Peshwa
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| Peshwa of the Marathas
पेशवा | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Residence | Shaniwar Wada, Pune (1732–1818) Bithur, Kanpur (1818–57) |
| Appointer |
|
| Formation | 6 June 1674 |
| First holder | Moropant Trimbak Pingle |
| Final holder |
|
| Abolished | 3 June 1818 (de jure) 16 July 1857 (de facto) |
| Succession | The Peshwas split into 3 dynasties after abolishment |
The Peshwa (पेशवा) was the second-in-command of the Maratha Empire, just under the king (Chhatrapati). At first, the Peshwa was a Prime Minister chosen by the king, but when King Shahu gave the job to Bajirao Ballal, it became a family inheritance. Under Shahu’s rule, the Peshwas grew very powerful and ran the empire. Over time, the king’s role became mostly ceremonial, and the Peshwas held the real power, as set out in the Sangola agreement.[1]
During the time of Shivaji, Sambhaji, and Rajaram, all Peshwas came from the Marathi Deshastha Brahmin community. The first Peshwa was Moropant Pingle, appointed by Shivaji as the head of the Ashta Pradhan (council of eight ministers). Early Peshwas served mainly as chief ministers to the king. Later, especially under the Bhat family, the Peshwas became hereditary leaders and the true rulers of the Maratha Confederacy. The Peshwas were most powerful under Baji Rao I (1720–1740), when the Marathas expanded and ruled large parts of India. Later Peshwas allowed more autonomy to regional Maratha chiefs like the Scindias, Holkars, and Gaekwads, though these leaders still recognized the Peshwa's authority. The Bhonsles were also forced to accept the Peshwa as their overlord after their defeat by Madhavrao I in 1765.[2][3]
In 1760, the Koli leader Naik Javji Bamble led a rebellion against the Peshwa government, conducting raids for 20 years and defeating several Peshwa generals. Eventually, on the advice of Dhondo Gopal, he surrendered his forts to Tukoji Holkar, who secured him a pardon and put him in charge of 60 villages to handle law enforcement. In 1798, another Koli leader, Ramji Naik Bhangria, rebelled but cleverly avoided capture. Instead of fighting him, the government pardoned Ramji and appointed him to a key police position.[4]
List of Peshwas
[change | change source]| Sr. | Name | Reign Began C.E. | Reign Ended C.E. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moropant Trimbak Pingle | 1674 | 1683 |
| 2 | Nilakanth Moreshvar Pingale | 1683 | 1689 |
| 3 | Ramchandra Pant Amatya | 1689 | 1708 |
| 4 | Bahiroji Pingale | 1708 | 1711 |
| 5 | Parshuram Trimbak Kulkarni | 1711 | 1713 |
Hereditary Peshwas from Bhat family
[change | change source]
| Sr. | Name | Particulars | Reign Began C.E. | Reign Ended C.E. | Portrait |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Balaji Vishwanath (Sixth appointed Peshwa) | Assisted the Syed Brothers in removing Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar from the throne in 1719. | 1713 | 1720 | 
|
| 7 | Baji Rao I (Seventh appointed Peshwa) | Known as Thorle Bajirao, was the most influential of the nine Peshwas. He aimed to establish a Hindu Empire and successfully expanded Maratha rule across Central India, Rajputana, Gujarat, and the Deccan. In 1737, he launched an attack on Delhi. Over his military career, he fought in more than 41 battles and never lost. He passed away at age 40 due to sudden fever while on a campaign toward Delhi. Today, an equestrian statue of him stands at Shaniwar Wada in Pune. | 1720 | 1740 | 
|
| 8 | Balaji Bajirao (Eighth appointed Peshwa) | Nanasaheb Peshwa expanded Maratha territory across North-West, East, and Central India, with his forces capturing Attock and Peshawar in 1758. Under his leadership, the Maratha Empire reached its peak, but in 1761, his general and cousin lost the Third Battle of Panipat to Ahmad Shah Abdali. Nanasaheb also played a key role in Pune’s development, building landmarks like the Parvati Temple and Lakdi Bridge, and founding Nana Peth. He constructed a water reservoir near Katraj to provide Pune with clean water - a system still functioning today. | 1740 | 1761 | 
|
| 9 | Madhav-Rao I (First hereditary Peshwa) | Madhavrao I’s time as Peshwa had many internal fights but also successful wars against the Nizam. During his rule, the Marathas regained their strength after the big loss at the Third Battle of Panipat. This recovery is called the Maratha Resurrection. He fixed the damaged government, treasury, and accounts of the Maratha Empire. Madhavrao I died of tuberculosis in 1772. A memorial for him stands at Peshwe Park in Pune. Some say he was killed by his aunt, Anandi Bai, the wife of Raghunath Rao. | 1761 | 1772 | 
|
| 10 | Narayan-Rao | Madhavrao I was allegedly killed by Gardi guards. Raghunath Rao wanted to just kidnap him, but his wife, Anandi Bai, decided to have him killed. Later, Narayan Rao was also killed in Shanivar Wada. Today, Shanivar Wada is considered one of the haunted places in Maharashtra. | 1772 | 1773 | 
|
| 11 | Raghunath-Rao | As a general, he expanded the Maratha Empire to its peak in the north but also witnessed its decline there. He was removed from power by Nana Phadnis and 11 other officials in what is now known as "The Barbhai Conspiracy." | 1773 | 1774 | 
|
| 12 | Madhav-Rao II | He was made Peshwa as an infant, with a group of Maratha generals and ministers acting as his advisors. During his time, Nana Phadnis played a big role in politics. This period saw the rise of Maratha power in North India again. | 1774 | 1796 |
|
| 13 | Baji Rao II | During his first reign, he was defeated by Yashwantrao Holkar, the ruler of Indore, at the Battle of Poona. He fled to the British for protection and signed the Treaty of Bassein with the British East India Company in December 1802. The treaty gave up land for a British army and prevented him from making treaties with other powers. This led to the Second Anglo-Maratha War and the start of the Maratha confederacy breaking apart. | 1796 | 1802 | 
|
| – | Amrut Rao (Appointed as Peshwa by Yashwantrao Holkar) | Amrutrao was made Peshwa by Yashwantrao Holkar after defeating Baji Rao II and Daulat Rao Sindhia in the Battle of Poona. | 1802 | 1803 | |
| 13 | Baji Rao II | During his second reign, Baji Rao II started the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1817. After losing the Battle of Koregaon in January 1818, he fled from the British. The British took control of his territories and made Pratap Singh of Satara support them. This ended Baji Rao II's role as the head of the Maratha confederacy. On June 3, 1818, Baji Rao II surrendered to the British and was sent into exile at Bithur, near Kanpur. | 1803 | 1851 |
|
| 14 | Nana Sahib (Pretender to the position of Peshwa) |
Nana Sahib, born Dhondu Pant in 1824, was the adopted son of Baji Rao II, the last Maratha Peshwa. When the British denied him his father's pension due to his adoption, he joined the Indian Rebellion of 1857 to restore Maratha rule. He led the siege of Cawnpore (now Kanpur), forcing British troops to surrender. Afterward, many British civilians were killed, though his exact role in the massacre remains debated. When the British recaptured Cawnpore, Nana Sahib disappeared. Some believe he fled to Nepal and died there, but his fate is uncertain. | 1851 | 1857 | 
|
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Prasad 2007.
- ↑ Vasant S. Kadam (1993). Maratha Confederacy: A Study in Its Origin and Development. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 49. ISBN 9788121505703.
Under Shivaji the Great, Sambhaji and Rajaram all the incumbents of the office of Peshwa were from the Deshastha (residing in the Desh area of Maharashtra) subcaste of the Brahmans.
- ↑ Divekar, V D (1982). "The Emergence of an Indigenous Business Class in Maharashtra in the Eighteenth Century". Modern Asian Studies. 16 (3): 427–443.
- ↑ Hassan, Syed Siraj ul (1989). The Castes and Tribes of H.E.H. the Nizam's Dominions. New Delhi, India: Asian Educational Services. p. 333. ISBN 978-81-206-0488-9.