Bhonsle of Nagpur

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Bhonsle of Nagpur

The Bhonsle of Nagpur, a branch of the Maratha Bhonsle clan, ruled the Nagpur State in the 18th and 19th centuries, playing a key role in central India’s politics and warfare.

The Bhonsle of Nagpur dynasty was founded in the early 18th century by Raghuji Bhonsle I, a Maratha military leader who conquered territories in the Gond region of central India, then under Mughal influence. In 1739, he established Nagpur as his capital, remaining allied to the Maratha Confederacy and acknowledging the authority of the Peshwas of Pune.

Their realm covered parts of present‑day eastern Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. The Bhonsle of Nagpur launched eastern campaigns into Orissa and Bengal and engaged in conflicts against the Nizam of Hyderabad and other regional powers.

Their rising power led to confrontation with the British East India Company. Defeat in the Third Anglo‑Maratha War (1817‑1818) curtailed their autonomy, and upon the death without heir of Raghuji III in 1853, Nagpur State was annexed by the British under the Doctrine of Lapse.

The Bhonsle of Nagpur were notable for their strategic role in the Maratha Confederacy, their control of key trade routes, and their religious and cultural patronage, especially towards Hinduism, while tolerating the religious diversity of their territories.