MAHRATTAS, MARATHAS, or MAR HATAS (ma-rat'az), a people of mixed origin, Hindus in religion and caste or dinances, inhabiting western and cen tral India, from the Satpura Mountains to Nagpur. The Mahratta Brahmans claim to be Rajputs; the bulk of the peo ple are Sudras, and probably of aborigi nal blood mainly. They are first men tioned in history about the middle of the 17th century, when they possessed a nar row strip of territory on the W. side of the peninsula. The founder of the Mah ratta power was Sivaji, a freebooter or adventurer, whose father Shahji Bhon sla, was an officer in the service of the last King of BijapAr. His son and (1680) successor, Sambhaji, after vigorously fol lowing out his father's policy, was taken prisoner by Aurungzebe in 1689, and put to death. His son, a prisoner, resigned his rule with the title of Peshwa; the descendants of Sivaji henceforward reigned over but did not govern Sattara.
Under the fourth hereditary Fleshwa there were five Mahratta states, more or less powerful and independent. They
wrested additional territory from the feeble grasp of the Mogul emperor; but the frightful defeat (in January, 1761) they sustained at the hands of Ahmed Shah Durani, the ruler of Afghanistan, on the field of Panipat, weakened their power for a time. They still, however, continued to be the hired mercenaries of the Delhi emperor, till the growing influ ence of the British compelled them to look to their own safety.
After many long and bloody contests with the British and their allies they were one by one, with the exception of Sindhia, reduced to a state of depend ence. This last-mentioned chief con tinued the contest for a number of years till his power was finally broken in 1843. The Mahratta states of Indore, Gwa lior, and Baroda refrained from partici pation in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. The dignity of Peshwa was abolished in 1818, and his territories were occupied by the British.