Places like Gwalior and Indore were supposed to be temporary arrangements, and the chiefs of those areas wanted to return to Maharashtra ASAP. Outside of Maharashtra, the polity also essentially raided and pillaged without setting up real administrations. The existence of 'chauth', a tax to be submitted to a person rather than the state, added to the problem as it made the Maratha polity individual driven to the detriment of the state. Their sardeshmukhi was a burden on cultivators, and they had to act as almost raiders to collect this additional fee. They essentially levied a second tax on top of Mughal taxes, because they derived their authority from the latter. The biggest example of this, however, is the tax regime of the Maratha polity. Note the importance of a chief over the state as a whole. This is a way to actually hold the Mughal hostage.
![third battle of panipat in marathi third battle of panipat in marathi](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rr6cczTtWS8/maxresdefault.jpg)
It is during this time, for example, that the Shinde of Gwalior becomes Amir ul Amara of the Mughal Emperor his chief noble. The Marathas regularly engaged with the Mughals in a way that made them both insiders and outsiders at the same time. I've used the term Mughal system before, and while Sir Jadunath Sarkar coined itand I would still be weary approaching his work, it is a good term. It must also be understood that the Marathas were functioning within an all-India framework. One must understand that the Maratha 'state' was severely decentralised- it showed the same problems the Mughal state did, but on an accelerated time scale ie different sources of authority vested in the Peshwa, Chhatrapati, and the individual bands and Chiefs. There were many, many problems with the Maratha polity and Panipat was a symptom rather than the problem itself. Previous AMAs | Previous Roundtables Featuresįeature posts are posted weekly. Please Subscribe to our Google Calendar for Upcoming AMAs and Events To nominate someone else as a Quality Contributor, message the mods. Our flaired users have detailed knowledge of their historical specialty and a proven record of excellent contributions to /r/AskHistorians. Please Read and Understand the Rules Before Contributing. Report Comments That Break Reddiquette or the Subreddit Rules. Serious On-Topic Comments Only: No Jokes, Anecdotes, Clutter, or other Digressions. Provide Primary and Secondary Sources If Asked. Write Original, In-Depth and Comprehensive Answers, Using Good Historical Practices. Questions should be clear and specific in what they ask, and should be able to get detailed answers from historians whose expertise is likely to be in particular times and places. Nothing Less Than 20 Years Old, and Don't Soapbox. Be Nice: No Racism, Bigotry, or Offensive Behavior. Downvote and Report comments that are unhelpful or grossly off-topic.Upvote informative, well sourced answers.New to /r/AskHistorians? Please read our subreddit rules and FAQ before posting! Apply for Flair