The Marathas began their quest for Swarajya in 1646 under Chhatrapati Shivaji. From this year until 1818, the Marathas remained a formidable power in the Indian sub-continent. This is a story of their rise to paramountcy in the Eighteenth century - and their fall in early Nineteenth century. It was the first indigenous Empire after centuries of foreign rule...and the last before the British took over. A look at a stirring saga of a hundred and seventy-five years. The story is told in 37 plus sections, with over 80 colour and black and white pics and maps, a bibliography and an index.