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Peshwas of the Maratha Empire was considered equivalent in power compared to today’s Prime Minister designation. In the beginning, they acted as military assistants to the Maratha king who was known as the Chhatrapati. Their ranking was promoted in the Maratha political hierarchy with the advent of the Bhat family.
The Peshwas who were appointed by Chhatrapati Shivaji and Sambhaji were all Brahmins. They belonged to a specific sub caste of Maratha Brahmins who were called Deshasthas. Moropant Pingle who was the first Peshwa was entrusted with the title of Ashta Pradhan or the leader of the council of eight Maratha court ministers. He served as Chief Executive to Chhatrapati Shivaji. In later years the Peshwas claimed the highest authority within the Maratha state. This transfer of power was initiated during the tenure of the Bhat family. Gradually the Peshwas assumed the role of de facto leaders who automatically came to power by birth. The Peshwas became more powerful under the guidance of Peshwa Bajirao I. In the following part of the article, we shall discuss the historic achievements of all the key Maratha Peshwas in brief starting from the foremost Peshwa – Moropant Pingle.
List of Peshwas
Moropant Pingle played a pioneering role as the Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He started his diplomatic journey as the Asta Pradhan of Shivaji’s Court Council. In 1620 Moropant Pingle descended from a Deshastha Brahmin family. He was a renowned warrior who successfully battled beside Shivaji in the battle of Pratapgad in 1659. History remembers Moropant Pingle as a valiant warrior who bravely posed resistance against the Mughal Empire in both the battles of Vani-Dindori and Trimbakeshwar Fort. He also participated in the Surat expedition of 1664. His relatives housed Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son in the remote residence of Mathura when they were escaping from Agra. Moropant Pingle was a shrewd administrator who introduced sound reforms during Shivaji’s rule. He was a great war tactician who strategically planned the defense of both his Empire and the royal fortress. He served as the chief administrator of Pratapgad. After Shivaji’s demise, he responsibly administered and completed the construction activities in the Nashik state. Pingle also took part in the Burhanpur battle which the Marathas fought under the command of Chhatrapati Sambhaji.
Now let us know about the Peshwas who inherited the right to rule by birth. They belonged to the Bhat family. Balaji Viswanath was the foremost ruler who came to be recognized as the Peshwa in the 18th century. During his reign there existed an array of civil wars that could be curbed from time to time seeking the assistance of another valiant Maratha emperor named Shahu. Balaji Viswanath defeated the Muslim Siddis and captured Janjira after which he went to annex most of the Konkan coastal region.
Balaji was succeeded by Peshwa Baji Rao I who came to power as the seventh Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He claimed power for a prolonged period of two decades in which he defeated the Mughals in both the battles of Bhopal and Delhi. He was the first Peshwa who successfully resolved the political turbulence in northern India besides consolidating his Empire in the South. Under his rule, Marathas gained supremacy in Gujarat, Bundelkhand, and Rajputana states.
Balaji Bajirao followed the footsteps of Baji Rao I. He assumed power in 1740. He is more popular by the name Nana Saheb. During his time, the Chhatrapati was a nominal ruler. The Maratha dynasties like Holkars, Bhonsles, and Scindias started exercising individual prowess around this time. The previously designed legislative systems were remodelled and the economic structure experienced a change. The Maratha Empire expanded up to Medinipur district of Bengal in the east. During his reign many infrastructural developments took place in the Maratha Empire, the drainage facilities improved and the peasants were also relieved from heavy taxation. Balaji Bajirao stopped the Afghans from invading the royal capital of Delhi.
Bajirao II was the thirteenth Peshwa with whom the Peshwa culture of the Maratha Empire was doomed. He was forced by the Maratha nobles to leave his capital and shake hands with the East India Company to approve the terms of the Treaty of Bassein. The second Anglo Maratha War that ended in 1805, restored his administrative authority and prestige as the Peshwa once again. After he suffered defeat against the British soldiers in the Third Anglo Maratha War, he decided to give up as the ruler. Bajirao II spent his last days at Bithoor where he was provided an annual pension.
Conclusion
The Peshwas gradually rose to power after the era of Chhatrapati. Many intellectual leaders ascended the throne and became renowned owing to their great diplomatic and war skills. The Peshwas suffered hardship when the British East India company provoked the other Maratha clans like Holkars and Gaekwads to revolt against them. Ultimately the Peshwa lineage came to an end with the retirement of Peshwa Bajirao II.
