In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Uday S. Kulkarni joins Bharatvaarta to trace the rise of the Marathas — from the early vision of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to a force that expanded across India, challenged the Mughals, and altered the balance of power in the subcontinent.

We unpack how Swaraj was not just a political idea but a civilisational response to centuries of upheaval, how military innovation, mobility, and leadership enabled rapid expansion, and why Delhi became the ultimate symbol of power for the Marathas.

The conversation moves through defining moments — the encounter with Afzal Khan, the confrontation with Aurangzeb, the resilience after Sambhaji Maharaj’s execution, and the long 27-year war that hardened Maratha resolve into an unstoppable force.

It also examines the rise of the Peshwas, the expansion into North India, alliances and conflicts with regional powers, and the moment when the Marathas stood as the dominant force across much of the subcontinent.

This episode isn’t just about history.

It’s about how power is built, lost, and remembered.

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – 00:40 • Opening Hook: The Power That Almost Ruled India

00:40 – 05:30 • The World Before the Marathas: Fragmentation & Invasions

05:30 – 10:30 • Shivaji’s Vision: Swaraj as a Civilisational Idea

10:30 – 15:30 • Afzal Khan & The Turning Point of Power

15:30 – 22:00 • Aurangzeb, Agra & The Limits of Empire

22:00 – 30:00 • War, Resistance & The Making of Maratha Strength

30:00 – 38:00 • Sambhaji Maharaj & The Cost of Defiance

38:00 – 50:00 • The 27-Year War: How the Marathas Outlasted the Mughals

50:00 – 01:05:00 • Expansion Beyond the Deccan: The Road to Delhi

01:05:00 – 01:18:00 • The Rise of the Peshwas & Maratha Dominance

01:18:00 – 01:28:00 • Alliances, Conflicts & Control of North India

01:28:00 – 01:37:00 • Legacy, Decline & Lessons from Maratha Power

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👤 Guest — Dr. Uday S. Kulkarni

Historian | Author | Maratha History Scholar

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👤 Host — Roshan Cariappa

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