Tarabai is also the name of a small town in São Paulo, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

.

Tarabai (1675–1761) was a queen of the Maratha Empire

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....

 in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Her husband was 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...

 Rajaram, son of Shivaji. Tarabai was the daughter of the famed Maratha general Hambirao Mohite

Hambirao Mohite

Hambirao Mohite was the brother of Soyarabai, Shivaji's Queen. After Prataprao Guzar he became the SarLashkar i.e commander in chief. He was a great soldier....

. She was the niece of Soyarabai

Soyarabai

Soyarabai was the second wife of Shivaji, founder of Maratha empire in western India. She was mother of Shivaji's second son, Raja Ram & younger sister of Maratha army chief HAMBIRRAO MOHITE PATIL.-Early life:...

, the second wife Chatrapati Shivaji.

War with the Mughals

The Maratha

Maratha

The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...

s fought a 27 year war 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...

, and in 1700 the Maratha capital Satara

Satara

Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...

 was besieged and surrendered to the Mughals. At about the same time Rajaram, who was the Chhatrapati (King of the Maratha state) at that time, died. Then Tarabai assumed control in the name of her son, Shivaji II.

Tarabai was skilled in cavalry movement, and made strategic movements herself during wars. She personally led the war and continued the insurgency against the Mughals. A truce was offered to the Mughals in such way that it was promptly rejected by the Mughal emperor, and Tarabai continued the Maratha resistance.

By 1705, Marathas had crossed the Narmada

Narmada River

The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...

 and made small incursions in Malwa, retreating immediately. The Maratha country was relieved at the news of the death of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb

Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...

 who died at Khuldabad

Khuldabad

Khuldabad Urdu: خلد آباد is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Initially it was known as Rauza meaning garden of paradise...

 in Aurangabad

Aurangabad

-Places:Cities* Aurangabad, Maharashtra, a city in Maharashtra, India* Aurangabad, Bihar, a city and a municipality in Aurangabad district, Bihar, India* Aurangabad Bangar, a census town in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India...

.

Political intrigues

In order to divide the Maratha onslaught, the Mughals released Shahu

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...

 on certain conditions. He immediately challenged Tarabai and Shivaji II for leadership of the Maratha polity. Shahu eventually prevailed thanks to his legal position and in part to 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...

 Balaji Vishwanath

Balaji Vishwanath

Balaji Vishwanath Bhat , better known as Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath, was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Brahmin family who gained effective control of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century...

' diplomacy, and Tarabai was sidelined for some time. She established a rival court in Kolhapur

Kolhapur (princely state)

Kolhapur State was a princely State of British India, under the Deccan Division of the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was considered the fourth most important Mahratta principalities, the other three being Baroda State, Gwalior State and Indore State...

 in 1713.

After Shahu's death in 1749, Tarabai helped conduct Ramaraja to the kingship. Afterward, however, she denounced Ramaraja on the grounds that he was not her grandson as he claimed. During this period of weakened royal power, Tarabai exercised great influence in the Maratha state. She headed one of several factions vying for control within the increasingly fractious confederacy.

Legacy

Hailed as Bhadrakali, her name is still celebrated in countryside in parts of Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

. Noted historian Jadunath Sarkar

Jadunath Sarkar

Sir Jadunath Sarkar was a prominent Indian Bengali aristocrat and historian.-Background:Born in Singra, Natore. He was the son of Rajkumar Sarkar, the Zamindar of Karchamaria in Natore in Bengal.-Education:...

 has written about her, "In that awful crisis her character and strength saved the nation".