Ramaraja was the fifth monarch of the Maratha Confederacy

Maratha Empire

The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....

. He was the adoptive son of Chhatrapati Shahuji

Shahuji

Shahu Sambhaji Raje Bhosale Chhatrapati Maharaj was the fourth ruler of the Maratha Empire created by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji, and was officially the Raja of Satara...

, and the putative grandson of Chhatrapati Rajaram. The early years of his reign were marked by controversy over his succession, as the dowager queen Tarabai

Tarabai

Tarabai was a queen of the Maratha Empire in India. Her husband was Chhatrapati Rajaram, son of Shivaji. Tarabai was the daughter of the famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite...

 denounced him and alleging that he was not in fact the grandson of Rajaram and herself. During Ramaraja's reign, the power of the Chhatrapati

Chhatrapati

Chhatrapati is the Indian honorific title equivalent to the European Emperor. It is more formally written as Kshetrapati, from the Sanskrit kshetra- and -pati...

 was almost totally overshadowed by that of the Peshwa

Peshwa

A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...

s or Prime Ministers; furthermore, the Marathas were engaged in continual conflict or intrigue with the Mughals

Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire ,‎ or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...

.