Maharani Tarabai Bhonsale was the daughter-in-law of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire.
The names of Shivaji, Sambhaji and Peshwas are often mentioned in Maratha history, but the woman who played a decisive role in saving and carrying forward the Maratha struggle against Aurangzeb was Maharani Tarabai. His death anniversary is on 9th December. His great sacrifice took place in the year 1761. Let us remember him on this occasion. Know his contribution. Let us understand how skilled a warrior Maharani Tarabai was even in those times. His leadership abilities are discussed even today.
Tarabai was born around 1675 in the Bhosale family. His father Hambirrao Mohite was the commander of the Maratha Empire and was famous far and wide for his bravery and fighting skills. Tarabai received basic education in the art of warfare, administration and politics since childhood. This was the time when the Maratha Empire, after Shivaji, was facing direct competition from the Mughal Sultanate under the leadership of Sambhaji.
Tarabai was married to Shivaji’s elder son and successor Sambhaji Maharaj. Sambhaji had brightness and fierceness in his nature, whereas Tarabai had balance, foresight and ethical thinking. The political military life of both always passed through a turbulent phase.
Sambhaji’s martyrdom and the empire surrounded by troubles
In 1689, Aurangzeb captured Sambhaji Maharaj and killed him very cruelly. This incident was a deep blow to the Maratha Empire. After Sambhaji, his step brother Rajaram ascended the throne. Aurangzeb deployed almost the entire Mughal power in the Deccan to crush the Marathas. The forts were attacked one by one, the royal court kept getting displaced and the loyalties of many chieftains started wavering. It was under these circumstances that Tarabai started showing her political skills and strong will. She was not just a queen, but emerged as a strategic advisor, diplomat and key figure in deciding war policy.
Tarabai was married to Shivaji’s elder son and successor Sambhaji Maharaj.
Death of Rajaram and reins of power in the hands of Tarabai.
Rajaram Maharaj died in 1700 AD. At that time the Maratha Empire was fighting for its existence. This was the turning point when Tarabai moved forward. He himself took over the governance of the state in the name of his minor son Shivaji II. Tarabai announced that she was the regent for her son and would now take over the reins of the Maratha Empire. Due to her being a woman, many chieftains and jagirdars did not accept this, but Tarabai’s determination, cleverness and war policy soon established her as a legitimate and influential ruler.
Guerrilla war strategy against Aurangzeb
Tarabai’s biggest achievement was that instead of surrendering before Aurangzeb’s huge army, he made the guerrilla war more organized and sharp in the tradition of Shivaji.
- Guerrilla warfare: Tarabai ordered that a major battle in the open field should be avoided. Instead, small detachments should suddenly attack Mughal cantonments, food routes, weapon warehouses and transport lines and immediately return to the forests and mountains.
- Fast changing fortress: Tarabai believed that the more forts there were and the more the command kept changing, the more confused the Mughal army would remain. They used many small forts as temporary bases.
- Alliance with regional warlords: He made secret alliances with many local chieftains, landlords and Nayaknayaks, thereby creating a broad front against the Mughals.
- Attack on economic front: An important part of Tarabai’s strategy was to attack the economic sources of the Mughal army. They also shook the Mughal power economically by attacking Mughal tax collecting officials, plundering goods and controlling trade routes.
As a result of all this, even Aurangzeb’s army of lakhs could not decisively defeat the Marathas. On the contrary, the long war in the Deccan emptied the Mughal treasury and shook the roots of the empire.
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Tarabai is not a queen who gives instructions from behind the scenes.
Tarabai was not the only queen who gave instructions from behind the scenes. It is found in many contemporary accounts that she herself used to inspect the army camps on horseback, discuss war strategy with the chieftains and boost the morale of the soldiers. She was associated with religious faith, but was far from superstition and had a practical mind. She carved a niche for herself within the male-dominated political-military structure, not just through emotional appeal but on the strength of concrete strategic successes. His decisions could have been harsh, but in the context of that time, they were indispensable for the protection of Maratha existence.
In history, she is seen as a female ruler who rose above her personal suffering and played the role of collective leadership. Despite the martyrdom of her husband, death of her brother-in-law and minor age of her son, she did not break but became stronger.
Death of Aurangzeb and expansion of Marathas
Aurangzeb died in 1707. This incident was a milestone for the entire Deccan region and Indian history. The Maratha Empire, to suppress which Aurangzeb fought continuously for about 27 years, finally came to rest and then gradually started expanding to North India. The major contribution of Tarabai’s rule was that she kept the Maratha Empire alive at a time when it was almost on the verge of collapse. His policies and struggle later paved the way for Shahu Maharaj and the Peshwas, who brought Maratha power to its peak. Although in the following years, there were succession disputes, Shahu versus Tarabai faction and internal power struggles in Maratha politics, but this is a different historical context. This does not diminish the importance of Tarabai’s contribution which failed Aurangzeb’s entire Deccan policy.
inspiring example of female leadership
The story of Tarabai is not only the story of Maratha-Mughal conflict, but it is also a unique example of women’s leadership and political empowerment. At a time when women were often confined to the veil and domestic responsibilities, Tarabai took charge of a vast empire, formulated war strategies, conducted diplomacy and directed a major strategic conflict. Today, when we discuss gender equality, women’s participation and leadership abilities, the memory of Tarabai shows that the roots of women leadership are very deep in Indian history. He is not only an inspiration but also a strong example of political foresight and military prowess.
The contribution of Maharani Tarabai in history is not just the story of kings and brave men. There are many such women among them, who took charge of their society and state in times of crisis, took decisive decisions and determined the direction of the future. Instead of kneeling before a powerful emperor like Aurangzeb, Queen Tarabai chose the path of struggle. He proved that even the biggest imperialist power cannot stand against strong will, intelligence and organizational skills.
His life message is that no matter how deep the crisis is, do not step back from the struggle. Leadership is born not from position, but from action and vision, and history often sides with those who stand courageously against injustice and oppression. The memory of Tarabai’s life struggle and sacrifice, even today, teaches us that true bravery is to stand firm to protect justice, freedom and self-respect.
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