PREDECESSORS and SHORT HISTORY: The
Peshwa
were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Chattrapatis
(Kings), who began commanding Maratha armies and later
became the
hereditary rulers of the Maratha empire of central India
from 1749 to
1818. They oversaw the greatest expansion of the Maratha
Empire around
1760, and also its eventual annexation by the British East
India
Company in 1818. The word Peshwa may have originated in
Persian,
meaning "foremost", and was introduced in Deccan by the
Muslim rulers.
After his coronation as a Maratha Chhatrapati in 1674, the
founder of
the Maratha Empire, Shivaji appointed Moropant Trimbak
Pingle as the
first Peshwa. Duties and authorities of a Peshwa were
equal to that of
a Prime Minister. The position moved to the Bhat family of
Shri Vardhan
in the Konkan region, upon appointment of Balaji
Vishwanath Bhat as
Peshwa by the fourth Chattrapati Shahu in 1713. It was the
appointment
of his son, Baji Rao I as Peshwa in 1719 by Shahu that
made the
position hereditary in the Bhat family. Shahu, who also
appointed Baji
Rao's son as Peshwa in 1740, gave considerable authority
to the Peshwas
to command the Maratha armies, and they responded well
during his
reigns.By the time of Shahu's death in 1749, the Bhat
Peshwas were the
effective rulers of the Maratha state, and they moved
their
administrative capital from Satara to the new city ofPune.
The first
Bhat family Peshwa was Balaji Vishwanath Bhat, a Chitpawan
Brahmin. He
was succeeded as Peshwa by his son Baji Rao I, who never
lost a battle.
Baji Rao and his son, Balaji Baji Rao, oversaw the period
of greatest
Maratha expansion, brought to an end by the Maratha's
defeat by an
Afghan army at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. The
last Peshwa,
Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British East India
Company in the
Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. The Peshwa's territory in
central
Maharashtra was annexed to the British East India
Company's Bombay
province, and he was pensioned off.
- Shrimant Moropant
Trimbak
Pingle, 1st appointed Peshwa 1674/1683, a
Deshastha Brahmin, he
was appointed Peshwa by Shivaji Bhonsle, after his
coronation as
Maratha Emperor in 1674; married and had issue.
- Shrimant Moreshwar Pingle (qv)
- Shrimant Moreshwar
Pingle,
2nd appointed Peshwa 1683/1689
- Shrimant Ramchandra
Nilkanth Pant Amatya, 3rd appointed Peshwa
1689/1708, he was a
sound administrator who rose from the level of a local
Kulkarni to the
ranks of Ashtapradhan, he recaptured many forts from
the Mughals during
the period 1690–1694, he also competently managed the
affairs of the
Maratha Empire in the absence of Chatrapati Rajaram,
he remained loyal
to Rani Tarabai, after the death of Rajaram and was
replaced as Peshwa,
by Chatrapati Shahu. He died 1716 at Panhala fort.
- Shrimant Bahiroji
Pingale,
4th appointed Peshwa 1708/1711
- Shrimant Parshuram
Trimbak
Kulkarni, 5th appointed Peshwa 1711/1713
- Shrimant BALAJI
VISHWANATH
BHAT, 1st Peshwa [16.11.1713] - [2.4.1719],
born 1st January
1662, son of Vishwanathpant (Visaji) Bhat, a Chitpawan
Brahmin, he
became the first hereditary Peshwa on 16th November
1713, he initially
worked as a petty clerk at the salt works at Chiplun,
then as revenue
official from 1689, and as Sar-subhedar at Pune
1699/1703, as mutaliq
or deputy to Amburao Hunmante, Amatya of Shahu from
1708, appointed as Senakarta
(Army Commander) on 20th
August 1711, he was successful in capturing most of
the Konkan coast
for which he was appointed Peshwa on 16th November
1713, married, Rani
Radhabai (née Barve), born 1700, died 1752, and
had issue. He
died 2nd April 1719.
- Shrimant Baji Rao I (by Rani Radhabai)(qv)
- Shrimant Bhiubai Sahiba, married Shrimant Abaji
Joshi of
Baramati.
- Shrimant Anubai Sahiba, married Shrimant Venkatrao
Narayanrao Ghorpade of Ichalkaranji,
and had issue.
- Shrimant Chimnaji Appa Rao, born 1707, he was an
able
military commander who defeated the Portuguese in
the capture of Vasai
Fort in February 1739, the capital of the provincial
government of
Portugal's northern Indian possessions; married
1stly, Rani Sitabai,
married 2ndly, Rani Annapurnabai, married 3rdly,
Rani Rakhmabai, died
August/September 1730, and had issue, one son. He
died 1741 (aged 42!).
- Shrimant Sadashiv Rao [Bhau Saheb] (by Rani
Annapurnabai), born 4th August 1730 in Saswad near
Pune, his first
campaign was in 1746, after which he was made
Diwan to the Peshwa, he
was successful in the Battle of Udgir against the
Nizam of Hyderabad,
and succeeded in recapturing Delhi in May 1760
from the occupying
Afghan forces, he was made the Sarsenapati
(Commander-in-Chief) of the Maratha forces, in the
ill-fated Maratha
campaign against Durrani forces led by Ahmed
Shah Abdali, married 1stly, Rani Umabai,
died 1750, married
2ndly, Rani Parvatibai, born 6th April 1734 in
Phaltan, died 23rd
September 1763 in Satara, daughter of the
Kolhatkar family of Pen, and
had issue, two sons (died young). He died 14th
January 1761 in the
Third Battle of Panipat.
- Shrimant BAJI RAO I [Baji
Rao Vishwanath
Bhatt], 2nd Peshwa [2.4.1719] - [25.4.1740], born 18th
August 1700, he
is said to have fought in 41 battles without losing
one, and is noted
for his rapid tactical movements in battle using his
cavalry; he moved
the administrative capital of the Maratha Empire from
Satara to the
city of Pune in 1728, he moved the administrative
capital of the
Maratha Empire from Satara to the new city of Pune in
1728; married
1stly, 11th March 1719, Rani Kashibai, married 2ndly,
about 1728,
Mastani (#1), died 1740
at Parbal village
near Pune, daughter of Maharaja Chhatrasal of Orchha,
and
his Persian concubine, and had issue. He died 25th
April 1740 and was
cremated on 28th April 1740 at Raverkhed on the
Narmada river.
- Shrimant Balaji Baji Rao [Nana Saheb] (by Rani
Kashibai)
(qv)
- Shrimant Rahunath Rao (by Rani Kashibai)(qv)
- Shrimant Janardan Rao, died young.
- Shrimant Krishna Rao (by Mastani), born 1734, his
father
wanted him to be accepted as a Brahmin, but the
priests refused and he
was brought up as a Muslim with the name of Shamsher
Bahadur,
afterwards he was granted the title of Nawab,
married and had issue
(see Banda). He died 14th Janaury 1761 in the Third
Battle of Panipat.
- Nawab Ali Bahadur I, Nawab of Banda 1790/1802,
married
and had issue. He died 1802.
- Nawab Shamsher Bahadur II, Nawab of Banda
1802/1825,
died 1823/1825.
- Nawab Zulfikar Ali, Nawab of Banda in 1802 and
1825/1850, married and had issue.
- Nawab Ali Bahadur II, Nawab of Banda
1850/1858,
married and had issue, three sons. He died
1873.
- [?Raja Jagat Bahadur fl.1833]
- Shrimant BALAJI BAJI RAO
[Nana Saheb], 3rd
Peshwa [25.4.1740] - [23.6.1761], born 8th December
1721, a vigorous
builder, he transformed the village of Pune from a
village into a large
city, establishing many new neighbourhoods, he
constructed the Parvati
Temple, and the first permanent bridge over the Mutha
River, he also
established a reservoir at the nearby town of Katraj
to provide clean
running water to the city (which is still
functioning); Maratha power
reached its peak under his rule, but after his death
it gradually
declined; he married (amongst others), Rani Gopikabai
[née
Raste], born 20th December 1724 in Supa near Pune,
died 11th August
1778 in Nashik, daughter of Bhikaji Naik Raste of Wai
(she was also the
cousin of Rani Anandi Bai, see below), and had issue.
He died 23rd June
1761.
- Shrimant Vishvas Rao (eldest son, by Rani
Gopikabai),
born 7th March 1741 in Supa, educated in
administrative matters and was
exposed to military training early in his life, he
took part in the
Third Battle of Panipat and was killed, engaged in
1749 to, Shrimant
Radhikabai, born 4th July 1745, died 29th November
1798 at Hardwar,
daughter of Sardar Gupte of Nashik (also niece of
Rani Parvatibai, see
above), she received training in archery, armoury
and handling court
matters. He died sp on 14th January 1761 at
the Third Battle of
Panipat.
- Peshwa Madhav Rao I [Madhu Rao Narayan, Madhavrao
Ballal
Bhat] (by Rani Gopikabai) (qv)
- Peshwa Narayan Rao (by Rani Gopikabai) (qv)
- Shrimant MADHAV RAO I, 4th
Peshwa
[23.6.1761] - [18.11.1772], born 16th February 1745 in
Savanur, early
in his reign he came into conflict with his uncle,
Raghunathrao, who
openly attacked and defeated him in November 1762; the
following year
on 10th August 1763 in the Battle of Rakshasbhuvan
near Aurangabad, he
inflicted heavy losses on the Nizam's army and was
acclaimed on his
return to Pune; in January 1764, he set out to battle
with Hyder Ali,
but after a year of minor skirmishes in and around
Karnataka, he failed
in his objective; in June 1768, he once again did
battle with his
uncle, this time he defeated him and placed him under
house arrest; an
assasination attempt was made on him in September
1769, and in June
1770, he again tried to defeat Hyder Ali, but had to
turn back due to
the effects of tuberculosis, from which he died at the
Ganesha
Chintamani Temple, he was one of the most able
administrators amongst
the Peshwas, and bought radical revolutions in the
Maratha Empire in
terms of efficiency and honesty, discipline was
enforced and the
judicial system was impartial; married, 8th December
1753 in Pune, Rani
Ramabai, she committed sati
on 18th November 1772. He died sp
on 18th November 1772 and was cremated on the banks of
the river which
was about half a mile from the temple.
- Shrimant NARAYAN RAO, 5th
Peshwa
[18.11.1772] - [30.8.1773], born 11th August 1749
(1755), he quarrelled
with his uncle who constantly interfered in the
administration, married
(a), Rani Ganga Bai, died July 1777, married (b), a
daughter of Sardar
Bhikaji Naik, and had issue. He was murdered by the
bodyguard of his
uncle on 30th August 1773 in Shaniwarwada, Pune.
- Shrimant Madhav Rao II (by Rani Ganga Bai)(qv)
- Shrimant RAGHUNATH RAO,
6th Peshwa
[30.8.1773] - [1774], born 1st August 1734 in Mahuli
near Satara, he
was instrumental in expanding the Maratha empire up to
Attock (in
present day Pakistan) to 1760; after his brother's
death in 1761, he
was appointed as regent for the new Peshwa but
intrigued against his
nephew and soon fell out of favour, a conspiracy with
the Nizam of
Hyderabad was discovered and he was imprisoned and
released only after
Peshwa Madhav Rao's death in 1772, after the murder of
his nephew, he
became the new Peshwa but he was shortly overthrown by
Nana Phadnis and
11 other administrators in what is called "The
Baarbhaai Conspiracy"
(Conspiracy by the Twelve); he sought the help of the
British and
Portuguese, but his claim to the Peshwaship was
ignored, he married
1stly, Rani Janaki Bai (née Barwe), died in
August 1755, married
2ndly, in December 1756, Rani Anandi Bai, died 12th
March 1794 at
Marad, daughter of Raghu Mahadeva Oake of Guhgarh (and
cousin of Rani
Gopikabai, see above), and had issue. He died 24th
February 1784 or
11th December 1783 or 1782.
- Shrimant Amrit Rao, married and had issue.
- Shrimant Vinayakrao, married [Rajkumari
Malatibai,
daughter of Meherban Raja Vinayakrao Hariharrao
[Nana Saheb] Patwardhan
of Kurundwad Jnr,
and his wife,
Rani Gangabai], and had issue.
- Shrimant Narayanrao, died sp.
- Shrimant Madhavrao, educated at Government
College,
Bareilly; in 1877 he was receiving a pension of
2,000Rs per mensem from
the Government; married and had issue, two sons.
- generation
- Rao Balwant Rao, head of the family at
Karwi, born
1828, his two uncles joined in the rebellion
of 1857, and their estates
were confiscated, and themselves deported,
married and had adoptive
issue.
- (A) Rao
Moreshwar Rao, born 17th August 1872.
- Shrimant Durga Bai (by Rani Anandi Bai)
- Shrimant Bhaskar Rao (by Rani Anandi Bai), born
26th February 1762.
- Shrimant Chimnaji Appa Rao II (qv)
- Shrimant Baji Rao II (by Rani Anandi Bai)
(qv)
- Shrimant Jaysinh Rao (illegitimate by concubine,
Radha),
he was imprisoned in Kolaba Fort by Rani Anandaibai,
but escaped and
eventually caused her to flee.
- Shrimant MADHAV RAO II,
7th Peshwa
[18.4.1774] - [25.10.1795], born posthumously on 18th
April 1774, he
was brought to power by the treaty of Salbai in 1782,
but his reign was
dominated by the political intrigues of Nana Phadnis;
married Rani
Yasoda Bai (she adopted Peshwa Chimnaji Appa Rao). He
died sp
on 25th October 1795.
- Shrimant CHIMNAJI APPA RAO II,
8th Peshwa
[25.10.1795] - [6.12.1796], born 1783, died 1830.
- Shrimant BAJI RAO II, 9th
Peshwa [6.12.1796]
- [3.6.1818], born 10th January 1775 in Dhar, the last
Peshwa of the
Maratha Confederacy, concluded the Treaty of Bassein
in December 1802
with the British, who utlimately triumphed in the
Second and Third
Anglo Maratha Wars, the Peshwa surrendered to Sir John
Malcolm on 3rd
June 1818 and was made to retire at Bithur near Kanpur
on a pension,
married (amongst others), 6thly, Rani Saraswati Bai
Pendse, and had
issue, as well as adoptive issue. He died 1851 at
Bithur.
- Shrimant Vaman Rao, born 1810, died 1811.
- Shrimant Gangadhar Rao
- Shrimant Dada Saheb Peshwe, married and had issue.
- Shrimant Pandurangrao Peshwe
- Shrimant Baija Bai (by Rani Saraswati Bai),
married the son of Sardar Babasaheb
Apte of Gwalior.
- Rani Saraswatibai [Yogabai], born 1843, married
1855,
Meherban Raja Ganpatrao I Hariharrao [Bapu Saheb]
Patwardhan of Kurundwad
Jnr., and had adoptive
issue. She died 1858.
- (A) Shrimant Govind Dhondu Pant [Nana Saheb],
born
1824, died about 1859, possibly in Nepal.
OTHER MEMBERS:
- Shrimant Vinayakrao Peshwe, married Rajkumari
Malatibai,
daughter of Meherban Raja Vinayakrao Hariharrao [Nana
Saheb] Patwardhan
of Kurundwad Jnr,
and his wife,
Rani Gangabai.
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