Tarabai

Tarabai
Maharani Tarabai lead the Marathas in the 27 year war with Mughals after death of her husband Rajaram
Born	1675
Died	9 December 1761 (aged 86)

Tarabai Bhosale (1675 – 9 December 1761 at Satara) was the regent of the Maratha empire of India from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsle, son of the empire's founder Shivaji, and mother of Shivaji II. She is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal occupation of Maratha territories after the death of her spouse, and acted as regent during the minority of her son.

Tarabai was the daughter of the famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite. She also was the niece of Soyarabai.

On Rajaram's death in 1700, she proclaimed her infant son, Shivaji II as Rajaram's successor and herself as the regent.

As the regent she took charge of the war against Aurangzeb's forces. Tarabai was skilled in cavalry movement, and made strategic movements herself during wars. She personally led the war and continued the insurgency against the Mughals. A truce was offered to the Mughals in such a way that it was promptly rejected by the Mughal emperor, and Tarabai continued the Maratha resistance. By 1705, Marathas had crossed the Narmada and made small incursions in Malwa, retreating immediately. The Maratha country was relieved at the news of the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who died at Khuldabad in Aurangabad.

Of the years 1700-1707, Jadunath Sarkar has opined: "During this period, the supreme guiding force in Maharashtra was not any minister but the dowager queen Tara Bai Mohite. Her administrative genius and strength of character saved the nation in that awful crisis."

In order to divide the Maratha onslaught, the Mughals released Shahu, Sambhaji's son and Tarabai's nephew, on certain conditions. He immediately challenged Tarabai and Shivaji II for leadership of the Maratha polity. Shahu eventually prevailed thanks to his legal position and in part to the Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath's diplomacy, and Tarabai was sidelined. She established a rival court in Kolhapur in 1709 but was deposed by Rajaram's second wife, Rajasabai, who put her own son, Sambhaji II, on the throne. Tarabai and her son were imprisoned by Sambhaji II. Shivaji II died in 1726. Tarabai soon afterwards reconciled with Chhattrapati Shahu in 1730 and went to live in Satara but without any political power.