Maratha Wars List, Timeline, Battles, Combatants

06-03-2025

11:45 AM

The list of Maratha Wars includes some of the most prominent demonstrations of power that shaped the expansion, rise and finally the decline of the kingdom. The study of these wars helps us in understanding about the political culture of that era and the power struggle between different forces and the Maratha Legacy. The Marathas faced many challenges both within and outside the empire. In this article, we are going to learn about the important maratha wars that were fought during the period.

List of Maratha Wars

The Maratha Empire witnessed a number of wars that also became a part of defining their power, economic, cultural and political. These wars are what eventually led to the downfall of the Maratha Kingdom.

Maratha - Mughal Conflict

The war between the Maratha and the Mughal started in the 17th century and continued till early 18th century. These conflicts became a major reason for reducing mughal control in India and strengthening the hold of Maratha Empire. Some of the key battles fought include:

Battle	Year	Combatants	Result
Battle of Pratapgarh	1659	Marathas vs. Bijapur Sultanate	Victory
Battle of Pavan Khind	1660	Marathas vs. Bijapur Sultanate	Inconclusive
Battle of Panhala	1660	Marathas vs. Bijapur Sultanate	Defeat
Battle of Chakan	1660	Marathas vs. Mughal Empire	Defeat
Battle of Umberkhind	1661	Marathas vs. Mughal Empire	Victory
Battle of Surat	1664	Marathas vs. Mughal Empire	Victory
Battle of Purandar	1665	Marathas vs. Mughal Empire	Defeat
Battle of Sinhagad	1670	Marathas vs. Mughal Empire	Victory
Battle of Salher	1672	Marathas vs. Mughal Empire	Victory
Battle of Bhupalgarh	1679	Maratha Kingdom vs. Mughal Empire	Defeat
Battle of Kalyan	1682-1684	Maratha Kingdom vs. Mughal Empire	Victory
Battle of Ramsej	1682-1688	Maratha Kingdom vs. Mughal Empire	Defeat
Battle of Wai	1687	Maratha Kingdom vs. Mughal Empire	Victory

Maratha-Nizam Wars

The war between the Maratha and the Nizam’s began in the 18th century. The first war took place between the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad. The main reasons for these wars were territorial disputes and the ambition of the Marathas to establish their dominance over the Deccan Region.

Battle	Year	Combatants	Outcome
Battle of Palkhed	1728	Maratha Confederacy vs. Hyderabad Deccan	Victory
Battle of Uruli	1762	Maratha Confederacy vs. Hyderabad Deccan	Victory
Battle of Rakshasbhuvan	1763	Maratha Confederacy vs. Hyderabad Deccan	Victory
Battle of Kharda	1795	Maratha Confederacy vs. Hyderabad Deccan	Victory

Maratha-Rajput Wars

The Maratha-Rajput wars took place in the 18th century in between the Maratha Empire and many Rajput kingdoms. These wars showcased the attempts of maratha’s to expand their power and influence in the Rajputana region, eventually leading to alliances and military confrontations.

Battle	Year	Combatants	Outcome
Battle of Pilsud	1715	Maratha Confederacy vs. Kingdom of Amber	Defeat
Battle of Mandsaur	1732	Maratha Confederacy vs. Kingdom of Amber	Victory
Battle of Kakkor	1759	Maratha Confederacy vs. Kingdom of Amber	Defeat

Maratha-Mysore Wars

The Maratha-Mysore wars took place in the 18th century in between the Kingdom of Mysore and the Marathas. These wars included tiff over problems like territorial disputes in the southern region of India and witnessed many shifting alliances and battles.

War	Battle	Year	Outcome
First Maratha-Mysore War	Battle of Rattihalli	1764	Victory
	Battle of Jadi Hanwati	1764	Victory
	Battle of Sira	1767	Victory
	Battle of Moti Talab	1771	Victory
Second Maratha-Mysore War	Battle of Saunshi	1777	Defeat
	First Battle of Nargund	1778	Defeat
	Second Battle of Nargund	1785	Defeat
	Battle of Adoni	1786	Defeat
	Battle of Savanur	1786	Defeat

Anglo-Maratha Wars

The Anglo-Maratha Wars were a series of three conflicts between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire, ultimately leading to the decline of the Marathas and the rise of British rule in India.

War	Duration	Key Events & Outcome
First Anglo-Maratha War	1775-1782	Triggered by the Treaty of Surat; ended with the Treaty of Salbai, maintaining the status quo.
Second Anglo-Maratha War	1803-1805	British gained control over Delhi and several Maratha territories.
Third Anglo-Maratha War	1817-1819	Final defeat of the Maratha Confederacy; British supremacy established in India.

Battles Fought by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj List

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is remembered as the founder of the Maratha Empire, who fought many battles during his period of ruling and defended his kingdom. The battles fought by him include:

Battle	Year	Outcome
Battle of Torna	1646	Shivaji captured Torna Fort from the Bijapur Sultanate
Battle of Raigad	1656	Shivaji defeated the Adil Shahi forces and captured Raigad Fort, which later became his capital.
Battle of Pratapgad	November 10, 1659	Shivaji defeated Afzal Khan, a commander of the Bijapur Sultanate.
Battle of Kolhapur	December 28, 1659	Shivaji defeated the Adilshahi forces, expanding his control.
Battle of Chakan	1660	Shivaji faced defeat against the Mughal Empire.
Battle of Umberkhind	February 2, 1661	Shivaji defeated the Mughal general Kartalab Khan.
Sacking of Surat	January 5, 1664	Shivaji raided Surat, defeating the Mughal captain Inayat Khan.
Battle of Purandar	1665	Shivaji strategically defended his territories against the Mughal Empire.
Battle of Sinhagad	February 4, 1670	Tanaji Malusare led the Marathas to victory against the Mughal forces.
Battle of Wadgaon	1670	Shivaji's forces defeated the Adil Shahi Sultanate, strengthening control over the western Deccan.
Battle of Toppur	1678	Shivaji defeated the Bijapur Sultanate, gaining control over Toppur Fort.
Battle of Sangamner	1679	This was Shivaji's last battle against the Mughal Empire, resulting in defeat.
Battle of Vani-Dindori	1679	Shivaji's forces defeated the Mughals, capturing important territories.

List of Maratha Wars FAQs

Q1. How many Maratha Wars were there?
Ans. There were three Anglo-Maratha Wars.

Q2. Who defeated the Marathas?
Ans. The British East India Company defeated the Marathas.

Q3. Who won the 3rd Anglo-Maratha War?
Ans. The British East India Company won the 3rd Anglo-Maratha War.

Q4. Who won the 4th Anglo-Maratha War?
Ans. There was no 4th Anglo-Maratha War.

Q5. Who fought the 2nd Anglo-Maratha War?
Ans. The British East India Company and the Maratha Empire fought the 2nd Anglo-Maratha War.

Q6. Who was famous as the Tiger of Mysore?
Ans. Tipu Sultan was famously known as the Tiger of Mysore.