Bhonsle Conquest and Bimbaji Bhonsle
How the Bhonsles of Nagpur took Chhattisgarh from the Kalachuris (1741), the puppet phase under Mohan Singh, and Bimbaji Bhonsle's direct rule from Ratanpur.
Prerequisites
- Kalachuris of Ratanpur and Raipur: the dynasty the Marathas replaced, and its two branches
- Mughal Empire: the decline of Mughal power that let the Marathas expand east in the 18th century
- Maratha Rule in Chhattisgarh: chapter overview: the full timeline of the chapter on one page
The Hook: A White Flag on the Ramparts of Ratanpur
Drive 25 km north of Bilaspur and you reach Ratanpur (रतनपुर), famous today for the Mahamaya temple and, on a hillock nearby, the Ramtekri (रामटेकरी) temple. The first is linked to the Kalachuris, who ruled from here for centuries. The second was built by a Maratha prince. Between the two lies one of the sharpest turning points in Chhattisgarh’s history: a siege in which, according to the colonial account, a queen of Ratanpur raised a white flag and a dynasty of more than seven centuries ended almost without a fight.
How did the Bhonsles of Nagpur take Chhattisgarh, and who was Bimbaji, the first Maratha to rule it directly?
Why it matters: Prelims asks the names and years (Bhaskar Pant, Raghunath Singh, Mohan Singh, Bimbaji, 1741, 1758). Mains GS-I asks you to explain why the Kalachuris fell so easily and what Maratha rule changed.
Background: The Bhonsles of Nagpur
- The Bhonsles of Nagpur (नागपुर के भोंसले) were a Maratha ruling house that held eastern central India. They acted largely on their own while formally part of the Maratha confederacy under the Peshwa.
- Raghuji I Bhonsle (रघुजी प्रथम) built up their power in the mid-18th century and pushed east towards Bengal and Odisha.
- Chhattisgarh lay on the route from Nagpur to Bengal and Odisha. A weak Kalachuri state on that road was both an obstacle and an opportunity.
The Invasion of Bhaskar Pant (1741)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Commander | Bhaskar Pant (भास्कर पंत), i.e. Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar, general of Raghuji I |
| Year | 1741 in most CG GK books. The colonial account (Sir Charles Grant) places the siege at the close of 1740, so you may see “1740” in English sources |
| Target | Ratanpur, capital of the Kalachuri (Haihaiyavanshi, हैहयवंशी) kingdom |
| Kalachuri ruler | Raghunath Singh (रघुनाथ सिंह), old and grief-stricken after losing his only son |
| Outcome | Little resistance. After Maratha guns damaged the palace, a queen (Rani Laxmi in Grant’s account) raised a white flag and the fort surrendered |
| Settlement | Raghunath Singh was not harmed and was allowed to rule at Ratanpur under Maratha suzerainty |
- A weak ruler: Raghunath Singh was elderly and had withdrawn from government after his son’s death.
- A decayed state: after centuries, the Kalachuri system rested on semi-independent garh chiefs and zamindars, not a strong central army.
- No outside help: Mughal authority had collapsed, so there was no imperial power to appeal to.
- Maratha strength: the Bhonsles had a mobile army with artillery and were already campaigning in Bengal and Odisha.
The Indirect Phase: Kalachuri Rulers under Maratha Suzerainty (1741–1758)
The Marathas did not take over the administration at once. For about 17 years they ruled through Kalachuri princes.
| Period | Ruler at Ratanpur | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1741–1745 | Raghunath Singh | Last independent Kalachuri king, now a vassal |
| 1745–1758 | Mohan Singh (मोहन सिंह) | Placed on the throne by Raghuji I after Raghunath Singh’s death (1745). He came from the Kalachuri Raipur branch. He was the last Kalachuri (Haihaiyavanshi) ruler |
The end of the Raipur branch
- The Kalachuris had a junior Raipur branch alongside the senior Ratanpur branch.
- Around 1750 the Marathas removed its ruler, Amar Singh (अमर सिंह), from power and gave him a few parganas (Rajim, Raipur and Patan in most accounts) for a fixed payment.
- After Amar Singh’s death his son Shivraj Singh was reduced to a handful of revenue-free villages near Mahasamund (Bargaon and others). The Raipur branch now had no political power.
Bimbaji Bhonsle: Direct Maratha Rule (1758–1787)
Who he was
- Bimbaji Bhonsle (बिम्बाजी भोंसले) was the youngest son of Raghuji I.
- He was appointed to Chhattisgarh by his brother Janoji Bhonsle, then ruler at Nagpur, and took charge in 1758. Some books start his rule in 1757, the year he set out from Nagpur.
- He ruled from Ratanpur until his death in 1787.
- He was only nominally subordinate to Nagpur. He had his own army, court and ministers at Ratanpur, so this period is called direct Bhonsle rule (प्रत्यक्ष भोंसले शासन).
What he did
| Area | Measure |
|---|---|
| Unification | Merged the Ratanpur and Raipur units into one administration and treated the whole region as a single unit, Chhattisgarh |
| Revenue | Brought the zamindars under firmer control and regularised the tribute (takoli) they paid |
| Language and court | Introduced Marathi (with the Modi script) and Urdu in court and official use |
| Religion and culture | Built the Ram temple on Ramtekri (रामटेकरी), Ratanpur |
| Festivals | Credited with starting the custom of exchanging sonpatti (सोनपत्ती), “gold leaves”, at Dussehra |
| Order | Put down disputes and unrest among the zamindars |
After his death
- Bimbaji died in 1787. According to the traditional account his wife Umabai committed sati.
- Another queen, Anandibai, remained influential in Chhattisgarh after his death. She is credited with installing his statue at Ramtekri.
- Nagpur did not appoint a new resident prince. Vyankoji Bhonsle now governed the region from Nagpur through officers called subedars. This began the Suba system.
For: a single administration for the whole region, a resident ruler who knew local conditions, firmer control of quarrelling zamindars, and patronage of temples and festivals.
Against: revenue demands rose to support a Maratha court and army; Marathi and Urdu as court languages distanced administration from Chhattisgarhi-speaking subjects; and the old Kalachuri nobility lost power.
Balance: compared with the subedars who came after him, Bimbaji’s 29 years are usually remembered as the most stable phase of Maratha rule in Chhattisgarh.
Memory Tricks
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Raghuji I: Bhonsle ruler of Nagpur who sent Bhaskar Pant | Raghunath Singh: Kalachuri king of Ratanpur who surrendered | |
| Bhaskar Pant: general who conquered Ratanpur (1741) | Bimbaji: prince who ruled Chhattisgarh directly (1758–1787) | |
| Mohan Singh: last Kalachuri ruler (1745–1758), a Maratha vassal | Amar Singh: last ruler of the Kalachuri Raipur branch, removed around 1750 | |
| Mahamaya temple, Ratanpur: Kalachuri-era | Ramtekri temple, Ratanpur: built by Bimbaji | |
| Direct Bhonsle rule (1758–1787): resident prince at Ratanpur | Suba rule (1787–1818): subedars sent from Nagpur |
Common Mistakes
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The Maratha general who captured Ratanpur in 1741 was ________, on behalf of ________ of Nagpur.
- The last Kalachuri ruler of Chhattisgarh, who ruled as a Maratha vassal until 1758, was ________.
- Bimbaji Bhonsle ruled Chhattisgarh from ________ between 1758 and ________.
Answers
- Bhaskar Pant (Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar); Raghuji I Bhonsle
- Mohan Singh
- Ratanpur; 1787
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- After the Maratha capture of Ratanpur, Raghunath Singh was allowed to continue as ruler under Maratha suzerainty.
- Mohan Singh, placed on the throne in 1745, belonged to the Raipur branch of the Kalachuris.
- Bimbaji Bhonsle was a general of Raghuji I who led the 1741 invasion.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Match List-I with List-II:
| List-I (Person) | List-II (Role) |
|---|---|
| A. Bhaskar Pant | 1. Last Kalachuri ruler of Chhattisgarh |
| B. Mohan Singh | 2. Maratha general who captured Ratanpur |
| C. Bimbaji Bhonsle | 3. Governed Chhattisgarh from Nagpur through subedars |
| D. Vyankoji Bhonsle | 4. First Maratha prince to rule Chhattisgarh directly from Ratanpur |
(a) A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3 (b) A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3 (c) A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3 (d) A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
Answer and explanation
Q3. The Ram temple on Ramtekri hill at Ratanpur is associated with which ruler?
(a) Ratnadeva I (b) Kalyan Sai (c) Bimbaji Bhonsle (d) Raghuji III
Answer and explanation
Q4. Which of the following is not correctly associated with Bimbaji Bhonsle?
(a) Introduction of Marathi and the Modi script in administration (b) Administrative unification of the Ratanpur and Raipur areas (c) Exchange of sonpatti at Dussehra (d) Shifting the headquarters of Chhattisgarh from Ratanpur to Raipur
Answer and explanation
Q5. Arrange in chronological order:
- Mohan Singh is placed on the throne of Ratanpur
- Bhaskar Pant captures Ratanpur
- Death of Bimbaji Bhonsle
- Bimbaji takes direct charge of Chhattisgarh
(a) 2-1-3-4 (b) 2-1-4-3 (c) 1-2-4-3 (d) 2-4-1-3
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. Why did the Kalachuri kingdom of Ratanpur fall to the Marathas with so little resistance? (100 words)
Intro: In 1741 the Bhonsle general Bhaskar Pant took Ratanpur almost without a fight, ending more than seven centuries of Kalachuri sovereignty.
Body:
- Weak leadership: Raghunath Singh was old and had withdrawn from government after his only son’s death.
- Decentralised state: power lay with garh chiefs and zamindars rather than a strong standing army.
- No imperial support: the Mughal empire had declined, leaving no outside power to help.
- Maratha strength: a mobile army with artillery, already campaigning towards Bengal and Odisha, for which Chhattisgarh lay on the route.
Conclusion: The conquest was less a military feat than the collapse of a tired state. The Marathas then ruled through Kalachuri vassals until 1758.
Q2. Assess the contribution of Bimbaji Bhonsle to the administration and culture of Chhattisgarh. (150–200 words)
Intro: Bimbaji Bhonsle, youngest son of Raghuji I, ruled Chhattisgarh directly from Ratanpur from 1758 to 1787, the most stable phase of Maratha rule in the region.
Body:
- Unification: merged the Ratanpur and Raipur units into one administration of Chhattisgarh.
- Autonomy: his own court, army and ministers, so decisions were made inside the region rather than in Nagpur.
- Control of zamindars: suppressed disputes and regularised the takoli tribute.
- Administrative culture: brought Marathi, the Modi script and Urdu into official use.
- Religion and festivals: built the Ramtekri temple at Ratanpur and is credited with the sonpatti custom at Dussehra.
- Limits: higher revenue demands to support the court and army, and a court language foreign to most subjects.
Conclusion: Bimbaji gave Chhattisgarh political unity and a recognisable administrative identity. His death in 1787 opened the more exploitative Suba period.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bhonsle ruler who ordered the invasion | Raghuji I of Nagpur |
| Commander | Bhaskar Pant (Bhaskar Ram Kolhatkar) |
| Year of conquest | 1741 (close of 1740 in Grant’s account) |
| Kalachuri king who surrendered | Raghunath Singh, allowed to rule as vassal |
| Next vassal ruler | Mohan Singh (1745–1758), from the Raipur branch, last Kalachuri ruler |
| End of Raipur branch | Amar Singh removed around 1750; son Shivraj Singh given revenue-free villages |
| Direct Maratha rule | Bimbaji Bhonsle, 1758–1787, capital Ratanpur |
| Bimbaji’s identity | Youngest son of Raghuji I; appointed by Janoji |
| Bimbaji’s works | Unified Ratanpur and Raipur; Marathi, Modi and Urdu; Ramtekri temple; sonpatti at Dussehra |
| After 1787 | Vyankoji rules from Nagpur through subedars (Suba system) |
Key Takeaways
- Bhaskar Pant, general of Raghuji I, took Ratanpur in 1741 from Raghunath Singh with almost no resistance.
- The Marathas first ruled indirectly. Mohan Singh (1745–1758) was the last Kalachuri ruler.
- Bimbaji Bhonsle began direct Maratha rule in 1758 and ruled from Ratanpur until 1787.
- Bimbaji unified the region, brought Marathi/Modi and Urdu into administration and built the Ramtekri temple.
- His death led to the Suba system under Vyankoji.
What’s Next
- The Suba System (1787–1818): how Chhattisgarh was run by subedars from Nagpur
- Administration and Revenue under the Marathas: parganas, kamavisdars, gaontias and taxes
- Tourism, Archaeological Sites and Heritage: Ratanpur’s temples today
- Festivals and Traditions: Dussehra and other festivals in Chhattisgarh