the Lieutenant Plenipotentiary, the Regent Plenipotentiary, the Vicegerent or the Imperial Regent, was an important office in the Government of the Mughal Empire, first in ministerial hierarchy and o ...
'' (Regent of the empire) of Mughal affairs in 1784.
R.S. Chaurasia says in regards to Mahadaji Shinde's relationship with Shah Alam II that though the
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
was in name the sovereign of India in practice he was a puppet overseen by Mahadaji Shinde. William Dalyrmple states that Sindhia had kept the imperial family starved and quotes a couplet of Shah alam II to Sindhia which states: "Having lost my kingdom and wealth, I am now in your hands, do as you wish"
.
File:Planquin gifted by Shah Alam, Mughal Emperor.jpg, Planquin gifted to Shinde from Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
at Jai Vilas Palace Museum, Gwalior
Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...
File:Seals authorizing Mahadji Shinde as Wakil-i-Mutalik of the Mughal Emperor.jpg, Seals authorizing Mahadji Shinde as Wakil-i-Mutalik of the Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
File:Badshahi Panjaa.jpg, Badshahi Panjaa - Hand, a dignity conferred upon Mahadji Shinde by the Mughal Emperor
Battles in Rohilkhand

The Marathas invaded
Rohilkhand
Rohilkhand (today Bareilly, Moradabad, Badaun and Rampur; ) is a region in the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh, India, that is centered on the Bareilly and Moradabad divisions. It is part of the upper Ganges Plain, and is named after the ...
to retaliate against the Rohillas' participation in the
Panipat
Panipat () is an industrial , located 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-44 in Panipat district, Haryana, India. It is famous for three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761. The city is also known as ...
war. The Marathas under the leadership of Mahadji Shinde entered the ''
land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land sur ...
'' of
Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royal family, royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other Aristocracy (class), aristocrats. It ha ...
Najib-ud-Daula which was held by his son
Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan Rohilla (died 21 January 1785) was a Rohilla chieftain in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
Biography
Zabita Khan was the eldest son of Najib-ud-Daula, a leader of the Afghan Rohilla and founder of the city of Najibabad ...
after the sardar's death. Zabita Khan initially resisted the attack with Sayyid Khan and Saadat Khan behaving with gallantry, but was eventually defeated with the death of Saadat Khan by the Marathas and was forced to flee to the camp of
Shuja-ud-Daula
Shuja-ud-Daula (19 January 1732 – 26 January 1775) was the third Nawab of Oudh and the Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 until his death 26 January 1775.
He was a key 18th-century Mughal ally who despised the Maratha-backed Imad-ul-Mulk. ...
and his country was ravaged by Marathas.
Mahadji Shinde captured the family of Zabita Khan, desecrated the grave of
Najib ad-Dawlah
Najib ad-Dawlah (), also known as (), was an Afghan Yousafzai Rohilla who earlier served as a Mughal serviceman but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1757 in his attack on Delhi. He was also a House C ...
and looted his fort. With the fleeing of the Rohillas, the rest of the country was burnt, with the exception of the city of Amroha, which was defended by some thousands of
Amrohi Sayyid tribes.
The Rohillas who could offer no resistance fled to the Terai whence the remaining Sardar
Hafiz Rahmat Khan
Hafiz Rahmat Khan (1723 – April 1774) was the Regent of Rohilkhand in North India, from 1749 to 1774. He was a Pashtun by background, ruling over the Rohilla. Hafiz Rahmat Khan had served honorably throughout the reign of three Mughal Empe ...
Barech sought assistance in an agreement formed with the Nawab of
Oudh
The Kingdom of Awadh (, , also Oudh State, Kingdom of Oudh, Awadh Subah, or Awadh State) was a Mughal subah, then an independent kingdom, and lastly a British protectorate in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the Br ...
, Shuja-ud-Daula, by which the Rohillas agreed to pay four million rupees in return for military help against the Marathas.
Hafiz Rehmat, abhoring unnecessary violence unlike the outlook of his fellow Rohillas such as Ali Muhammad and Najib Khan, prided himself on his role as a political mediator and sought the alliance with Awadh to keep the Marathas out of Rohilkhand. He bound himself to pay on behalf of the Rohillas. However, after he refused to pay,
Oudh
The Kingdom of Awadh (, , also Oudh State, Kingdom of Oudh, Awadh Subah, or Awadh State) was a Mughal subah, then an independent kingdom, and lastly a British protectorate in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the Br ...
attacked the Rohillas.
First Anglo Maratha War (1775–1782)

After the defeats of the able British generals, Goddard and Murre in
Konkan
The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...
and
Central India
Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...
, respectively,
Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings (6 December 1732 – 22 August 1818) was a British colonial administrator, who served as the first governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and so the first governor-gener ...
was forced to accept a fresh treaty, known as the
Treaty of Salbai
The Treaty of Salbai was signed on 17 May 1782, by representatives of the Maratha Confederacy and the British East India Company after long negotiations to settle the outcome of the First Anglo-Maratha War it was signed between Warren
Hastings ...
, recognizing the terms of the Marathas, which were to recognize
Sawai Madhavrao
Madhavrao II (18 April 1774 – 27 October 1795) was the 12th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy, from his infancy. He was known as Sawai Madhav Rao or Madhav Rao Narayan. He was the posthumous son of Narayanrao Peshwa, murdered in 1773 on the o ...
as the Peshwa and grant
Raghunathrao
Raghunathrao, also known as Ragho Ballal or Raghoba Dada (18 August 1734 – 11 December 1783), was the younger son of Peshwa Bajirao I who served as the 11th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire for a brief period from 1773 to 1774.
He defeated ...
a pension.
The treaty also forced the British to evacuate and return to Shinde all his territories west of the
Ganges
The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
. A resident, Mr. David Anderson (1750-1825), of St. Germains (who had negotiated the treaty) was at the same time appointed to Mahadji's court.
Later years (1785-1792)
Relations with Sikhs
The Maratha-Sikh treaty in 1785 made the small Cis-Sutlej states, autonomous protectorate of the
Scindia Dynasty
House of Scindia or earlier known as the Sendrak was a Hindu Maratha Royal House that ruled the erstwhile Gwalior State in central India. Ranoji Scindia rose as a prominent military commander under Peshwa Bajirao I. Ranoji and his descendants, a ...
and established Maratha influence once again in the Punjab region. All Sikh Sardars and Rajas paid tribute to
Mahadji as he was deputed the ''Vakil-i-Mutlaq'' (Regent of the empire) of Mughal affairs in 1784.
Relations with Durrani Empire
Mahadaji Shinde's achievements impressed
Timur Shah Durrani
Timur Shah Durrani (; ;), also known as Timur Shah Abdali or Taimur Shah Abdali (December 1746 – 20 May 1793) was the second ruler of the Afghan Durrani Empire, from November 1772 until his death in 1793. An ethnic Pashtun, he was the second e ...
, ruler of Afghanistan. He sent peace proposals to Mahadaji Shinde offering the Marathas dominion up to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
and the Shah should have control beyond that territory. Both parties agreed to support one another during times of crisis, with the Afghan ruler committing to provide Sindia with 10,000 cavalry if needed. Although these assurances yielded no successful results, they underscored how Sindia’s steadfast courage and unyielding resolve had made the Marathas a powerful and respected force in North India Writes a contemporary: “Such moves are new and are the result of increased prestige of the
Peshwa
The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave t ...
”.
Revolt of Mughals under Ismail Beg
In 1788,
Isma'il Beg
Mirza Ismail Beg Hamdani (died March 1794) was a Mughal Commander of Persian origin. Son of Mirza Munim Beg and a kinsman of Mirza Najaf Khan, he along with his family fled Persia at the rise of Nadir Shah.
Biography
Arriving in India many me ...
, a
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
who served as a general in the Mughal army along with a few hundred Mughal-Rohilla troops led a large-scale revolt against the
Marathas
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
, who dominated North India at the time. The reason for this revolt is unknown but most suspect that he was trying to resurrect the
Islamic glory in
North India
North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
and depose the
Hindu Marathas. However, the revolt was immediately crushed and Isma'il Beg was defeated and executed by the Scindian armies.
Defeat and execution of Ghulam Qadir
Thereafter, a Rohilla warlord named
Ghulam Qadir, descendant of the infamously treacherous
Najib-ud-Daualh and an ally of Isma'il Beg, captured Delhi, capital of the Mughals and deposed and blinded the Mughal emperor
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II (; 25 June 1728 – 19 November 1806), also known by his birth name Ali Gohar, or Ali Gauhar, was the seventeenth Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II. Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power w ...
, placing
a puppet on the imperial throne. He unleashed untold atrocities on the royal family and common populace, slaughtering thousands and looting about 22 Crores. However on 2 October 1788, Mahadji Scindia, upon hearing this news, quickly re-assembled his army and captured Delhi, torturing and eventually killing Ghulam Qadir and restoring Shah Alam II to the throne.
Subjugation of Rajputana
In 1787, Mahadji attempted to invade
Rajputana
Rājputana (), meaning Land of the Rajputs, was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the entire present-day States of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, parts of the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and adjo ...
but he was repulsed by the
Rajput
Rājpūt (, from Sanskrit ''rājaputra'' meaning "son of a king"), also called Thākur (), is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating fro ...
armies at
Lalsot
Lalsot is a prominent municipality city and the largest urban hub within the Dausa district of Rajasthan, India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by are ...
. However, he regrouped his forces and in 1790, he avenged his defeat by crushing the Rajput kingdoms of
Jodhpur
Jodhpur () is the second-largest city of the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, after its capital Jaipur. As of 2023, the city has a population of 1.83 million. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Jodhpur district and ...
and
Jaipur
Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...
in the battles of
Patan and
Merta, thereby reducing all major Rajput states to tributary status of the Marathas.
Other achievements
He worked with the English during the revolt of 1781 and played an important role in capturing Maharaja Chait Singh of Benares and crushing the revolt Another achievement of Mahadji was his victory over the
Nizam
Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
of Hyderabad. After making peace with
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
of Mysore in 1792, Mahadji is said to have exerted his influence to prevent the completion of an alliance between the British, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and the Peshwa against Tipu.
Spouses
Shinde has a total of nine wives including:
* Annapurnabai (from
Nimbalkar
Nimbalkar is a Maratha clan descent from Nimbraj Parmar, direct descendant of Jagdeva Parmar. Nimbalkar derives its surname from the forest of Nimbalak in Phaltan taluka, Satara district, Maharashtra, India. Nimbalkars are famously known for ...
family of
Beed
Beed (Marathi pronunciation: iːɖ is a city and headquarters of eponymous Beed district of Maharashtra state in India.
History
Beed is a historical city of possibly medieval origin. Its early history is obscure. Historians speculate, base ...
)
* Bhavanibai (from Ghatage family)
* Parvatibai (Sister of Narsingh Ghatage)
* Bhavanibai (from Mhaske-Deshmukh family of
Sangamner
Sangamner is a city and a municipal council located in the Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra state in India.
It derives its name from the site of the ''sangam'' (confluence) of three rivers in the area: the Pravara, Mhalungi, and Adhala.
Sa ...
)
* Gangabai (from Palavekar family)
* Radhabai (from Padamsinh Raul family)
* Bhagirathibai (from Kardekar family)
* Yamunabai (from Ramling Raul family)
* Lakshmibai (from Bhope-Kadam family of
Tuljapur
Tuljapur is a town with a municipal council in Dharashiv District in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative seat of Tuljapur taluka.
Tuljapur is the location of the annual Tulja Bhavani fair during Navaratri, i.e., in the mon ...
,
Osmanabad
Osmanabad, officially known as Dharashiv, is a city and a municipal council in Osmanabad district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Maharashtra. The city is the administrative headquarter of Osmanabad district. It is the ...
)
Death and legacy

After the Battle of Lakheri, Mahadji was now at the zenith of his power, when he died, at his military camp at Wanawdi near Pune on 12 February 1794. He left no male heir, and was succeeded by
Daulat Rao Scindia
Daulat Rao Scindia (1779 – 21 March 1827) also conferred with the title "''The defender of Delhi"'' was the Maratha Maharaja of Gwalior state in central India from 1794 until his death in 1827. His reign coincided with struggles for supremac ...
.
Keeney, the English biographer of Mahadaji Shinde, has described Mahadaji as ''the greatest man in India in the 18th century''.
Page 156
The Great Maratha Mahadaji Scindia, By N. G. Rathod, Publisher: Sarup & Sons, 1994, , 9788185431529 Mahadaji Shinde's role was instrumental in establishing Maratha supremacy over North India
North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ...
.
Shinde Chhatri, located in Wanawadi, in Pune
Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
is a memorial dedicated to Mahadji Shinde. It is a hall that marks the spot of Mahadji Shinde's cremation on 12 February 1794. The three storied memorial in Rajput architectural style, is one of the most significant landmarks in the city.
File:Portrait of Mahadaji Scindia.jpg, Portrait of Mahadaji Shinde by James Wales c.18th century
File:Maharaja Mahadji Shinde and Sawai Madhu Rao II Narayan Peshwa.jpg, Mahadji Shinde with Peshwa Madhavrao II
Madhavrao II (18 April 1774 – 27 October 1795) was the 12th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy, from his infancy. He was known as Sawai Madhav Rao or Madhav Rao Narayan. He was the posthumous son of Narayanrao Peshwa, murdered in 1773 on the o ...
File:Mahadji Shinde's handwriting.jpg, Handwriting of Mahadji Shinde
File:A Bazaar in Seendhiya's Camp,.jpg, Army camp Built by Shinde painted in 1813 by John Augustus Atkinson
John Augustus Atkinson ( – 1830) was an English artist, engraver and watercolourist.
Life
Atkinson was born in London. In 1784, he went to St. Petersburg to his uncle James Walker (engraver), James Walker, engraver to the empress Catherine th ...
File:Shinde Chhatri 10.jpg, Statue of Mahadaji Shinde, inside the Shinde Chhatri
In popular culture
* In 1988 Doordarshan Serial Bharat Ek Khoj
''Bharat Ek Khoj'' () is a 53-episode Indian historical drama based on the book '' The Discovery of India'' (1946) by Jawaharlal Nehru that covers a 5,000-year history of the Indian subcontinent from its beginnings to independence from the Brit ...
produced and directed by Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal (14 December 1934 – 23 December 2024) was an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema, he is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. H ...
also picturised an episode where the titular role of Mahadaji Shinde was played by noted TV actor Shreechand Makhija
Shreechand Makhija (born 20 March 1940) (also spelt as Srichand Makhija) is an Indian film and television actor. He has appeared in a number of serials as well as films and is prominently known for his role of Chaurasia in the Indian sitcom ' ...
.
* In 1994, a TV series named ''The Great Maratha
''The Great Maratha'' is an Indian historical drama television series directed by Sanjay Khan and produced by Numero Uno International Limited. The drama aired on DD National. The series is based on the life of Mahadaji Shinde. The show compr ...
'' aired on DD National
DD National (formerly DD1) is an Indian state-owned entertainment television channel, founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is the flagshi ...
based on the life history of Mahadji Shinde. Shahbaz Khan Shahbaz Khan may refer to:
* Shahbaz Khan (actor), formerly Haider Amir, Indian actor
* Shahbaz Khan (colonel), Pakistan Army colonel
* Shahbaz Khan (cricketer) (born 1991), Pakistani cricketer
* Shahbaz Khan (hydrologist), Australian climatologi ...
portrayed the character of Mahadji Shinde in this serials TV-series.
* In the 2019 Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
film ''Panipat
Panipat () is an industrial , located 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-44 in Panipat district, Haryana, India. It is famous for three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761. The city is also known as ...
'', based on the third battle of Panipat, where Mahadji was injured, his role was played by Sanjay Khapre.
See also
* Mahadji Scindia Sports Complex
References
Further reading
*
* Hunter, William Wilson, Sir, et al. (1908). ''Imperial Gazetteer of India'', Volume 12. 1908–1931; Clarendon Press, Oxford.
* Keene, H. G. ''The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan'
e-text
*
*
* Karkare, Neelesh Ishwarchandra (2013). [श्रीनाथ माधवजी : महायोद्धा महादजी की शौर्यगाथा / प्रथम संस्करण / प्रकाशन वर्ष - २०१३ / लेखक :- पण्डित नीलेश ईश्वरचन्द्र करकरे] / (Research book) Shreenath Madhavji: Mahayoddha Mahadji Ki Shourya Gatha/ First Edition
*
* Markovits, Claude (ed.) (2004). ''A History of Modern India: 1480–1950''. Anthem Press, London.
* Mishra, Amitabh (1 January 2007). Heritage Tourism in Central India: Resource Interpretation and Sustainable Development Planning. Kanishka Publishers, Distributors. p. 42. .
*
*"Mosque and Tomb of the Emperor Sultan Mahmood of Ghuznee". British Library. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
*101 pilgrimages. Outlook India Pub. 2006. p. 79
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madhavrao Scindia
Maratha Chiefs in the Maratha Empire
1730 births
1794 deaths
Scindia dynasty
Peshwa dynasty
Indian military leaders
Hindu monarchs
18th-century regents
Maharajas of Gwalior