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Who Was Last Maratha King?

Published in Maratha History 2 mins read

The last Maratha king, in terms of the latest existing Maratha princely state to be abolished, was Shahaji II, the Chhatrapati of Kolhapur.

While the central power of the Maratha Empire was formally abolished in 1818 CE following its defeat in the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the lineage of Maratha rulers continued in various successor princely states. Among these, the most prominent were the Satara and Kolhapur branches, which maintained the revered title of Chhatrapati. These states persisted for many decades until their eventual integration into independent India.

According to historical records, specifically regarding the Chhatrapatis of the Maratha Empire and its successor states, two individuals are identified as "last monarchs" of their respective branches:

  • Shahaji (Satara Chhatrapati): The Satara state, maintaining the direct lineage of the Maratha Empire's founder, was abolished in 1848 CE.
  • Shahaji II (Kolhapur Chhatrapati): The Kolhapur state continued much longer than Satara, with its formal abolition and integration into the Indian Union occurring in 1947 CE. This makes Shahaji II the chronologically latest Maratha monarch to rule a princely state under the Chhatrapati title.

Here's a summary of the key Maratha entities and their respective last Chhatrapatis or abolition dates:

State/Entity Last Recognized Chhatrapati/Ruler Abolition/Integration Date
Maratha Empire (Central Power) (De Facto power ended with the Peshwas) 1818 CE
Satara Chhatrapati Shahaji 1848 CE
Kolhapur Chhatrapati Shahaji II 1947 CE

This timeline clearly indicates that Shahaji II of Kolhapur was the last Maratha king from the Chhatrapati lineage whose state was abolished, thereby concluding the long history of Maratha rule.