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| Maratha kingdom of Thanjavur | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maratha kingdom of Thanjavur |
| Native name | तंजावर माराठा राज्य |
| Conventional long name | Kingdom of Thanjavur (Maratha) |
| Era | Early Modern period |
| Status | Princely state |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Year start | 1674 |
| Year end | 1855 |
| Capital | Thanjavur |
| Common languages | Marathi, Tamil, Persian |
| Religion | Hinduism, Islam |
| Currency | Rupee |
| Today | India |
Maratha kingdom of Thanjavur The Maratha kingdom of Thanjavur was a regional polity in southern India established by a branch of the Maratha Empire in the late 17th century, ruling from the city of Thanjavur (Tanjore). The state linked Maratha dynastic politics with the cultural milieu of Tamil Nadu, interacting with polities such as the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Mughal Empire, the Kingdom of Mysore, and the British East India Company. Its rulers, noted patrons like Sivaji II and Serfoji II, fostered syncretic traditions involving figures such as Muthuswami Dikshitar and institutions like the Saraswathi Mahal Library.
The kingdom's foundation followed the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire and the fragmentation of Bijapur Sultanate territories, with Ekoji I (Venkoji) (half-brother of Shivaji) establishing Maratha rule after seizing Thanjavur from Rajah of Thanjavur claimants and negotiating with the Golconda Sultanate. Successive rulers navigated rivalries involving the Mughal–Maratha Wars, alliances with the Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I and conflicts with the Arcot Nawab and Srinivasa Rao-era claimants. During the 18th century, the kingdom faced pressures from the Carnatic Wars, interventions by the French East India Company and engagement with the British East India Company, culminating in increased Subsidiary Alliance-style influence and the eventual cession of sovereignty after disputes involving Serfoji II and Pratapsingh.
Administrative practice blended Maratha customs with legacy structures from the Chola dynasty and Nayak of Madurai systems; fiscal administration used offices analogous to the Peshwa model and incorporated a council of ministers drawn from families allied to Ekoji I. Revenue extraction referenced precedents from the Mughal revenue system and land settlement methods resembling those of the Ryotwari system later instituted by the Madras Presidency. Legal administration saw the application of Hindu law texts such as the Manusmriti for castes alongside adjudication by officials connected to the Ashta Pradhan tradition and local zamindar elites, while correspondence frequently invoked diplomatic forms used with the Nizam of Hyderabad and the British Crown.
Agrarian production centered on irrigated cultivation of rice in the Kaveri delta, supplemented by exports of textiles comparable to goods from Madurai and Masulipatnam, with commercial ties to port cities including Pondicherry, Nagapattinam, Ceylon (Colombo), and Calicut. The kingdom participated in regional networks involving merchants from Chettiar houses and trading firms akin to the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company, exchanging agricultural produce, salt, and artisanal textiles for bullion and commodities such as spices from Malabar and silk from Vijayanagara-era workshops. Monetary circulation featured coin types influenced by Mughal and Maratha minting, and economic shocks from the Anglo-Mysore Wars and Carnatic Wars affected trade flows.
Patronage under rulers like Pratap Singh and Serfoji II fostered a renaissance in music, literature, and scholarship that drew on traditions associated with Carnatic music maestros such as Muthuswami Dikshitar, and scholars linked to the Saraswathi Mahal Library and the court of Serfoji II. Literary production included works in Marathi, Tamil, and Sanskrit; intellectual exchanges involved figures akin to Bharati-era reformers and classical commentators who studied texts from the Bhakti movement and the Advaita tradition. Social life incorporated ritual calendars centered on temples such as the Brihadeeswara Temple while caste hierarchies involved groups like the Brahmin priesthood, Maratha nobility, agrarian Vellalar communities, and mercantile Komati representatives; cultural institutions mirrored patronage seen in courts of the Nayak of Gingee and princely houses such as the Travancore and Pudukkottai.
Military organization followed models of Maratha cavalry and infantry present in campaigns of the Maratha Confederacy and employed fortifications similar to those at Srirangam and Fort St. David. The kingdom engaged in conflicts with the Kingdom of Mysore under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, fought skirmishes related to the Carnatic Wars involving Robert Clive and Joseph François Dupleix, and navigated threats from neighboring polities like the Arcot Nawab and Hyderabad. Alliances and treaties echoed precedents set by the Treaty of Purandar and the Treaty of Bassein in the wider Maratha diplomatic repertoire, and the kingdom maintained a cadre of military retainers modeled after the Silahara and Yadava martial traditions.
Architectural patronage continued the legacy of the Chola dynasty with additions to the Brihadeeswara Temple complex and patronage of temple arts at sites like Swamimalai and Kumbakonam. Court-sponsored constructions displayed syncretic features that paralleled projects in Pondicherry and Madurai, while civic works included irrigation improvements on the Kaveri channel system and urban planning akin to developments in Cuddalore and Thoothukudi. The Saraswathi Mahal Library became a repository for manuscripts comparable to collections at Tanjore Palace and libraries in Pudukkottai; sculptural commissions reflected styles traceable to the Chalukya and Pallava canons.
Diplomacy involved sustained interactions with the British East India Company, the French East India Company, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Kingdom of Mysore, the Arcot Nawab, and the coastal polities of Pondicherry and Nagapattinam. Treaties and engagements referenced precedents in Maratha diplomacy encountered with the Peshwa, as well as military cooperation and rivalries vis-à-vis Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan; legal and political outcomes were later adjudicated within structures shaped by the Madras Presidency and colonial agencies such as the Board of Revenue.
Category:Thanjavur Category:Maratha Empire Category:History of Tamil Nadu