Adich Shahane - अडीच शहाणे

I write about India's overlooked Maratha chapter (c. 1646-1818), anecdotes obscured by time, and subjects of cultural intrigue.

Who are the Marathas?

Understanding Chatrapati Shivaji's "Swarajya" starts with understanding who the Maratha people are, their origins, and the Deccan, which shaped them.

The Marathas of Tamil Nadu: Ekoji and the Thanjavur Kindgom

How a half-brother’s quiet inheritance grab turned into a two-century Maratha kingdom in the heart of Tamil country

Jagirdar of Bangalore, Father of Shivaji, and Regent of Ahmadnagar: The Lesser Known Career of Shahaji Bhonsale

Shivaji's childhood is often framed under the tutelage of his mother, Jijabai, but the lesser-known story of his father is a case study into the…

Before Shivaji: How an African Slave Forged the Military Doctrine That Built the Maratha Empire

The incredible story of Malik Ambar, a Habshi slave and later power broker of the Deccan, who refined guerrilla warfare and fought alongside Shivaji's…

Americans in 18th Century India: Soldiers, Merchants, and Mercenaries

From the Hudson River Valley to Holkar's armies, early Americans played an often overlooked and forgotten role in the Maratha armies

Seths, Shroffs and the Hundi System: How the Mughals, Marathas and East India Company Financed War

Before cavalry could ride, capital had to move. Late Medieval and Early Modern India's sophisticated credit networks financed the rise and fall of many…

Naro Shankar: The Man Who Shaped Nashik and Was Later Ruined by Panipat

The rise and fall of a 18th c. Peshwa Sardar who played a key role in the administration of Jhansi and architecturally shaped Nashik.

Brahmendra Swami: Saint, Moneylender and Guru of the Maratha Peshwas

Brahmendra Swami was the spiritual guru of Bajirao Peshwa, Chhatrapati Shahu, The Siddis, and one of the Deccan's foremost moneylenders of the 18th c…