Rajaram and Tarabai :-
Rajaram, Sambhaji's brother, now assumed the throne. Satara, which Rajaram had made his capital, came under siege in 1700 and was eventually surrendered to the Mughals. Rajaram, who had taken refuge, died at about the same time. His widow, Tarabai, assumed control in the name of her son Shivaji. Although she offered a truce, this was rejected by the emperor. Tarabai then heroically led the Marathas against the Mughals; by 1705, they had crossed the Narmada River and entered Malwa, then in Mughal possession.
Malwa was a decisive battle for the Maratha empire. After this, the Mughals lost their leading position on the Indian subcontinent forever; subsequent Mughal Emperors were only titular kings. The Marathas emerged as victorious after a long drawn-out and fiercely-fought battle. It was the soldiers and commanders who participated in this war who achieved the real expansion of the Maratha empire. The victory also set the foundations for later imperial conquests.
Shahu :-
After Emperor Aurangzeb's death in 1707, Shahuji, son of Sambhaji (and grandson of Shivaji), was released by Bahadur Shah, the next Mughal emperor. He immediately claimed the Maratha throne and challenged his aunt Tarabai and her son. This promptly turned the Mughal-Maratha war into a three-cornered affair. The states of Satara and Kolhapur came into being in 1707, because of the succession dispute over the Maratha kingship. By 1710, two separate principalities had become an established fact, eventually confirmed by the Treaty of Warna in 1731.
Peshwa Baji Rao I (1720-1740):-
After Balaji Vishwanath's death in April 1719, his son, Baji Rao I was appointed as Peshwa by Chattrapati Shahuji, one of the most lenient emperors. Shahuji possessed a strong capacity for recognizing talent, and actually caused a social revolution by bringing capable people.Baji Rao Vishwanath Bhatt (August 18, 1699-April 25, 1740), also known as Baji Rao I, was a noted general who served as Peshwa (Prime Minister) to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shahu between 1719 and Baji Rao's death. He is also known as Thorala (Marathi for Elder) Baji Rao. Like his father, despite being a Brahmin, he took up leading his troops.
Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (1740-1761) :-
Baji Rao's son, Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb), was appointed as a Peshwa by Shahu. The period between 1741 and 1745 was one of comparative calm in the Deccan. Shahuji died in 1749.
Decline of Maratha Power :-
The Peshwa sent an army to challenge the Afghan led alliance of Indian Muslims that included Rohillas, Shujah-ud-dowlah, Nujeeb-ud-dowlah, and the Maratha army was decisively defeated on January 14, 1761, at the Third Battle of Panipat. The Marathas were abandoned by Suraj Mal and Rajputs, who quit the Maratha alliance at a decisive moment, leading to the great battle. Their supply chains cut off, the Marathas attacked the Afghans in an act of desperation as their forces had not had a meal in three days. The defeat at Paniput checked Maratha expansion and fragmented the empire. After the battle, the Maratha confederacy never fought again as one unit. Delhi/Agra was controlled by Mahadji Shinde from Gwalior, Central India was controlled by Holkars from Indore and Western India was controlled by Gaikwad's from Baroda.
