Bajirao I

Shrimant Peshwa
Bajirao I
Portrait of Bajirao I
7th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy
In office
17 April 1720 – 28 April 1740
MonarchShahu I
Preceded byBalaji Vishwanath
Succeeded byBalaji Bajirao
Personal details
Born
Visaji Bhatt

(1700-08-18)18 August 1700
Dubere, Sinnar, Nashik District
Died28 April 1740(1740-04-28) (aged 39)
Rawerkhedi, Maratha Confederacy
Spouses
  • ​
    (m. 1720)​
  • ​
    (m. 1728)​
Children5, including Balaji Baji Rao, Shamsher Bahadur and Raghunath Rao
Parents
Relatives
Signature
Military career
Service / branch Maratha Army
RankPeshwa
UnitPeshwa's Cavalry
Battles / wars
See list

  • Wars of Bajirao

Bajirao I (born as Visaji,[1][2] Marathi: [ˈbaːdʑiɾaːʋ bəˈlːaːɭ̆]; 18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He, after Shivaji, is considered to be the most charismatic and dynamic leader in Maratha history. He was just twenty years old and already had a reputation for rapid decisions and a passion for military adventure.[3]

In the Deccan region, the Nizam of Hyderabad emerged as a significant threat. Bajirao then led a campaign against the Nizam in which Nizam suffered a decisive defeat at Palkheda. This victory solidified the Marathas’ authority in the Deccan region. In Bundelkhand, he rescued the Bundela ruler Chhatrasal from a Mughal siege, gaining independence for Bundelkhand. Gratefully, Chhatrasal granted Bajirao a jagir and his daughter's hand in marriage.[4]

In the 1730s, Bajirao asserted Maratha tax rights in Gujarat, defeating rebel Trimbak Rao Dabhade in 1731 at Battle of Dabhoi; he also engaged in a diplomatic mission to persuade Rajput courts for chauth payments. Further efforts to establish Maratha dominance saw him responsible for the Battle of Delhi (1737) which may be said to mark the pinnacle of his military career.[5] He secured the important territory of Malwa after defeating the combined forces of Mughal-Nizam-Nawab of Awadh in Battle of Bhopal (1737).[6]

Bajirao's adventurous life has been picturized in Indian cinema and also featured in novels.[7][8][9] Bajirao had two wives Kashibai and Mastani. Bajirao's relationship with his second wife Mastani is a controversial subject; very little is known with certainty about it.[10][2] She was generally referenced cryptically in books, letters or documents from that era.

  1. ^ Gokhale, Sandhya (2008). The Chitpavans: social ascendancy of a creative minority in Maharashtra, 1818–1918. Shubhi. p. 82. ISBN 978-8182901322.
  2. ^ a b Chhabra, G. S. (2005) [1971]. Advanced Study in the History of Modern India (Volume 1: 1707–1813) (Revised ed.). Lotus Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-8189093068.
  3. ^ New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas - Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4). p. 114.
  4. ^ Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New history of the Marathas Vol_2. pp. 85–86.
  5. ^ SUVRATSUT (9 January 2018). Baji Rao I The Great Peshwa. pp. 104–105.
  6. ^ Dighe, V. g (1944). Peshwa Bajirao I And Maratha Expansion. pp. 139–149.
  7. ^ "Peshwa Bajirao Review: Anuja Sathe shines as Radhabai in the period drama", India Today, 25 January 2017
  8. ^ Jha, Subhash K (19 October 2015). "Bajirao Mastani review: This gloriously epic Priyanka, Deepika and Ranveer-starrer is the best film of 2015". Firstpost. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  9. ^ Palsokar, R. D. (1996). Bajirao I An Outstanding Cavalry General. Merven Technologies. ISBN 9788193989586.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mehta05 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).