Shirke

The Shirke clan held Deshmukhi rights in the areas of coastal Konkan in present day state of Maharashtra and some inland areas of Western Maharashtra during 15th century under the Bahamani Sultanate and in 16th and 17th century under the successor Deccan sultanates of Adilshahi and Nizamshahi.{{cite journal|last1=Kulkarni|first1=G.T.|title=Deccan (Maharashtra) Under the Muslim Rulers From Khaljis to Shivaji: A Study in Interaction, Profesor S.M. Katre Felicitation|journal=Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute|date=1992|volume=51/52|pages=501–510|jstor=42930434}} During the Bahamani era, the seat of Shirke fief was at Khelna (Vishalgad).{{cite book|author=Shanti Sadiq Ali|title=The African Dispersal in the Deccan: From Medieval to Modern Times|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-3CPc22nMqIC&pg=PR9|year=1996|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-0485-1|pages=45–46}} The Shirkes intermarried with the Surves and kept command over their regions. In the mid 17th century, Shivaji, the founder of Maratha empire got the Surve and Shirke to join him by force or by forming marital alliances.{{sfn|Gordon|1993|p=69,85}}

The Shirkes were relatives of Bhosale rulers such as Shahaji, Shivaji, Sambhaji, Rajaram and Shahu. Although Sambhaji's wife, Yesubai came from the Shirke family, his positions were spied upon. Sambhaji and 25 of his advisors were captured by the Mughal forces of Muqarrab Khan in a skirmish at Sangameshwar in February 1689.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC|title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813|last=Mehta|first=Jaswant Lal|date=2005-01-01|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd|isbn=9781932705546|language=en}} Shahu married Sakwarbai from the Shirke family. Just like Tarabai, she was an ambitious lady and acted as an advisor to her husband. In the 1740s she had to fight both the Peshwa, and Tarabai for influence at the court.After Shahu's death in 1749, she was forced to commit sati under pressure from the peshwa, Tarabai and her own brother, Kuwarjee Shirke.Vaidya, S. “ROLE OF SAKWARBAI & SAGUNABAI-QUEENS OF SHAHU IN MARATHA HISTORY 1730-49.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 28, 1966, pp. 311–18. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44140447. Accessed 31 May 2024.

The Shirke were relations and confidantes of the Raja Pratapsinha of the short lived Satara state. He also sent a member of the Shirke family to London to plead his case of restoring him to power in 1839.{{cite book|author=Sumitra Kulkarni|title=The Satara Raj, 1818-1848: A Study in History, Administration, and Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SYOSHaZnBy8C&pg=PP15|year=1995|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-81-7099-581-4|pages=25, 33}}

• Maratha clan system
• List of Maratha dynasties and states
• Bhonsle (clan)
• Gaekwad
• House of Scindia
• Parmar (clan)
• Holkar
• Peshwa

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• {{citation |last=Gordon |first=Stewart |author-link=Stewart N. Gordon |title=The Marathas 1600–1818 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHK-BhVXOU4C |date=1993 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-26883-7 }}
• {{cite book|last=Gordon|first=Stewart|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iHK-BhVXOU4C|title=The Marathas 1600–1818|date= 2007|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-03316-9|language=en}}

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• {{cite book|author=S.R. Bakshi|title=Advanced history of medieval India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDjzm-hdzq0C&pg=PA391|accessdate=20 May 2011|date=1 January 2003|publisher=Anmol Publications PVT. LTD.|isbn=978-81-7488-028-4|pages=391–}}

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Category:Maratha clans

Category:Surnames