Ben Freeman Lecture: Maratha Empire and AP World History

Introduction

• Criticism of traditional history teaching.
• Comparison of the Mughal Empire to "Star Wars".
• Introduction to the Maratha Empire as the focus of the lecture.

Historical Context

• Time Period: 1450-1750
• AP World History is divided into land-based and maritime empires.
• Key empires during this period include Songhai, Aztec, Inca, Tokugawa, Manchu, Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, Russia.
• Mughal Empire was once the wealthiest empire, controlling 25% of the earth’s economy.

Mughal Empire Overview

• Originated from Central Asia, founded by Babur.
• Notable for wealth and architecture but faced resistance from locals.
• Aurangzeb, the 6th emperor, was less tolerant towards Hindus than predecessors.
• Imposed Jizya tax, demolished Hindu temples, executed the 9th Sikh guru.

Maratha Empire

• Time Period: 1674-1818
• Hindu warrior caste from Western India.
• Initially served as warriors for the Mughal Empire.
• Turned against the Mughal Empire under the leadership of Shivaji.

Mughal-Maratha Wars

• Started when Aurangzeb moved into Maratha territory.
• Shivaji united Maratha warriors and took significant territories.
• Prison escape by Shivaji and his son led to continued resistance.
• Marathas took control of key Mughal territories like Surat and Delhi.
• Aurangzeb’s campaigns were resource-draining and detrimental.
• Aurangzeb died during the campaign against the Marathas.

Legacy of the Marathas

• Marathas were eventually overpowered by the British East India Company.
• Despite British dominance, Marathas inspired later Indian independence movements.
• Maratha resistance exemplifies internal and external challenges to empire.

Conclusion

• The Maratha Empire serves as an illustrative example of resistance in AP World History.
• Part of a broader educational project "Discovery of India".

Additional Notes

• Maratha's notable for both land and naval power against Mughals and British.
• No direct references to Marathas in past AP exams, but important for understanding resistance to empires.
• Encouragement to explore more content from "Discovery of India" series.