Bhonsle

The Bhonsle (or Bhosle, Bhosale, Marathi: भोसले) were a prominent clan within the Maratha clan system who served as rulers of several states in India.

The most prominent member of the clan was Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. His successors ruled as maharajas from their capital at Satara, although de facto rule of the empire passed to the Peshwas, the Marathas' hereditary chief ministers, during the reign of Shahu I. In addition to the Bhosle Maharajas of Satara, rulers of the Bhosle clan established themselves at Nagpur and Kolhapur in modern-day Maharashtra in the 18th century. The Bhosle of Thanjavur were descendants of Shivaji's stepbrother Venkoji, while the Bhosle of Satara and Kolhapur were descended from Shivaji's sons, Sambhaji and Rajaram.

After the British defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the Marathas were forced to accept British rule. The four Bhonsle dynasties continued as rulers of their princely states, acknowledging British sovereignty while retaining local autonomy. The states of Nagpur, Thanjavur, and Satara came under direct British rule in the mid-nineteenth century when their rulers died without male heirs; Kolhapur state until India's independence in 1947, when the rulers acceded to the Indian government.

Origin

The Sources as well as Scholars both are at crossroads when it comes to the origin of Bhosle, early and contemporary texts such as Shivabharat, Radhav Vilas Champu, Sabhasad refers to Bhosle as Sisodia Rajputs whereas later texts such as 91-qalmi Bakhar, Shiva Digvijaya Bakhar and Shedgaonkar Bakhar refers to Bhosle as Shudra. Likewise Some scholars have more faith in early texts which represent Bhosle as rajputs and accept Bhosle family as sisodia whereas other scholars refers to Bhosle as Shudra and back themselves with late bakhars.

Some of the historical accounts stating that Shahaji and Shivaji were of Rajput descent include:

• In 1726 when Mahratta armies began to make incursions into the Rajputana terrotiries , Raja Chatrapati Shahu in a letter dated 1726 ordered his generals not to touch the Sisodia territory of pippila state in mewar as well as the other states in Rajputana which belonged to Sisodia rajputs telling them that only did the Rawat of Piplia and the Sisodia Rajputs belong to the same family as that of the Rulers of Satara(Bhosle) but it was mainly due to the courage and sacrifices made by Sisodia rajputs such as Rana Hammir, Maharana Kumbha, Maharana Sanga and Maharana Pratap that Hindu Raj was preserved in India till a certain extent.
• Radha Madhava Vilasa Champu of poet Jayarama (written in the court of Shahaji at Banglur, 1654) describes the Bhonsles as the descendants from the Sisodias of Chittor. Jayaramas poetry was composed much before Shivajis coronation. In a poem on Shahaji, Jayarama mentions that Shahaji was descended from Dalip (or Dilip Singh) born in the family of the Rana who was the foremost among all kings of the earth. This Dalip was a grandson of Lakshmanasen, Rana of Chittor, who came to the throne in 1303 CE.
• Shivabharata of Paramananda mentions that Shivaji and Shahji are of the Ikshvaku lineage like the Sisodiyas.
• Parnalaparvata Grahanakhyana states that Shivaji is a Sisodia
• Bhushan the Hindi poet speaks of the Bhosales being Rajput
• Shahji in his letter to the Sultan Adilshah states he is a Rajput
• The Mughal historian Khafi Khan describes Shivaji as a descendent of the Ranas of Chittor. Khafi Khan was a very harsh critic of Shivaji, and wrote accounts condemming Shivaji to hell. He claimed that though Shivaji's ancestors did come from the family of Ranas of Chittor, they descended through an illegitimate offspring Dilip Singh.
• Sabhasad Bakhar composed by Shivaji Minister Krishna Bhaskhar in 1694 refers to Bhosle as a Solar Dynasty clan of Sisodia Origin.
• Persian Farmans(Grants) given to the ancestors of Ghorpade and Bhosles by the Bahmani Sultans and Adil Shahi Sultans relate the Shivaji family of Bhosle and that of Ghorpades directly with the Sisodia family of Udaipur.

Scholars such as Sir Jadunath Sarkar have contested Shivaji Rajput origin and remarks that his Rajput origin was fabrication required during his coronation, however eminent Marathi Historian CV Vaidya dont believe this as works composed years before Shivaji rise to glory mentions Bhosle as Sisodia Rajputs. Shahji letter to Sultan Adil Shah in 1641 mentions that Bhosle are Rajputs , these evidences are cited by supporters of Shivaji Rajput origin to reject notions like Shivaji rajput origin was fabricated only at the time of his coronation.

Subclans

• Ghorpade
• Kharade
• Desale
• Shisode ( Sisode or Sisodiya )
• Aher

Maharajas

Satara

• Babaji Bhosle
• Maloji Raje Bhosle
• Shahaji Raje Bhosle
• Chatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle (the Maratha King)
• Sambhaji
• Shahu I (1708–1749). Son of Sambhaji I.
• Ramaraja (1749–1777). Grandson of Rajaram and Tarabai; adopted son of Shahu I.
• Shahu II of Satara (1777–1808). Son of Ramaraja.
• Pratapsinh (1808–1839)
• Shahaji III (1839–1848)
• 1848 to Great Britain
• Pratapsinh I (adopted)
• Rajaram III
• Pratapsinh II
• Raja Shahu III (1918–1950)
• Pratapsinhraje (1950–1978)
• Chatrapati Udayanraje Bhonsle (1978 till present)

Kolhapur

Princely flag of Kolhapur

Shahu IV of Kolhapur (r. 1894 -1922)

• Shivaji II (1700–1714)
• Shambhuji I (1714–1760)
• Shivaji III (1760–1812) (adopted from the family of Khanwilkar)
• Shambhuji II (1812–1821)
• Shahoji I (1821–1837)
• Shivaji IV (1837–1866)
• Rajaram I (1866–1870) (adopted from the family of Patankar)
• Shivaji V (1870–1883)
• Shahu IV (1883–1922) (adopted from the family of Ghatge)
• Rajaram II (1922–1940)
• British rule (1940–1942)
• Shivaji VI (1942–1947)
• Shahoji II (1947–1949), titular Maharaja 1949-1983 (adopted from the family of Pawar)
• 1948 to India
• Shahu II as titular Maharaja (1983–present)(adopted from Kadam family of Bande)

Nagpur

The royal Bhosles of Nagpur are closely connected with the Gujar family, and intermarried with them. The last representative of the Bhosla family of Nagpur was of the Gujar clan.

• Raghoji I (1738–1755)
• Janoji (1755–1772)
• Sabaji (1772–1775)
• Mudhoji I (1775–1788)
• Raghoji II (1788–1816)
• Parsoji Bhonsle (181-1817)
• Mudhoji II (1816–1818)
• Raghoji III (1818–1853)
• 1853 to Great Britain
• Janoji II (1853–1881) (adopted)
• Raghujideo (1881)

Thanjavur Maratha kingdom

• Shahajiraje (1594–1664)
• Venkoji (1676–1684)Half-Brother of Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj
• Shahaji I (1684–1712)
• Sharfoji (1712–1729) Brother of Shahaji I
• Tukoji (1729–1736) Brother of Shahaji I
• Venkoji II (1736–1737)
• Pratapsinh (1737–1763) Brother of Venkoji II
• Tuloji (1763–1787)
• Amarsinh (1793–1798) Brother of Tuloji
• Sarfoji (1787–1832) Son of Tuloji
• Shivaji (1832–1855)
• Sarfoji III (1855)
• Shivaji III
• Pratapsinh III Brother of Shivaji III
• Rajaram
• Shivaji
• Babajiraje

See also

• Shivaji
• Maratha Empire
• Marathas
• Marathi people
• Maratha clan system