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{{Short description|Raja of Thanjavur Maratha kingdom from 1739–1763}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Other people|Pratap Singh|Pratap Singh (disambiguation){{!}}Pratap Singh}}
{{Infobox monarch
| name = Pratap Singh
| title =
| image = Pratapsinha Raje Bhosale.jpg
| caption = Pratap Singh Bhonsle
| succession = [[Raja]] of [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Thanjavur]]
| reign = 1739 - 16 December 1763
| coronation = 1739, Durbar Hall, Tanjore Fort
| full name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date = 16 December 1763
| death_place = Tanjore Fort
| burial_date =
| burial_place =
| predecessor = [[Shahuji II]]
| successor = [[Thuljaji II]]
| spouse = Five wives and seven secondary wives
| issue = [[Thuljaji II]]<br>[[Amar Singh of Thanjavur|Amar Singh]]
| royal house =
| dynasty = [[Bhonsle Dynasty|Bhonsle]]
| module = {{Infobox military person
| embed = yes
| allegiance =
| branch =
| rank =
| battles =
{{tree list}}[[Carnatic wars]]
**[[Siege of Arcot]]
**[[Battle of Arnee]]
**[[Battle of Seringham]]
**[[Siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752)|Siege of Trichinopoly]]{{tree list/end}}[[Cattle War]]
{{tree list}}[[Anglo-Maratha Wars]]
**Siege of Tanjore{{tree list/end}}
[[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Thanjavur]]–[[Ramnad estate|Ramnad]] Wars
}}
| father = [[Tukkoji]]
| mother = Annapurna
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| signature =
}}

'''Pratap Singh Bhonsle''' or '''Pratapsinha''' ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]: तंजावरचे प्रतापसिंह) was the [[Maratha]] ruler of [[Thanjavur]] of the [[Bhonsle]] dynasty from 1739 to 1763. His rise to power followed three years of [[anarchy]] and [[civil war]] and restored the state to its previous greatness. His reign witnessed the Carnatic Wars and the Seven Years' War.

== Early life ==

Pratapsinha was born to [[Tukkoji]], the Raja of Thanjavur and a [[concubine]] Annapurna. Initially, he was not expected to rule as he was not a legitimate son of the Raja. However, the early demise of the king's eldest son Ekoji II who died after ruling Thanjavur for a year and a period of anarchy which followed thrust Pratap Singh on the forefront of palace intrigues.

== Period of Anarchy 1736–1739 ==
Following Tukkoji's death in 1736, a period of anarchy followed. [[Ekoji II|Ekoji]], the king's eldest son and heir apparent succeeded to the throne but died after ruling Thanjavur for a year. However, in spite of his poor health, Ekoji offered a determined resistance to [[Chanda Sahib]] who invaded Thanjavur during the former's short reign and forced him to retreat to [[Tiruchirapalli]].

Ekoji died in 1737 succeeded by his wife [[Sujana Bai]]. Sayyid, the Governor of the Thanjavur Fort, rose into prominence during this period as a kingmaker and actively participated in court intrigues promoting one puppet ruler after another to the throne. He imprisoned Sujanbai in 1738 when the latter questioned his authority.

Shahuji returned in 1738 and ruled for about a year. In February 1739, Chanda Sahib forced Shahuji to cede [[Karaikal]] to the French and in April, the Raja confirmed the Grant. In July 1739, Shahuji prevented the French from landing in Karaikal. This resulted in invasion of Thanjavur by Chanda Sahib who captured Shahuji and imprisoned him on the pretext that he was not the actual Shahuji but an impostor. The [[Dutch East India Company]] based at [[Nagapattinam]] sent home the following report on the events at Thanjavur:

{{cquote| Chanda imprisoned Shahuji Maharaj in Tanjore under a pretext that he was not of royal blood. Pratap was placed on the throne against his own will. Having gone to prison and expressing his unwillingness to ascend the throne to Shagy's prejudice, Pratap was answered by Shagy, "If you do not accept the Government, both of us lose our heads, if, on the other hand, we continue alive, we may watch the course of events. Hence ascend the throne"}}

== Reign ==
Pratapsinha ascended the throne in 1739. He was the last ruler of Thanjavur to be referred in the official records of the [[Honourable East India Company|English East India Company]] as "His Majesty". His court was noted for its patronage of the arts notably of the [[devadasi]]/poetess [[Muddupalani]]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=The Tribune...Sunday Reading |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99dec12/sunday/head3.htm |access-date=2025-07-24 |website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref>

As soon as Pratapsinha ascended the throne he had to contend with the intrigues of the pretender Shahuji in the company of a treacherous Maratha noble Koyaji Kattigai.<ref name="p48">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian, Pg 48]]</ref> It was also evident that the conspirators were in league with Sayyid.<ref name="p49">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian, Pg 49]]</ref> So immediately after ascending the throne, Pratapsingh ordered the death of Sayyid.

In 1748, the pretender Shahuji sent an envoy, first to [[Puducherry (city)|Puducherry]]<ref name="p50">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian, Pg 50]]</ref> and then to [[Fort St. David]] to negotiate terms of alliance with the [[French Indies Company|French East India Company]].<ref name="p50"/> The British East India Company initially supported Pratapsingh but switched sides when Shahuji offered the fort of Devikottai at the mouth of the Coleroon river.<ref name="p51">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian]], Pg 51</ref> The British sent two expeditions against Devikkottai which was defended by a garrison of 5,000 men.<ref name="p51"/> Their first attempt was a complete failure while the second ended in a truce.<ref name="p51"/> The second expedition was remarkable as the one in which [[Stringer Lawrence|Lawrence]] and [[Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive|Clive]] distinguished themselves.<ref name="p52">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian]], Pg 52</ref> The War was brought to an end by the treaty of friendship between Pratapsingh and the Company. Devikkottai was made over to the English as per the provisions of the treaty.<ref name="p52"/>

In the early part of his reign, Pratapsinha also had to deal with the imperious attitude of Dost Ali, the [[Nawab of the Carnatic]]. Pratapsinha was soon deposed by Dost Ali who took over the administration of Thanjavur. But a Maratha invasion from the north brought about the death of Dost Ali and the restoration of Pratapsingh. The Maratha troops left after making one [[Murari Rao|Murari Rao Ghorpade]] the ruler of Tiruchirapalli, with whom Pratapsinha was on bad terms. Soon afterwards, the Nizam of Hyderabad sent a formidable force to Thanjavur to exact tribute. Two other expeditions forced the Raja into submission.

The third and final expedition of the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] in 1742, resulted in the deposition of Murari Rao and the annexation of Tiruchirapalli. As a result of this campaign, Thanjavur was forced to become a vassal of Hyderabad and pay annual tribute.

=== The Seven Years' War ===
During the [[Seven Years' War]], Pratapsingh supported the English with arms and supplies. At Lawrences' behest, the great Thanjavur general Manoji took Coillady from the French and captured Chanda Sahib and beheaded him.<ref name="p53">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian]], Pg 53</ref>

However, the confederacy broke when Nanja Raja realized that he had been deceived by Muhammad Ali who had promised to give him Tiruchirapalli as per an early arrangement.<ref name="p54">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian]], Pg 54</ref> Pratapsingh supported his cause when the French under Dupleix tried to threaten him. Muhammad Ali and Murari Rao forged an alliance with the French.

In 1758, [[Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally|Lally]] marched to Thanjavur from [[Karaikal]] in order to force Thanjavur into subjugation but was repulsed by Manoji.<ref name="p54"/> He had to retreat with an insignificant plunder at [[Nagore]] when an English fleet made its appearance off the coast at Karaikal.<ref name="p54"/> The Thanjavur troops supported by a small English contingent harassed the French who eventually succumbed to starvation. The British inflicted a crshing defeat on the French in the siege of Puducherry in 1761.<ref name="p55">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian]], Pg 55</ref> This dealt a death-blow to the French power in India.

=== Loss of Independence ===
From the onset, the [[Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah|Nawab of Carnatic Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah]] wasn't in good terms with Pratap Singh and desired to annex [[Thanjavur]]. However, for the sake of their common interests, Pratap Singh maintained an uneasy alliance with Muhammad Ali. Matters reached a boiling point after the [[Seven Years' War]]. The [[Carnatic Sultanate]] was getting ready for plans to attack the [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom]]. However, their common ally, the [[British East India Company]], averted a crisis by stepping in to mediate a truce in 1762. The Raja agreed to pay twenty lakhs as arrears and an annual tribute of four lakhs to the Nawab of Carnatic.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ramaswami |first1=N.S. |title=Political History of Carnatic Under the Nawabs |date=1984 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |location=India |page=253}}</ref> In return, Coiladdy and Yelengadu were ceded to Thanjavur. Notwithstanding allegations of partiality on part of the British, this treaty practically ended Thanjavur's independence.

=== Border disputes with Ramnad ===
There were frequent border disputes with the state of Ramnad on the [[Aranthangi]] frontier. Actively supported by the Tondaiman of [[Pudukkottai]], Manoji once led a large army into the territory of the Sethupathy of Ramnad and even captured Aranthangi. The Nawab of Carnatic who was the actual overlord to whom Thanjavur paid tribute, stepped in and stopped the Raja from pursuing further hostilities.

== Death ==
Pratapsinha died on 16 December 1763<ref name="p57">[[#Subramanian|K. R. Subramanian]], Pg 57</ref> after reigning for 24 years. His third and fifth queens committed [[Sati (practice)|Sati]].<ref name="p57"/> He was succeeded by his eldest son [[Thuljaji]].<ref name="p57"/>

==See also==
* [[Bhonsle]]
* [[Maratha Empire]]
* [[List of Maratha dynasties and states]]
* [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom]]
* [[Seven Years' War]]
* [[Nawab of Carnatic]]

== Notes ==

{{reflist|30em}}

== References ==

# <cite id="Subramanian">K. R. Subramanian(1928). ''The Maratha Rajas of Tanjore''</cite>

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{{s-end}}

{{MarathaEmpire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thanjavur, Pratapsingh Of}}
[[Category:1763 deaths]]
[[Category:Rajas of Thanjavur]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]

Pratap Singh of Thanjavur - Revision history

Md at 18:47, 11 October 2025