“The Maratha Century” is everything that I wished my history textbooks were! Thoroughly researched and analyzed, prose that is a matter of fact & to-the-point accompanied by copious amounts of footnotes, evidence & references - this book is a whirlwind tour of the roughly 175 years of the Maratha rule - starting from the Chhatrapati to the Peshwas to the 3 Anglo-Maratha wars.
What I liked the most is that there is neither the aggrandizing nor the belittling of any of the historic personalities. There is no unnecessary dramatization, things are told as they would have happened.
The excerpts & pictures of the original documents, letters, etc. are included; which are simply fascinating to read. The focus is not just on the wars and the battles and the ever-changing political landscape but the light is shed on the cultural aspects, the day-to-day lives of the 18th-century people.
Compared to Dr. Kulkarni’s previous books, “The Maratha Century” is a quick read. Clocking in at about 300 pages, it gives a bird's eye view of the entire era but at the same time manages to delve into sufficient details of quite a few key events. This balance of detail vs high-level summary is superbly maintained.
Overall, a solid 5/5 if you enjoy facts-driven, evidence-based & non politically motivated history tellings!
“The long period of the foreign rule until the Maratha period, and the British Raj thereafter, places the Maratha Empire in a unique position in Indian history. Not only were they the first indigenous power after centuries of Turkic rule they were also the last indigenous Empire before India succumbed to the British rule.”
