Nanasaheb Peshwa, also known as
Balaji Bajirao, (1720 or 1721 – 1761) was the son of Bajirao from his marriage with Kashibai and one of the
PeshwaThe Peshwa were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Chattrapatis , who began commanding Maratha armies and later became the hereditary rulers of the Maratha empire of central India from 1749 to 1818. Prior to 1700 one Peshwa received the status of king for eight or nine years...
s of the Maratha Empire. He contributed heavily to the development of the city of
PunePune , formerly known as Punawadi or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. He was appointed as Peshwa by Chattrapati Shahu himself. At time of his death in 1749, the issueless Shahu made the Peshwas the rulers of the
Maratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a Hindu state located in present-day India. It existed from 1674 to 1818...
.
During his 20 year reign (1740 to 1761), Balaji Bajirao completely transformed
PunePune , formerly known as Punawadi or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai...
from a nagar into a big city.
Nanasaheb Peshwa, also known as
Balaji Bajirao, (1720 or 1721 – 1761) was the son of Bajirao from his marriage with Kashibai and one of the
PeshwaThe Peshwa were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Chattrapatis , who began commanding Maratha armies and later became the hereditary rulers of the Maratha empire of central India from 1749 to 1818. Prior to 1700 one Peshwa received the status of king for eight or nine years...
s of the Maratha Empire. He contributed heavily to the development of the city of
PunePune , formerly known as Punawadi or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. He was appointed as Peshwa by Chattrapati Shahu himself. At time of his death in 1749, the issueless Shahu made the Peshwas the rulers of the
Maratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a Hindu state located in present-day India. It existed from 1674 to 1818...
.
Contribution to Pune city
During his 20 year reign (1740 to 1761), Balaji Bajirao completely transformed
PunePune , formerly known as Punawadi or Punya-Nagari or Poona, is the eighth largest city in India, and the second largest in the state of Maharashtra, after Mumbai...
from a nagar into a big city. He established many new neighbourhoods (called
peths) like Sadashiv Peth, Nana Peth, Etc. He built the famous
Parvati templeThe Parvati Temple is a prominent Hindu temple in the southeast part of Pune. It is located on Parvati hill, which is the highest point in the city at about ....
atop a hill that overlooks the city and built the first permanent bridge across the river Mutha. (That bridge was made of wood, so the new concrete bridge that stands at the same location today is also called LakDi Pool or 'the wooden bridge'). He also established a reservoir at the nearby town of Katraj to provide clean running water to the city. The 250 year old system is still functioning, but parts of it have been destroyed by careless development.
His reign
His career saw some of the best and worst moments of the
Maratha empireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a Hindu state located in present-day India. It existed from 1674 to 1818...
.
Maratha Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste or to the Maratha and Kunbi castes together; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people; historically, it describes the Maratha empire...
power in India reached its peak under his reign. Balaji Bajirao, his uncle (Kaka) Chimaji Appa (younger Brother of Bajirao-I), his cousin
Sadashivrao BhauSadashivrao Bhau was a nephew of Peshwa Baji Rao I and served as the commander of the Maratha army.-Birth and early years:Sadashivrao, born in Saswad near Pune, was the son of Baji Rao's brother Chimaji Appa....
(Chimaji Appa's son), and his younger brother
RaghunathraoRaghunathrao was Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy from 1773 to 1774. He was instrumental in the downfall of the Peshwa clan.-Early life:Raghunathrao, also known as "Raghoba" and "Ragho Bharari," was the younger brother of Nanasaheb Peshwa. He expanded the Maratha Empire to Attock until 1760...
were successful in establishing and consolidating
Maratha Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste or to the Maratha and Kunbi castes together; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people; historically, it describes the Maratha empire...
dominance in India. He radically extended the
Maratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a Hindu state located in present-day India. It existed from 1674 to 1818...
. However, he is partly responsible for the defeat of the Marathas at the Battle of Panipat (1761).
The Battle of Panipat
Nanasaheb lost his cousin,
Sadashivrao BhauSadashivrao Bhau was a nephew of Peshwa Baji Rao I and served as the commander of the Maratha army.-Birth and early years:Sadashivrao, born in Saswad near Pune, was the son of Baji Rao's brother Chimaji Appa....
(the son of Chimaji Appa), and his eldest son,
VishwasraoVishwasrao was an Indian noble of the Maratha Empire.-Biography:Vishwasrao was the eldest son of Nanasaheb Peshwa. He was born at Supa near Pune.Vishwasrao was trained in administrative matters...
, at the disastrous
Third Battle of PanipatThe Third Battle of Panipat took place on January 14, 1761 at Panipat , situated at about 60 miles north of Delhi. The battle pitted the French-supplied artillery of the Marathas against the heavy cavalry of the Afghans led by Ahmad Shah Durrani, an ethnic Pashtun, also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali...
. He could not recover from the shock, and died soon after the debacle. He was succeeded by his second son,
Madhavrao PeshwaThorle Madhavrao Peshwa , , was a Peshwa ruler of the Maratha Empire.-Early life and ascendancy to Peshwa:...
. The period after his reign 1761-1768 was an unsteady period for the
Maratha EmpireThe Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a Hindu state located in present-day India. It existed from 1674 to 1818...
.
See also
- Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was a Hindu state located in present-day India. It existed from 1674 to 1818...
- Maratha
Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste or to the Maratha and Kunbi castes together; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people; historically, it describes the Maratha empire...
- Peshwa
The Peshwa were Brahmin Prime Ministers to the Maratha Chattrapatis , who began commanding Maratha armies and later became the hereditary rulers of the Maratha empire of central India from 1749 to 1818. Prior to 1700 one Peshwa received the status of king for eight or nine years...
- Madhavrao Peshwa
Thorle Madhavrao Peshwa , , was a Peshwa ruler of the Maratha Empire.-Early life and ascendancy to Peshwa:...
- Mahadji Shinde
External links