Maratha Empire Light Cavalry Tactical System

Type Object Region India Time 1660–1707

The light cavalry guerrilla tactics developed by the Maratha Empire under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the mid-to-late 17th century, centered on hi…

Timeline

1660–1680Western Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra) · Deccan PlateauRelying on the complex terrain of the Western Ghats, Shivaji trained 'Bargir' forces composed mainly of light cavalry, characterized by small-scale raids, night attacks, and rapid withdrawal, specifically targeting the Mughal army's large heavy camps and supply columns; this was fully tested in the Surat raids and series of campaigns of the 1670s.
1680–1707Central and southern Indian subcontinent · IndiaShivaji's son Sambhaji and his successors extended light cavalry tactics to broader theaters, using blitzkrieg-style warfare to continuously wear down Aurangzeb's Mughal armies, dragging campaigns involving hundreds of thousands of troops into prolonged attrition and ultimately forcing them to withdraw empty-handed.

Sources

Shivaji and His Times — Jadunath Sarkar (1919)
The Marathas 1600–1818 — Stewart Gordon (1993)