The Maratha Confederacy, also referred to as the Maratha Empire, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states often subordinate to the former. It was established in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji as the Maratha Chhatrapati and recognised by Emperor Bahadur Shah I as a tributary state in 1707 following a prolonged rebellion. Following this, the Marathas continued to recognise the Mughal emperor as their nominal suzerain, similar to other contemporary Indian entities, though in practice, imperial politics at Delhi were largely influenced by the Marathas between 1737 and 1803.
The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company, under the leadership of Robert Clive, over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757. Robert Clive was paid £1 million by the Jagat Seth family – a rich Indian family business group – to defeat Siraj-ud-Daulah. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah's commander in chief who was also paid by the Jagat Seths. The battle helped the British East India Company take control of Bengal in 1772. Over the next hundred years, they continued to expand their control over vast territories in the rest of the Indian subcontinent, including Burma.
Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah was the thirteenth Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the Sayyid Brothers of Barha, he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, under their strict supervision.
Balaji Baji Rao, often referred to as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his father, the Peshwa Bajirao I.
Maharaja Suraj Mal, simply known as Suraj Mal, was a Jat ruler of Bharatpur State in present-day state of Rajasthan. He is Known for his military prowess and administrative acumen, he established a prosperous kingdom in the region now encompassing parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. He is commonly known as Plato of Jats or Jat Aflatoon. Under him, the Jat rule covered the present-day districts of Agra, Alwar, Aligarh, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Etawa, Hathras, Mainpuri, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura, and Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Nuh, Palwal, Faridabad, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Bulandshahr.
Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, or Muhammed Ali, Wallajah, was the Nawab of the Carnatic from 1749 until his death in 1795. He declared himself Nawab in 1749. This position was disputed between Wallajah and Chanda Sahib. In 1752, after several clashes, Chanda Sahib's forces and his French allies were expelled from Arcot, officially declaring Wallajah as Nawab on 26 August 1765. His reign was recognised by Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.
Chanda Sahib was a subject of the Carnatic Sultanate between 1749 and 1752. He was the son-in-law of the Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, under whom he was a Dewan. An ally of the French, he was initially supported by Joseph François Dupleix during the Carnatic Wars. He annexed the Madurai Nayaks and was declared Nawab, bringing Tanjore and Tinnevelly into the dominions of the Mughal Empire.
Raghuji I was a Maratha general of the Bhonsle clan who established the Nagpur Kingdom in much of east-central India during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu I. His successors ruled the kingdom until 1853.
The siege of Arcot took place at Arcot, India between forces of the British East India Company led by Robert Clive allied with Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah and forces of Nawab of the Carnatic, Chanda Sahib, allied with the French East India Company. It was part of the Second Carnatic War.
The Battle of Trichinopolly may refer to one of several conflicts fought in or near present-day Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India:
The Maratha–Mysore wars were a conflict in the 18th century India between the Maratha Confederacy and the Kingdom of Mysore. Though initial hostilities between the sides started in 1760s, the last battle began in February 1785 and ended in 1787.
The Siege of Trichinopoly was part of an extended series of conflicts between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Maratha Empire for control of the Carnatic region. On 29 August 1743, after a six-month siege, Murari Rao surrendered, giving Nizam ul Mulk (Nizam) the suzerainty of Trichinopoly. By the end of 1743, the Nizam had regained full control of Deccan. This stopped the Maratha interference in the region and ended their hegemony over the Carnatic. The Nizam resolved the internal conflicts among the regional hereditary nobles (Nawabs) for the seat of governor (Subedar) of Arcot State, and monitored the activities of the British East India company and French East India Company by limiting their access to ports and trading.
The siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752) was conducted by Chanda Sahib, who had been recognized as the Nawab of the Carnatic by representatives of the French East India Company, against the fortress town of Tiruchirappalli, held by Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah.
Tiruchirappalli is believed to be of great antiquity and has been ruled by the Early Cholas, Mutharaiyars Early Pandyas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Delhi Sultanate, Ma'bar Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Nayak Dynasty, the Carnatic state and the British at different times. The archaeologically important town of Uraiyur which served as the capital of the Early Cholas is a Neighborhood of Tiruchirapalli.
Murari Rao Ghorpade (1699-1779), known simply as Murari Rao, was an army general in the Maratha Army from Gooty who administered the fort of Tiruchirappalli and surrounding areas from 1741 to 1743. His administration marks the only period of Maratha occupation in Tiruchirappalli. Murari Rao occupied Tiruchirappalli at the head of a strong Maratha army after defeating and imprisoning the Carnatic general Chanda Sahib. However, he was forced to relinquish the fort by Asaf Jah. The Nizam sieged Trichinopoly for four months, and after receiving no reinforcements, Murari Rao was eventually bought off by the Nizam and handed the fort over to him on 29 August 1743. Murari Rao was a disciple and an ardent devotee of Satyabodha Tirtha Swami of Uttaradi Matha. Murari Rao Ghorpade was the founder of the Ghati Subramanya Temple and the Makalidurga Fort.
The Battle of Seringham was fought on the island of Srirangam between 1,000 troops of the British East India Company commanded by Stringer Lawrence and a confederacy of French East India Company troops and Chanda Sahib.
Richard Benyon (1698–1774) was a British merchant and colonial administrator who served as the President of Madras from 23 January 1735 to 14 January 1744.
Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar, known as Baba Bhaskar Pandit or Bhaskar Pant by the people of Bengal and Maharashtra, was a Maratha general and statesman. He was the dewan of the Maharaja of Nagpur, Raghuji Bhonsle. He played an important role in the kingdom of Nagpur's expansion. The first Maratha invasion of Bengal in 1741, as also the third in 1744, was led by him. He was an able military leader, proven by his success in the Maratha invasions of Bengal and conquest of Chhattisgarh. He was killed by Alivardi Khan on 30 March 1744.
When Maratha forces invaded the Carnatic region in southeastern India, Dost Ali Khan, the Nawab of Arcot, took a defensive stance at Damalcherry Pass, located 30 miles north of Ambur. In a disastrous defeat, Maratha General Raghoji I Fateh Singh and Murari Rao outflanked them and struck from the rear, resulting in the defeat and death of Dost Ali and his son Hassan Ali. Bhonsle then captured Arcot and subsequently besieged and took Trichinopoly on May 31, 1741.
Nizam-ul-Mulk established his authority in Karnataka, while Chanda Saheb rose to prominence. Shahu appointed Raghuji Bhonsle and Fateh Singh to collect tribute from Karnataka and protect the Tanjore region against Chanda Saheb. Raghuji and Fateh Singh advanced on Arcot, where Dost Ali Khan fell fighting the Marathas. His son, Safdar Ali, sought refuge in Vellore, and the valuables of the Nawab were sent to Pondicherry.
Maratha Confederacy 
Nagpur 
Nawab of Carnatic 