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MODELS OF THE STATE: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE MARATHA POWER IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY INDIA

ABSTRACT

This article seeks to investigate and examine the character of the Maratha power, which was influential throughout most of India in the eighteenth century. The Maratha state has not been the subject of thorough theoretical investigation, despite its historical significance and the peculiar circumstances preceding its fall by the British colonial power. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by adapting three state models from other fields to the Maratha Empire. The Marathas were the last independent Indian monarchy to fall to the British, and for many a decade after its final ruler was toppled, the territory under Maratha dominion was still considered to be a separate administrative entity. The Maratha state has been called several different names, including marauder, confederacy, and empire, but none of these names have been the subject of rigorous theoretical investigation. This article uses state models as a theoretical framework to learn more about the Marathas. This study does not set out to provide a unifying theory for describing the Maratha state, but rather to investigate the usefulness and ramifications of alternative frameworks for doing so. The essay uses these theoretical frameworks to try and explain the intricacies of Maratha power, such as its political organisation, geographical control, economic systems, social order, and relationships with other states. It provides a preliminary investigation that can help pave the way for a fuller comprehension of the Maratha state. This study sheds light on the nature and attributes of the Maratha power by critically examining historical sources and existing literature. It adds to the scholarly conversation by adapting theoretical models to this specific period of history and establishing the framework for further research. The purpose of this paper has been to examine the Maratha state from the perspective of three different theoretical theories of government. It calls attention to the gaps in our knowledge of this period in India’s history and encourages researchers to look deeper into the complexity of the Maratha state.

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