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Raghuji II (died 22 March 1816), or Raghuji was the
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 ...
ruler of the
Kingdom of Nagpur The Kingdom of Nagpur was a kingdom within the Maratha Confederacy in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was ruled by the Maratha Bhonsles of Nagpur, Bhonsle dynasty in the mid-18th century. The city of Nagpur was the capital of the state. After ...
in Central India from 1788 to 1816.


Reign

Raghuji was adopted as an infant by his uncle
Janoji Bhonsle Janoji I (Janoji Bhonsle, ; reigned 14 February 175521 May 1772) was the second Maharaja of Nagpur from the Bhonsle dynasty. He was one of the four legitimate sons of Raghuji I. Following a succession dispute with his brothers, Janoji ascended t ...
to be his chosen heir. Janoji died in 1772, and his brothers fought for succession, until Madhoji shot the other in the Battle of Panchgaon, six miles south of Nagpur, and succeeded to the regency on behalf of Raghuji. The Nagpur Kingdom reached its greatest extent in the first half of Raghuji's reign. "The prince," writes Colebrooke, "has a taste for architecture, which he has displayed in the palace he has built for himself.” The building of the Nagpur palace took six years. Artisans from
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 ...
,
Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia language, Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised f ...
, and Kashi came to Nagpur. Masons and carpenters employed for building the new Bhonsle Palace were rewarded with golden bracelets worth Rs. 250 each. There were four quadrangles and four halls of mirrors in this new palace. The Palace had 2 storeys and five halls of mirrors. Raghuji founded one new ward at Sonegaon. The temples of Tulshibag and Ram-Kshetra and one in Induli garden were built. Raghuji had the fort of Umred built and a map of Sioni fort prepared. Daily, forty Brahmins dined in the Nagpur Bhonsle Palace. Raghuji built several temples and had idols of Vishnu, Lakshmi and Garuda ordered from Pune to be installed. Religious functions were marked by the distribution of lavish grants to the Brahmins. Cows with golden tops on the horns and silver hoofs were given to the Brahmins on the day of eclipse. Nearly one lakh every year were spent on charity. Throughout the year several festivals were celebrated with pomp and pleasure. Nagpur at the end of the eighteenth century was a city of lakes and gardens. The famous
Henry Thomas Colebrooke Henry Thomas Colebrooke FRS FRSE FLS (15 June 1765 – 10 March 1837) was an English orientalist and botanist. He has been described as "the first great Sanskrit scholar in Europe". Biography Henry Thomas Colebrooke was born on 15 June ...
was given one bungalow in the Telangkhedi garden by the Maratha King. Henry describes it thus "The garden is laid out in straight walks with cut hedges".
Henry Thomas Colebrooke Henry Thomas Colebrooke FRS FRSE FLS (15 June 1765 – 10 March 1837) was an English orientalist and botanist. He has been described as "the first great Sanskrit scholar in Europe". Biography Henry Thomas Colebrooke was born on 15 June ...
describes another garden of Raghuji himself: "It is small but pretty; and the numerous buildings and splendid decoration are elegant. The effect is particularly pleasing at night, when the fountains play and the whole garden is illuminated." In 1792 Raghuji spent rupees 2 lakhs for the building of Tulshibag. Gardening experts were brought from Cuttack. A number of gardens are mentioned in the correspondence: Phutale lake, Sonegaon, Gulab (rose), Shivni, Induli, Hansaputi, Moti, and also personal gardens of Ramaji Tatya, Khushalpure, Umaji Mahadev, Manajirao Appasaheb Ghatge, Gujajiraje Babasaheb Gujar. Gardens of Telangkhedi, Sakardara and Najarbag were famous. The well-known lakes were Sakardara, Ambajhari, Telangkhedi, and Phutale. There were more than 1500 wells in Nagpur city alone. Like the contemporary kings, Raghuji was also fond of horses and his cavalry consisted of 10,000 horses. Horses from Lakhi jungle, along with Turki and Bhimthadi horses were purchased. The horse dealers were usually honoured with turbans and shawls. Raghuji was a superb rider of high pedigree horses like his ancestors and appreciated and rewarded excellent riders with gold bracelets and clothes of honour. The Maratha sardars and the Nagpur Bhonsle family had many pastimes. Raghuji amused himself by witnessing animal fights, firing rockets, shooting arrows, fishing, playing sticks (bothati), or
game of chance A game of chance is in contrast with a game of skill. It is a game whose outcome is strongly influenced by some randomizing device. Common devices used include dice, spinning tops, playing cards, roulette wheels, numbered balls, or in the case ...
,
horse riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
, and boating. Dancing girls from far and wide came to Nagpur for their performances. Venkat Narsi from
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
, Firoz, Lallan and Rami from
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 ...
and one from
Ujjain Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...
came and performed their dances. Singers were rewarded after their test was taken. Lady singers like Krishna, Bagi, Gendi, and male singers like Alamshayen, Jafar Khan and Mithumia from Lucknow, and Karim Khan had their sittings in the Maratha kingdom. In spite of his weaknesses, Raghuji II's rule was lauded by many. Blunt, while travelling in 1795, entered the dominion of the Bhonsles and wrote, "The change of the scene was truly gratifying: and the Maratha government being well established and the country highly cultivated, we met with civil treatment and abundance of every species of grain." Nagpur, under Raghuji II, was a prosperous and jubilant city in the eighteenth century.


Battles with the British

Raghoji II acquired
Hoshangabad Hoshangabad (Hindi: ), officially Narmadapuram (), is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Hoshangabad district and Narmadapuram division. It is located in central ...
and the lower Narmada valley between 1796 and 1798. In 1803 Raghuji united with
Daulat Rao Sindhia 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 ...
of Gwalior against the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
in the
Second Anglo-Maratha War Second Anglo-Maratha War (from 1803 –1805) was a large conflict within the Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire involving the British East India Company. It resulted in major loss of territory for the Marathas, including regions around Delhi a ...
. The two Maratha rulers were decisively defeated at Assaye and
Argaon Argaon, or Argaum is a village in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra state in (India). Ratnagiri is a coastal district on the Arabian Seafront. The landmass on the western part of Maharashtra along the Arabian Sea, sandwiched between the se ...
, and by the Treaty of Deogaon of that year Raghuji ceded
Cuttack Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia language, Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised f ...
, southern
Berar Berar may refer to: *Vidarbha, the eastern region of Maharashtra, India, historically known as Berar * Berar Sultanate (1490–1596), one of the Deccan sultanates *Berar Subah (1596–1724), a subah (province) of the Mughal Empire *Berar Province ( ...
, and
Sambalpur Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Samb ...
to the British, although
Sambalpur Sambalpur () is the fifth largest city in the Indian State of Odisha. It is located on the banks of river Mahanadi, with a population of 335,761 (as per 2011 census). Prehistoric settlements have been recorded there. It is the home of the Samb ...
and Patna was not relinquished until 1806. To the close of the 18th century the Maratha administration had been on the whole good, and the country had prospered. The first four of the
Bhonsale Bhonsle are a group within the Maratha clan system. Bhonsle or its variants may also refer to: * Anubha Bhonsle, Indian TV and print journalist, author * Nagesh Bhonsle (also Bhosle or Bhosale), Indian film, television and theatre actor * Dig ...
s were military chiefs with the habits of rough soldiers, connected by blood and by constant familiar interaction with all their principal officers. Up to 1792 their territories were seldom the theater of hostilities, and the area of cultivation and revenue continued to increase under a fairly equitable and extremely simple system of government. After the Treaty of Deogaon, however, all this had changed. Raghuji II was deprived of a third of his territories, and he attempted to make up the loss of revenue from the remainder. The villages were mercilessly rack-rented, and many new taxes imposed. During the Bhonsle-English wars the
Nawab of Bhopal The Nawabs of Bhopal were the Muslim rulers of Bhopal, now part of Madhya Pradesh, India. The nawabs first ruled under the Mughal Empire from 1707 to 1737, under the Maratha Confederacy from 1737 to 1818, then under British rule from 1818 to 19 ...
had taken Husangabad and Sivani from the Bhonsles. In 1807 Raghuji sent his army and captured Cainpurvadi and Cankigad of the Bhopal territory. Later he entered into an agreement with the Shindes for a concerted attack on Bhopal. The two armies besieged Bhopal fort in 1814. But Raghuji withdrew his forces when the
Nawab of Bhopal The Nawabs of Bhopal were the Muslim rulers of Bhopal, now part of Madhya Pradesh, India. The nawabs first ruled under the Mughal Empire from 1707 to 1737, under the Maratha Confederacy from 1737 to 1818, then under British rule from 1818 to 19 ...
asked for British help. The pay of the troops was in arrears, and they maintained themselves by plundering the cultivators, while at the same time commenced the raids of the Pindaris, who became so bold that in 1811 they advanced to Nagpur and burnt the suburbs. It was at this time that most of the numerous village forts were built, to which on the approach of these marauders the peasant retired and fought for bare life, all he possessed outside the walls being already lost to him. Raghuji died on 22 March 1816 and succeeded by his son Parsoji II.


Personal life

Raghoji II's favourite queen was Bakabai. He was "pious and devoted to his mother".


References

*Nagpur At The End Of The Eighteenth Century (Social Life) by P.L. Saswadkar from Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 31 (1969), pp. 399-41


References

* Hunter, William Wilson, Sir, et al. (1908). ''Imperial Gazetteer of India'', Volume 17. 1908-1931; Clarendon Press, Oxford. {{DEFAULTSORT:Raghoji 02 Bhonsle Maratha Chiefs in the Maratha Empire 1816 deaths People from the Maratha Empire History of Nagpur Maharajas of Nagpur People of the Second Anglo-Maratha War Year of birth missing