The History Of Bangalore Shivaji, Aurangzeb, And The Walls Close In: The Maratha Years, Part 2
The transition of power in Bengaluru often happened not through the clash of steel, but through the scratch of a pen. Ramjee Chandran navigates the complex and often overlooked chapter of Bengaluru’s Maratha years following the death of Shahaji Bhonsle. As his son Ekoji I took the reins, he found himself caught in he middle of the ambitions od Aurangzeb from the noth, his brother Chhatrapati Shivaji from the east and the expanding rising Wadiyars from Mysore. This episode explores the internal family fractures of the Bhsales, the exhaustion of Ekoji, and the monumental decision to treat Bengaluru as a commodity rather than a fortress—leading to its sale for three lakh varahas. It is a story of shifting loyalties and the cold pragmatism that eventually brought the city into the fold of the Mysore Kingdom.
Key Details from the episode:
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The Succession: After Shahaji’s death in 1664, his younger son Ekoji I (also known as Vyankoji) took over the Bengaluru jagir.
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Family Friction: Chhatrapati Shivaji, Ekoji’s half-brother, eventually demanded his share of the southern jagir, leading to a brief but significant military confrontation in 1677.
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The Strategic Trap: Ekoji found Bengaluru increasingly difficult to defend against the aggressive expansionism of Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar of Mysore and the looming shadow of the Mughals.
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The Sale of Bengaluru: Feeling the city was a "white elephant," Ekoji entered negotiations with Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar to sell Bengaluru for a price of three lakh varahas.
- The Mughal Intervention: Just as the sale was being finalized in 1687, the Mughal general Qasim Khan seized the city, forcing the Wadiyars to buy it from the Mughals instead of the Marathas.
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The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.
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