Rajaram II of Satara

Rajaram II was the 6th monarch of the Maratha Empire. He was the adoptive son of Chhatrapati Shahuji (belongs to sisodia rajput clan), and the putative grandson of Chhatrapati Rajaram. The early years of his reign were marked by controversy over his succession, as the dowager queen Tarabai disowned him alleging that he was not the grandson of Rajaram and herself. During Ramaraja's reign, the power of the Chhatrapati based in Satara was almost totally overshadowed his hereditary Peshwas (Prime Ministers) belonging to the Bhat family in Pune and other rulers of the empire such as the Holkars, Gaikwad and Shinde. During this period, the Marathas were engaged in a continual conflict with the Durranis based in Afghanistan.

References

• V.S. Kadam, 1993. Maratha Confederacy: A Study in its Origin and Development. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi.