| Border: | federal |
| Royal Title: | Chhatrapati |
| Realm: | the Marathas |
| Native Name: | Marāṭhyānche Chatrapatī |
| Coatofarmscaption: | Seal |
| First Monarch: | Shivaji I |
| Last Monarch: | Pratap Singh |
| Style: | Maharaj |
| Began: | 1674 |
| Ended: | 1818 |
| Pretender: | Chhatrapati of Kolhapur Shahu II of Kolhapur (1983–present) Chhatrapati of Satara Udayanraje Bhosale (1978–present) |
| Appointer: | Hereditary |
Chhatrapati is a royal title from Sanskrit used to denote a king. The word "Chhatrapati" is a Sanskrit language compound word of chhatra (parasol or umbrella) and pati (master/lord/ruler).[1] This title was used by the House of Bhonsle, between 1674 and 1818, as the heads of state of the Maratha Confederacy.
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 Kingdom, 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]
This is the list of the initial Maratha Chhatrapatis.
| Portrait | Chhatrapati | Birth | Reign | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shivaji I | 19 February 1630[3] | 6 June 1674 – 5 April 1680 | 5 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 | 3 March 1700 – 12 January 1708 | 14 March 1726 | |
| Shahu I | 18 May 1682 | 12 January 1708 – 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 | |
| Pratap Singh | 18 January 1793 | 3 May 1808 – April 1818 | 14 October 1847 | |
This is the list of the Chhatrapatis of Satara.[4]
| Portrait | Chhatrapati | Birth | Reign | Death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pratap Singh | 18 January 1793 | 1818 – 5 September 1839 | 14 October 1847 | ||
| Shahaji | 1802 | 5 September 1839 – 5 April 1848 | 5 April 1848 |
| Portrait | Chhatrapati | Birth | Reign | Death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venkatji Bhonsle | 1848–1864 | 1864 | |||
| Pratap Singh II | 1864–1874 | 1 March 1878 | |||
| Rajaram III | 1874–1904 | 6 July 1907 | |||
| Anna Sahib | 1904–1914 | 1919 | |||
| Bhav Sahib / Bhausaheb | 1914–1925 | 7 July 1925 | |||
| Shahu III | 1925–1950 | 23 February 1960 | |||
| Pratap Singh III | 1950–1978 | 5 April 1983/1989 | |||
| Udayanraje | 24 February 1966 | 1978–present | |||
| Source:[5] | |||||
This is the list of the Chhatrapatis of Kolhapur.[4]
| Portrait | Chhatrapati | Birth | Reign | Death | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shivaji II | 9 June 1696 | 1710 – 2 August 1714 (Kolhapur State) | 14 March 1726 | ||
| Sambhaji II | 1698 | 2 August 1714 – 18 December 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 | 2 July 1821 – 3 Jan 1822 | 3 January 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 | 13 April 1850 | 18 August 1866 – 30 November 1870 | 30 November 1870 | ||
| Shivaji VI | 05 April 1863 | 1871–1883 | 25 December 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 | 9 May 1983–present |