Conflicts & Resolutions · War

Mughal–Maratha Wars

1680–1707 · 17th century · Also known as Maratha War of Independence

The Mughal–Maratha Wars, also called the Deccan Wars, were fought from 1680 to 1707 between the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb and the Maratha kingdom founded by Shivaji. Aurangzeb campaigned in the Deccan for over twenty years and had Shivaji's son Sambhaji executed in 1689, but the Marathas under Rajaram and Tarabai kept up a mobile war. The costly struggle drained the empire, and after Aurangzeb's death in 1707 Maratha power spread across India.

Mughal–Maratha Wars
Image: Justus Perthes, Gotha./Charles Joppen Joppen, Charles [SJ.] (1907) A Historical Atlas of India for the use of High-Sc... · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Battles and settlements

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Mughal–Maratha Wars. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mughal-maratha-wars
MLA
“Mughal–Maratha Wars.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mughal-maratha-wars. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Mughal–Maratha Wars.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mughal-maratha-wars.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Mughal–Maratha Wars’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/mughal-maratha-wars (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻