An extremely detailed political map of India between 1707 and 1766, showing the evaporated Mughal control and rise of sovereignity of Maratha-s in central and south, Rajputs in west, Sikhs in Panjab-Kashmir, Ahoms in NE, Shah-s in Nepal. Mughals had just disappeared. In name of large remaining states controlled by Muslim rulers, you have Nizam, Awadh, Bengal, and recently usurped Mysore - of which Bengal fell to British fairly early and Mysore was about almost taken by Marathas by the time British got there.
Awadh was sovereign only in name by the mid 1700s. Safdarjang of Awadh used to pay chauth revenue to Marathas, and Maratha army was the one which used to guard North India from Afghans. Remember Panipat-III and also even before Peshwa's generals were the ones which used to save Safdarjung's state by frequently molesting the ruhilla afghans of the west UP. Likewise on Bengal front, Orissa was completely taken by Peshwa second and taking Bengal was a matter of time. Western front was secured after the establishment of Sikh rule there which controled all the way up to Peshawar and whole of Kashmir including its passes. Eastern front was secured by Ahoms and Mugals never defeated them anyways. All the Himalaya-s was freed up from the Muslim control - Kangda, Kumayun and in the end Kashmir - by the time British came.
added later: I must have added Jats, who were bleeding Mugals right in their heart - from Agra and Bharatpur, steadily since Alamgir's time but setting themselves up firmly from 1712 onwards.
Awadh was sovereign only in name by the mid 1700s. Safdarjang of Awadh used to pay chauth revenue to Marathas, and Maratha army was the one which used to guard North India from Afghans. Remember Panipat-III and also even before Peshwa's generals were the ones which used to save Safdarjung's state by frequently molesting the ruhilla afghans of the west UP. Likewise on Bengal front, Orissa was completely taken by Peshwa second and taking Bengal was a matter of time. Western front was secured after the establishment of Sikh rule there which controled all the way up to Peshawar and whole of Kashmir including its passes. Eastern front was secured by Ahoms and Mugals never defeated them anyways. All the Himalaya-s was freed up from the Muslim control - Kangda, Kumayun and in the end Kashmir - by the time British came.
added later: I must have added Jats, who were bleeding Mugals right in their heart - from Agra and Bharatpur, steadily since Alamgir's time but setting themselves up firmly from 1712 onwards.