The rule
of the Thanjavur Nayaks lasted until 1673 when Chokkanatha Nayak the ruler of
Madurai invaded Thanjavur and killed the ruler Vijayaraghava.
Chokkanatha
placed his brother Alagiri on the throne of Thanjavur, but within a year the
latter threw off his allegiance, and Chokkanatha was forced to recognise the
independence of Thanjavur. A son of Vijaya Raghava induced the Bijapur Sultan
to help him get back the Thanjavur throne. In 1675, the Sultan of Bijapur sent
a force commanded by the Maratha general Venkoji (alias Ekoji) to recapture the
kingdom from the new invader. Venkoji defeated Alagiri, and occupied Thanjavur.
He did not, however, place his protege on the throne as instructed by the
Bijapur Sultan, but seized the kingdom and made himself king. Thus began the
rule of the Marathas over Thanjavur.
Venkoji
Raje Bhonsale, a half-brother of the great Maratha king Shivaji was the first
Raja of Thanjavur from the Bhosale dynasty.
Coins of Thanjavur Marathas:
Mostly
the Thanjavur marathas issued coins in Devanagari legend and also a few coins
with Tamil legend. The coins with Tamil legend are rare and very few coins of
this variety were published so far.
They are
ardent devotees of Lord Shiva, we can see this from their coinage.
Obv: Siva and Parvati seated facing, Siva holding Damaru and mriga or deer
Rev: maha raja in Nagari
Obv: Parvati seated with flowers in hand
Rev: maha raja in Nagari
Obv: Elephant facing left with moon above it. Within dotted circle.
Rev: maha raja in Nagari
Obv: maha raja in Nagari
Rev: maha deva in Nagari
Obv: mudra in Nagari
Rev: maha raja in Nagari
History of the Maratha migrants:
When the
Marathas ruled Tamil Nadu from Thanjavur for nearly two centuries from 1675,
they encouraged a large number of settlers from the Deccan and Karnataka to
consolidate their power in the South. Many Brahmins and Kshatriyas, known as
Deshasthas, found their homes in the fertile Cauvery delta, Thanjavur and its
neighbourhood.
They
first made Tanjore their home and then migrated further south to Madurai and
Ramanathapuram.
Most
Thanjavur Marathis now are descendants of people who migrated during and after
the reign of Serfoji I who ruled from 1712 to 1726. Serfoji-I invited
maharastrians to settle in Thanjavur and offered them vast quantities of land.
He also established agraharams such as Sarabhojirajapuram. Migrations to the
Tamil country from Maharashtra and northern Karnataka took place throughout the
18th and the first half of the 19th century until the demise of the Thanjavur
Maratha kingdom in 1855.
