Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire
Marāṭhā Sāmrājyācē Chatrapatī
Imperial
The Imperial Seal and the Bhagwa Dhwaj
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Maratha Empire and first Emperor
Details
Style	His Imperial Majesty
First monarch	Shivaji
Last monarch	Pratap Singh
Formation	1674
Abolition	Third Anglo-Maratha War
Residence	Raigad Fort (1674-1689) Satara (1689–1714) Shaniwar Wada(Pune) (1714-1818)

Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit language. The word ‘Chhatrapati’ is a Sanskrit language compound word (tatpurusha in Sanskrit) of chhatra (parasol or umbrella) and pati (master/lord/ruler).^[1] This title was used by the House of Bhonsle.

The title "Chhatrapati" was created by Shivaji upon his coronation, and this was also held by his immediate successors, namely Sambhaji, Rajaram, and Shahu. After the death of Shahu, however, the increasing power of the Peshwas reduced his successors to a nominal position although they continue to use the title to this day.^{[citation needed]}

The states of Satara and Kolhapur came into being in 1707, because of the succession dispute over the royalty. Shahuji, the heir apparent to the Maratha kingdom, captured by the Mughals at the age of nine, remained their prisoner at the death of his father Sambhaji, the elder son of Shivaji the founder of the Maratha Empire, in 1689. The dowager Maharani Tarabai (wife of Rajaram I) proclaimed her son Shivaji II, as Chhatrapati under her regency. The Mughals released Shahu under certain conditions in 1707, and he returned to claim his inheritance. He defeated the regent at the Battle of Khed and established himself at Satara, forcing her to retire with her son to Kolhapur. By 1710 two separate principalities had become an established fact. Shivaji II and Tarabai were soon deposed by the other wife of Rajaram, Rajasbai. She installed her own son, Sambhaji II as the new ruler of Kolhapur. Sambhaji II signed the "Treaty of Warana" in 1731 with his cousin Shahuji to formalize the two separate seats of Bhonsle family.^[2]

Initial Chhatrapatis

This is the list of the initial Chhatrapatis.

Portrait	Chhatrapati	Birth	Reign	Death
	Shivaji	19 February 1630[3]	1674 – 1680	3 April 1680
	Sambhaji	14 May 1657	16 January 1681 – 11 March 1689	11 March 1689
	Rajaram I	24 February 1670	11 March 1689 – 3 March 1700	3 March 1700
	Shivaji II	9 June 1696	1700 – 1707, 1710 – 1714 (Kolhapur State)	14 March 1726
	Shahu I	18 May 1682	12 January 1707 – 15 December 1749	15 December 1749

Chhatrapatis of Satara

This is the list of the Chhatrapatis of Satara.^[4]

Portrait	Chhatrapati	Birth	Reign	Death
	Shahu I	18 May 1682	12 January 1707 – 15 December 1749	15 December 1749
	Rajaram II	June 1726	15 December 1749 – 11 December 1777	11 December 1777
	Shahu II	1763	11 December 1777 – 3 May 1808	3 May 1808
	Pratapsingh	18 January 1793	1818 – 5 September 1839	14 October 1847
	Shahaji	1802	5 September 1839 – 5 April 1848	5 April 1848
	Venkataji		1848 – 1864
	Pratapsinha II / Rajaram II		1865 – 1874
	Rajaram III		1874 – 1904
	Anna Sahib		1904 – 1919
	Bhav Sahib / Bhausaheb		1914 – 1925
	Shahu III		1925 – 1950
	Pratapsingh III		1950 – ?
	Udayanraje	24 February 1966	? – present

^[5]

Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur

This is the list of the Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur.^[4]

Portrait	Chhatrapati	Birth	Reign	Death
	Shivaji II	9 June 1696	1700 – 1707, 1710 – 1714 (Kolhapur State)	14 March 1726
	Sambhaji II	1698	1714 – 1760	18 December 1760
	Shivaji III	1756	22 September 1762 – 24 April 1813	24 April 1813
	Sambhaji III	1801	24 April 1813 – 2 July 1821	2 July 1821
	Shivaji IV	1816	July 02 1821 – Jan 03 1822	January 03, 1822
	Shahaji I	22 January 1802	3 January 1822 – 29 November 1838	29 November 1838
	Shivaji V	26 December 1830	1838 – 1866	4 August 1866
	Rajaram II	April 13, 1850	August 18, 1866 – November 30, 1870	November 30, 1870
	Shivaji VI	April 05, 1863	1871 – 1883	December 25, 1883
	Shahu IV (overall) Shahu I of Kolhapur	26 June 1874	2 April 1894 – 6 May 1922	6 May 1922
	Rajaram III	31 July 1897	1922 – 1940	26 November 1940
	Shivaji VII	22 November 1941	31 December 1941 – 28 September 1946	28 September 1946
	Shahaji II	4 April 1910	1947 – 1971	9 May 1983
	Shahu V (overall) Shahu II of Kolhapur	7 January 1948	1983 – present

Genealogy of Kolhapur Chhatrapatis