Maratha warrior Raghuji Bhosale’s iconic sword returns to India: Read about the founder of Nagpur Bhosale dynasty who consolidated the Maratha Empire
In yet another step towards reclaiming the glory of the Marathas, the Maharashtra government has acquired the iconic sword of Raghuji Bhosale I, the formidable Maratha warrior and the founder of the Nagpur Kingdom. The firangi-style sword, adorned with a Mulheri hilt and gold inlay, was bought by the Maharashtra government at a London auction for Rs 47.15 lakh. Near the hilt of the sword, ‘Shrimant Raghoji Bhosale Senasaheb Subha Firang’ is written in Devnagari script.
The reclamation of Raghuji Bhosale’s blade is a historic feat not only as a step towards Maratha heritage preservation but also because the sword signifies the valour and legacy of the Maratha general who expanded the Maratha Empire across east-central India.
Taking to X, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed about the purchase of the iconic sword belonging to the Nagpur Bhosale dynasty’s founder, calling it a “valuable and historical treasure” of the Maratha Empire.
“I am delighted to announce that the historical sword of Raje Raghuji Bhosale, the founder of the Nagpur Bhosale dynasty, which was put up for auction in London, has been purchased by the state government. As a result, a valuable and historical treasure of our Maratha Empire will now return to Maharashtra,” CM Fadnavis wrote.
He further highlighted the valorous deeds of Raghuji Bhosale, lauding him as a great military commander and political leader.
“Raghuji Bhosale was a significant commander in the Maratha army during the era of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. Impressed by his war strategies and valor, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj bestowed upon him the title of ‘Senasahibsubha.’ In the 1740s, Raghuji Bhosale led military campaigns against the Nawabs of Bengal, expanding the Maratha Empire to Bengal and Odisha. He also established his military and political dominance in South India. Our Cultural Affairs Minister, Ashish Shelar, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department, and Vikas Kharge, who works in my office, swiftly coordinated efforts to accomplish this feat. There were some technical difficulties, so the purchase was made through an intermediary. The state government will pay 47.15 lakh rupees for this,” Fadnavis added.
Describing the features of Raghuji Bhosale’s sword, CM Fadnavis said, “This sword is an exquisite example of a Maratha-style Firangi sword. Its single-edged blade and gold engravings are its distinctive features. European-made blades were renowned during that period. On the lower part of the blade’s spine, ‘Shrimant Raghuji Bhosale Senasahibsubha’ is inscribed in gold. Experts believe that this sword was likely taken during the East India Company’s looting of the Bhosale treasury in Nagpur in 1817.”
Raghuji Bhosale: The founder of the Nagpur Bhosale dynasty and a great military commander
Raghuji Bhosale I (also spelt Raghoji Bhonsle) was a Maratha ruler and military commander born in 1695. He played a significant role in the expansion of the Maratha Empire in the 18th century, carving out the Nagpur Kingdom in east-central India under Chhatrapati Shahu I. Raghuji hailed from the Hingankar Bhosale clan, and his family had deep roots in Maratha military tradition. His ancestors had served under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Raghuji Bhosale’s rise started under the mentorship of his uncle Kanhoji Bhosale. Raghuji extended his authority over the Berar and Gondwana regions. Demonstrating his bold and decisive leadership, Raghuji Bhosale never shied away from exploiting political chaos in neighbouring territories, without requiring much pretext.
The Maratha warrior’s strategic acumen and undeterred ambition earned him the prestigious title of Senasahib Subha from none other than Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj. This cemented Bhosale’s position as a strong and trusted commander.
By the time of his death in 1755, Raghoji Bhonsle had created an indelible mark on the great Maratha history. The Maratha warrior established a legacy that continued till 1853 through his successors and continues to inspire the people to this day.
The military campaigns undertaken by Raghuji Bhosale were a masterclass in seizing opportunities amidst regional tumult. Among the many successful military campaigns of Raghuji Bhosale were the Bengal expeditions from 1741 to 1748. These were a series of six incursions that banked on the power vacuum created after the death of Murshid Quli Khan, the governor of Bengal in 1727.
In 1742 and 1745, Raghuji Bhosale led the charge himself, joined by generals like Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar and annexed Orissa and some parts of Bengal, expanding the Maratha control to the eastern seaboard.
Being an unmatched political strategist, Raghuji Bhosale smartly capitalised on the disgruntlement of the servants of his enemies. One such disgruntled servant of Bengal’s nawab Alivardi Khan was Mir Habib, who sought Bhosale’s help to overthrow the nawab Alivardi Khan. By the year 1751, Raghuji Bhosale struck a deal with Alivardi Khan. Under this deal, he secured control of Cuttack up to the Survarnrekha River as well as a tribute of Rs 12 lakh for Bihar and Bengal’s Chauth. Raghuji Bhosale’s success in Bengal reflected not only his ability to navigate complex political landscapes but also his ability to balance military might with diplomacy.
In the book Life and Times of Raghuji Bhonsle I of Nagpur, Shanta Aathana wrote that Raghuji not only made his name in the conquest of Bengal, but he also exhibited great vision in bringing uncivilised Gond kingdoms of the erstwhile Central Province under Maratha subjugation, consolidating them, and creating a Nagpur State as a distinct entity in which he stands quite on par with Malharrao Holker, and any of the Sindhias.
When Chand Sultan, the ruler of the Gond kingdom of Devgarh (also spelt Deogarh) died in 1739, his widow invoked Raghuji’s help to enthrone her sons, Burhan and Akbar Shah. Chand Sultan’s illegitimate son, Wali Shah, had usurped the throne. Consequently, Raghuji defeated Wali Shah and placed Burhan and Akbar on the Devgarh throne
Meanwhile, closer to home, Raghuji Bhosale transformed Nagpur into a grand capital and consolidated power over the region extending as far as Berar to the Narmada and Bhagirathi rivers. The Maratha warrior also subdued local Gond kings, bringing territories like Chanda, Sambalpur and Chhattisgarh under the Maratha Empire.
In the book Life and Times of Raghuji Bhonsle I of Nagpur, Shanta Aathana also writes that Bhosale colonised Nagpur and other cities with Maharashtra elements and made his state a strong and wealthy base by training a large band of devoted co-workers in war and diplomacy. He established himself in Nagpur, where he reigned nominally as the representative of the Gond prince from 1743 to 1755.
“By 1751, he had effected the conquest of the Devgarh territories, Chhattisgarh,. Ratanpur, the capital of the Haihaivanshi kingdom, capitulated without a blow in 1741 on the advance of Maratha General Bhaskar Pant. Four years afterwards, with the deposition of the last Raja, the Rajput dynasty ended. me fort of Chanda was delivered to Raghuji by the treachery of a Dewan in 1749, and two years later it was finally ceded to him. He quietly extended the conquest which had been made by bis cousin and subdued several of the princes whose territories bordered on his government, but it was because of the disunion which occurred in the Devgarh Raja’s family that he was unable to lay the foundation of a principality for himself, which gradually increased until it included within its limits the greater part of Berar. A considerable part of the Nagpur territory is supposed to have once belonged to the Gond Chiefs. Devgarh and Chanda formed the nucleus, as it were, of the Bhonsle dominion,” Shanta Asthana writes in Life and Times of Raghuji Bhonsle I of Nagpur.
Excerpt taken from the book Life and Times of Raghuji Bhonsle I of Nagpur
Raghuji Bhosale’s impactful campaigns in South India (Deccan)
Raghuji Bhosale also led successful military campaigns in the South of India. In the year 1740, in response to Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj’s call to the excesses of Dost Ali Khan, the Carnatic Nawab, Raghuji Bhosale led a 40,000-strong army alongside Fatehsingh Bhosale to the Carnatic. On 20th May, 1740, the forces of Maratha Senasahib Subha and the Nawab of Carnatic fought a fierce battle known as the Battle of Damalcherry. In consequence of this battle, the Marathas emerged victorious and Nawab Dost Ali Khan was killed, his capital, Arcot, was plundered, and its treasures seized.
Following this, Raghuji Bhosale-led Maratha forces marched on Tiruchirappalli, outmanoeuvring the Carnatic Nawab’s forces in an intense nine-hour battle at Mannapparai. In this campaign, too, Raghuji’s forces triumphed and established Maratha dominance. In addition to this, Bhosale’s successful campaigns against the Nawabs of Kurnool and Cuddapah reinforced Maratha authority in the Deccan.
Interestingly, several modern historians like Jadunath Sarkar in their works, tried their best to tarnish Raghuji Bhosale’s legacy with claims of Maratha forces under his leadership raping Bengali women during the Bengal expeditions. OpIndia, however, earlier debunked these lies, which the leftist historians passed off as factual eyewitness accounts.
While the internal disputes among the successors of Raghuji Bhosale for claiming the Nagpur throne weakened the Nagpur Bhosales, his legacy of sprawling a sprawling domain and expanding the Maratha influence to new frontiers remains unmatched and unforgotten. The blade of Raghuji Bhosale returning to his motherland is not a mere relic; rather, it symbolises a warrior who shaped and bolstered an empire with a unique blend of grit and guile.
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