Tarabai Bhonsle was the wife of Rajaram Bhonsale, the third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire. Following the death of Rajaram, she became the regent of the empire from 1700 to 1708.

She is widely known for role in keeping alive the flame of Maratha resistance against the invading Mughal Empire. Her actions ensured that the Marathas would not only survive but endure, going on to become a predominant force in the Indian subcontinent.

According to modern archaeologists, Debal was founded in the first century CE, and soon became the most important trading city in Sindh. The port city was home to thousands of Sindhi sailors including the Bawarij. Ibn Hawqal, a tenth-century writer, geographer and chronicler, mentions huts of the city and the dry arid land surrounding the city that supported little agriculture. He mentions how efficiently the inhabitants of the city maintained fishing vessels and trade. The Abbasids were the first to build large stone structures including a city wall and a citadel. An earthquake in 893 AD reportedly destroyed the port city of Debal.