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Bajirao I

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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
Bajirao Balal

(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

Bajirao I (born as Visaji,[1][2] Marathi: [ˈbaːdʑiɾaːʋ bəˈlːaːɭ̆]; 18 August 1700 – 28 April 1740) was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy.[3] He was appointed Peshwa at the age of nineteen by Shahu I, following the death of his father, Balaji Vishwanath.[4] He is credited with establishing the Marathas as the supreme power in the Indian subcontinent, effectively displacing Mughal dominance.[5][6][7]

In the Deccan region, the Nizam of Hyderabad emerged as a major threat. Bajirao then led a campaign against Nizam in which Nizam suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Palkhed. This victory solidified the Marathas’ authority in Deccan region.[8] In Bundelkhand, he rescued the Bundela ruler Chhatrasal from a Mughal siege, gaining independence for Bundelkhand. In gratitude, Chhatrasal bestowed one third of his territories to him.[9]

In the 1730s, Bajirao asserted Maratha tax rights in Gujarat, defeating rebel Trimbak Rao Dabhade at the Battle of Dabhoi. He also engaged in successful diplomatic missions with Rajput rulers, leading to the imposition of chauth (a regular tax) on the Kingdoms of Mewar and Jaipur.[10] Further efforts to establish Maratha dominance saw him responsible for the Raid on Delhi (1737) which may be said to mark the high point of his military career.[11] He officially secured the important territory of Malwa after defeating the combined forces of Mughal-Nizam-Nawab of Awadh in Battle of Bhopal (1737).[12] He died of fever in 1740 at an age of 39 years.

Historians Stewart Gordon and Dighe have considered Bajirao the most charismatic and dynamic leader in Maratha history after Shivaji.[13][14] He is regarded as one of the greatest military generals of his time and is reputed to have never lost a battle.[22] His adventurous life has been picturized in Indian cinema and also featured in novels.[23][24][25] Bajirao had two wives Kashibai and Mastani. His relationship with Mastani is a controversial subject; very little is known with certainty about it.[26][2]

Early life

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Bajirao hunting with his father Balaji Vishwanath.

Bajirao was born into the Bhat family in Sinnar, near Nashik. His father Balaji Vishwanath was the Peshwa of Shahu I and his mother was Radhabai Barve.[27] Bajirao had a younger brother, Chimaji Appa, and two younger sisters, Anubai and Bhiubai. Anubai was married to Venkatrao Ghorpade (Joshi) of Ichalkaranji and Bhiubai was married to Abaji Naik Joshi of Baramati.[28]

Being born in a Brahmin family, his education included reading, writing and learning Sanskrit however, he did not remain confined to his books. Bajirao displayed a passion for the military at an early age and often accompanied his father on military campaigns.[29] He was with his father when his father was imprisoned by Damaji Thorat before being released for a ransom.[2] Bajirao had been on the expedition to Delhi in 1719 with his father and was convinced the Mughal Empire was disintegrating and would be unable to resist northward Maratha expansion.[30] When Balaji Vishwanath died in 1720, Shahu appointed the 20-year-old Bajirao as Peshwa despite opposition from other chieftains.[31]

Appearance and Personal life

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Bajirao grew up into a very tall broad-shouldered man. He was an exceptionally handsome man of fair complexion. ‘His appearance was commanding, his complexion fair, and his fame for good looks so widespread,’ that as a Maratha tale goes, ‘the ladies of Nizam ul Mulk requested their Lord as a special favor that during his next encounter with the Brahmin minister, they might secretly observe him and witness his refined appearance and classical features. There is also a note that when this famed warrior, whose name had spread across the land for his bravery and triumphs in battle, passed through the towns of Rajputana, both men and women would rush to their windows to catch a glimpse of him.[32]

Bajirao's first wife was Kashibai, the daughter of Mahadji Krishna Joshi and Bhawanibai of Chas (a wealthy banking family).[33] Bajirao always treated his wife Kashibai with love and respect.[34] Their relationship was healthy and happy.[35][34] They had four sons: Balaji Bajirao (also called Nanasaheb), Ramachandra Rao, Raghunath Rao and Janardhan Rao, who died at an early age.[36] Nanasaheb was appointed Peshwa by Shahu in 1740, succeeding his father.

Bajirao took Mastani as his wife, the daughter of Rajput king Chhatrasal, born from his Muslim concubine.[37] The relationship was a political one, arranged to please Chhatrasal.[26] Accounts, however with regard to her origin vary. Some consider her the daughter of the Nizam, while others refer to her as a courtesan of the court of some Muslim chief.[38] The Nizam on suggestion of his wife married her to Bajirao to promote diplomatic relations with Marathas.[39]

Mastani had a son, Krishna Rao, in 1734. Since his mother was Muslim, Hindu priests refused to conduct the upanayana ceremony and he became known as Shamsher Bahadur.[2] After the deaths of Bajirao and Mastani in 1740, Kashibai raised six-year-old Shamsher Bahadur as her own. Shamsher received a portion of his father's dominion of Banda and Kalpi. In 1761, he and his army fought alongside Sadashiv Bhau in the Third Battle of Panipat between the Marathas and the Afghans. Wounded in the battle, Shamsher died several days later in Deeg.[40][41] Shamsher had a son Ali Bahadur through his wife Mehrambai. He helped Mahadaji Shinde to restore Maratha rule once again in Northern India.[42]

Bajirao moved his base of operations from Saswad to Pune in 1728, laying the foundation for the transformation of the kasba into a large city.[43] He began the construction of Shaniwar Wada on 10 January 1730.[44]

Appointment as Peshwa

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Stone fortress, with people in front for scale
Bajirao I's handwriting in Modi script.
Seal of Bajirao I

Bajirao was appointed Peshwa, succeeding his father, by Shahu on 17 April 1720. By the time of his appointment, the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah had upheld Maratha claims to the territories held by Shivaji at his death. The Mughal-Maratha Treaty of 1718-1719 gave the Marathas right to collect taxes (chauth) in the Deccan's six provinces.[45]

Bajirao convinced Shahu that the Maratha Empire had to go on the offensive against its enemies to defend itself.[46] He believed the Mughal Empire was in decline, and wanted to take advantage of the situation with aggressive expansion into North India. Bajirao compared the Mughals' declining fortune to a tree which, if attacked at its roots, would collapse. He is reported to have said:

Let us strike at the trunk of the withering tree and the branches will fall off themselves. Listen but to my counsel and I shall plant the Maratha flag on the walls of Attock.[47]

As a new Peshwa, however, he faced several challenges.[2] Bajirao promoted young men like himself, such as Malhar Rao Holkar, Ranoji Shinde, the Pawar brothers and Fateh Singh Bhosle, as commanders; these men did not belong to families who were hereditary Deshmukhs in the Deccan sultanates.[48] The Mughal viceroy of the Deccan, Asaf Jah I, Nizam of Hyderabad, had created a de facto autonomous kingdom in the region. He challenged Shahu 's right to collect taxes[49] on the pretext that he did not know whether Shahu or his cousin, Sambhaji II of Kolhapur, was the rightful heir to the Maratha throne.[2] The Marathas needed to assert their rights over the nobles of newly acquired territories in Malwa and Gujarat.[2] Several nominally-Maratha areas were not actually under the Peshwa's control; for example, the Siddis controlled the Janjira fort.[2]

Military campaigns and wars

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The Nizam (1720-1728)

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Main article: Battle of Palkhed
Colour-coded map
Troop movements of Bajirao I and Asaf Jah I (Nizam-ul-Mulk) in the Battle of Palkhed

At the outset of Bajirao's Peshwa rule, the Mughal nobles, led by Nizam-ul-Mulk, rebelled against the Sayyid Brothers. To quell the uprising, the Sayyid brothers sought assistance from the Marathas. They did receive some level of support from individual Maratha chiefs against the orders of Shahu and Bajirao at Balapur (1720).[50]

The Nizam encouraged by his victory over Sayyid Brothers decided to check Maratha claims of chauth. His forces however faced defeat by Bajirao Peshwa's forces in December 1720 near Godavri river.[51][52] Afterwards on 4 January 1721, Bajirao met Nizam of Hyderabad at Chikhalthana to resolve their disputes. However, the Nizam refused to recognize the Maratha right to collect taxes from the Deccan provinces.[2]

He was made vizier of the Mughal Empire in 1721 by emperor Muhammad Shah, who, alarmed at his increasing power, transferred him from the Deccan to Awadh in 1723. The Nizam rebelled against the order, resigned as vizier and marched towards the Deccan. The emperor sent an army against him, which the Nizam defeated at the Battle of Sakhar-kheda; this forced the emperor to recognise him as viceroy of the Deccan. The Marathas, led by Bajirao, helped the Nizam win this battle. For his valor, Bajirao was honored with a robe, a 7,000-man mansabdari, an elephant, and a jewel. After the battle, the Nizam tried to appease the Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu and the Mughal emperor; in reality, however, he wanted to carve out a sovereign kingdom and considered the Marathas his rivals in the Deccan.[53]

In 1725, the Nizam sent an army to clear Maratha revenue collectors from the Carnatic region. The Marathas dispatched a force under Fateh Singh Bhosle to counter him; Bajirao accompanied Bhosle. According to Govind Sakharam Sardesai, Bajirao personally led the campaign under Shahu's command. In contrast, Stewart Gordon's account suggests that Bajirao was present during the campaign but did not assume command. The local rulers supported by Nizam were defeated by 1727 and offered their submission to Bajirao.[54]

In the Deccan, Sambhaji II of Kolhapur State had become a rival claimant to the title of Maratha King. The Nizam took advantage of the internal dispute, refusing to pay the chauth because it was unclear who was the real Chhatrapati (Shahu or Sambhaji II) and offering to arbitrate. Shripatrao Pant Pratinidhi advised Shahu to begin negotiations and agree to arbitration. Sambhaji II was supported by Chandrasen Jadhav, who had fought Bajirao's father a decade earlier. Bajirao convinced Shahu to refuse the Nizam's offer and instead launch an assault.[49]

The Nizam responded to Shahu by invading Pune where he installed Sambhaji II as the king. He then marched out of the city, leaving behind a contingent headed by Fazal Beg. The Nizam plundered Loni, Pargaon, Patas, Supa and Baramati, using his artillery.[55] On 27 August 1727, Bajirao began a retaliatory guerilla attack on the Nizam with his trusted lieutenants Malhar Rao Holkar, Ranoji Shinde and the Pawar brothers. He began to destroy the towns held by the Nizam; leaving Pune, he crossed the Godavari River near Puntamba and plundered Jalna and Sindkhed. Bajirao destroyed Berar, Mahur, Mangrulpir and Washim before turning north-west to Khandesh. He crossed the Tapi River at Kokarmunda and entered eastern Gujarat, reaching Chota Udaipur in January 1728. After hearing that the Nizam had returned to Pune, Bajirao feinted toward Burhanpur; he thought that after hearing about the threat to the strategically important Burhanpur, the Nizam would try to save it. Bajirao did not enter Burhanpur, however, arriving at Betawad in Khandesh on 14 February 1728.[56]

When the Nizam heard that his northern territories had been devastated by Bajirao, he left Pune and marched towards the Godavari to meet Bajirao on an open plain where his artillery would be effective. The Nizam went on ahead of his artillery; on 25 February 1728, the armies of Bajirao and the Nizam faced each other at Palkhed, a town about 30 miles (48 km) west of Aurangabad.[57] The Nizam was quickly surrounded by Maratha forces and trapped, his lines of supply and communication were cut. He was forced to make peace; he signed the Treaty of Mungi Shevgaon on 6 March, recognising Shahu as the King and the Maratha right to collect taxes in the Deccan.[58]

This event is considered as an example of brilliant execution of military strategy.[26] In his Military History of India, Jadunath Sarkar wrote: "This campaign gives a classic example of what the predatory horse, when led by a genius, could achieve in the age of light artillery."[59]

Bundelkhand (1729)

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Bajirao I riding a horse into battle c.1720–1740
Main article: Battle of Bundelkhand

In Bundelkhand, Chhatrasal rebelled against the Mughal Empire and established an independent kingdom. In December 1728, a Mughal force led by Muhammad Khan Bangash attacked him and besieged his fort and family. Although Chhatrasal repeatedly sought Bajirao's assistance, he was busy in Malwa at the time. He compared his dire situation to that of Gajendra Moksha. In his letter to Bajirao, Chhatrasal wrote the following words:

Know you, that I am in the same sad plight in which the famous elephant was when caught by the crocodile. My valiant race is on point of extinction. Come and save my honour, O Baji Rao.[60]

In March 1729, the Peshwa responded to Chhatrasal's request and marched towards Bundelkhand with 25,000 horsemen and his lieutenants Pilaji Jadhav, Tukoji Pawar, Naro Shankar, and Davalji Somwanshi. Bangash was later forced to leave, signing an agreement that "he would never attack Bundelkhand again".[61] Chhatrasal's position as ruler of Bundelkhand was restored. He granted a large jagir to Bajirao and gave him his daughter Mastani. Before Chhatrasal's death in December 1731, he ceded one-third of his territories to the Marathas.[2]

The Portuguese (1729-1732 and 1737-1739)

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Main articles: Luso–Maratha War (1729–1732) and Battle of Vasai

The Luso–Maratha War of 1729–1732 was an armed conflict between the Portuguese Empire and the Maratha Confederacy, who invaded Portuguese territory in India. This conflict resulted in Treaty of Bombay (1732). The Marathas according to the treaty withdrew from Portuguese territory.[62] Nevertheless, Bajirao planned to resume hostilities against the Portuguese with an attack on Salcette Island on 13 March 1733.[63] Peace would prove to be short, as five years later the Marathas would again invade Portuguese territory and attack Bassein.[62]

Gujarat (1730-1731)

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Main article: Battle of Dabhoi

After consolidating Maratha influence in central India, Bajirao decided to assert the Maratha right to collect taxes from the wealthy province of Gujarat and sent a Maratha force under Chimaji Appa there in 1730. Sarbuland Khan, the province's Mughal governor, ceded the right to collect chauth to the Marathas. He was soon replaced by Abhay Singh, who also recognized the Maratha right to collect taxes. This irked Shahu's senapati (commander-in-chief), Trimbak Rao Dabhade, whose ancestors had raided Gujarat several times and asserted their right to collect taxes from the province. Annoyed at Bajirao's control of what he considered his family's sphere of influence, he rebelled against the Peshwa.[64] Two other Maratha nobles from Gujarat, Damaji Rao Gaekwad and Kadam Bande, also sided with Dabhade.[49]

After Girdhar Bahadur's defeat in 1728, the Mughal emperor had appointed Jai Singh II to subdue the Marathas. Jai Singh recommended a peaceful agreement; the emperor disagreed, replacing him with Muhammad Khan Bangash. Bangash formed an alliance with the Nizam, Trimbak Rao and Sambhaji II. Bajirao learned that Dabhade and Gaikwad had made preparations for an open fight on the plain of Dabhoi with a force of 40 thousand, while Bajirao's numbers hardly reached 25 thousand in all. Bajirao repeatedly sent messages to Dabhade to solve the dispute amicably in the presence of Shahu.[65] When the negotiations failed, a battle ensued in which Trimbak Rao Dabhade's forces were routed by Bajirao at Dabhoi.[66] Bajirao later defeated Sambhaji II and made him sign the Treaty of Warna, which demarcated the territories of Shahu and Sambhaji II. The Nizam after his failed attempt met Bajirao at Rohe-Rameshwar on 27 December 1732 and promised not to interfere with Maratha expeditions.[2]

Shahu and Bajirao avoided a rivalry with the powerful Dabhade clan after subduing Trimbak Rao; Trimbak's son, Yashwant Rao, was appointed as Shahu's senapati. The Dabhade clan were allowed to continue collecting chauth from Gujarat if they deposited half the revenue in Shahu's treasury.[2]

Rajputana (1732-1738)

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Main articles: Battle of Rampura and Battle of Mandsaur
Bajirao and Malhar Rao Holkar c.18th century

With Shahu's consent, Bajirao began a northward journey on 9 October 1735. Accompanied by his wife, Kashibai,[67] he intended to befriend Rajput courts and persuade them to pay chauth.

Bajirao arrived at Mewar's southern frontier in January 1736, where Rana Jagat Singh II had made arrangements for his visit.[68] Diplomatic talks got underway and Maharana agreed to pay a lakh and half annually as chauth.[69] Bajirao also visited Jagmandir Palace, in the centre of Pichola Lake at Rana Jagat Singh's invitation, and then left for Nath-Dwara.

After resolving matters in Mewar, Bajirao advanced towards Jaipur. Sawai Jai Singh hastened south with his forces, and they met in Bhambholao (near Kishangarh).[68] Their meeting lasted for several days, with talks about chauth and the cession of Malwa from the Mughal Emperor. To maintain peace, Jai Singh offered an annual payment of 5 lakh rupees as chauth for Jaipur and promised to secure imperial grants for the provinces of Malwa and Gujarat.[70] Bajirao then returned to the Deccan. The emperor did not agree to his demands, however, and he planned to march on Delhi to force him to agree.[71]

Siddis (1733-1736)

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The Siddis of Janjira controlled a small, strategically important territory on India's west coast. Although they originally held only the Janjira fort, after Shivaji's death they expanded their rule to a large part of central and northern Konkan.[49] After the death of Siddi chief Yakut Khan in 1733, a war of succession broke out among his sons; one, Abdul Rehman, asked Bajirao for help. Bajirao sent a Maratha force led by Sekhoji Angre, son of Kanhoji Angre. The Marathas regained control of several portions of the Konkan, and besieged Janjira. Their strength was diverted after Peshwa's rival, Pant Pratinidhi, occupied Raigad Fort (near Janjira) in June 1733. Sekhoji Angre died in August (further weakening the Maratha position), and Bajirao signed a peace treaty with the Siddis. He allowed the Siddis to retain control of Janjira if they accepted Abdul Rehman as the ruler; they were also allowed to retain control of Anjanvel, Gowalkot and Underi. The Marathas retained Raigad, Rewas, Thal and Chaul.[2]

The Siddis launched an offensive to regain their lost territories soon after the Peshwa returned to Satara, then Bajirao dispatched a force to prevent them from taking over Raigad Fort in June 1734. Chimnaji made a surprise attack on a Siddi camp near Rewas on 19 April 1736, killing about 1,500 (including their leader, Siddi Sat). In June 1736, Bajirao dispatched a force under Yesaji Gaikwad, Dhanaji Thorat and Sidoji Barge to gain the control territories like Gowalkot. On 25 September of that year, the Siddis signed a peace treaty which confined them to Janjira, Gowalkot and Anjanvel.[2]

March to Delhi (1737)

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Equestrian statue of Peshwa Bajirao I outside Shaniwar Wada, Pune

After the death of Trimbak Rao, Bangash's alliance against the Marathas fell apart. The Mughal emperor recalled him from Malwa, and re-appointed Jai Singh II as the governor of Malwa. However, the Maratha chief Holkar defeated Jai Singh in 1733 at the Battle of Mandsaur. After two more battles, the Mughals decided to offer the Marathas the right to collect the equivalent of ₹22 lakh in chauth from Malwa. On 4 March 1736, Bajirao and Jai Singh reached an agreement at Kishangad. Jai Singh convinced the emperor to agree to the plan, and Bajirao was appointed deputy governor of the region. Jai Singh is believed to have secretly informed Bajirao that it was a good time to subdue the weakening Mughal emperor.[2]

Learning of the advancing Maratha army, the Mughal emperor asked Saadat Ali Khan I to march from Agra and check the advance. The Maratha chiefs Malhar Rao Holkar, Vithoji Bule and Pilaji Jadhav crossed Yamuna and plundered the Mughal territories in the Doab. Saadat Khan led a force of 150,000, defeated them at Jalesar, and retired to Mathura. Malhar Rao Holkar rejoined Bajirao's army near Gwalior.

Samsam-ud-Daulah, Mir Bakshi and Muhammad Khan Bangash invited Saadat Ali Khan to a banquet in Samsam-ud-Daulah's tent in Mathura, thinking that the Marathas had retreated to the Deccan. During the feast, they learnt Bajirao had slipped along the Jat and Mewati hill route (avoiding the direct Agra-Delhi route) and was at Delhi. The Mughal commanders left the feast and began a hasty return to capital.[72]

The Mughal emperor dispatched a force, led by Mir Hasan Khan Koka, to check Bajirao's advance. The Marathas defeated his force on 28 March 1737 in outskirts of Delhi at Rikabganj. When the news of the defeat of the Mughal troops by the Marathas spread, a sudden fear seized the citizens of Delhi who expected the attack of the Maratha conqueror any moment. But Baji Rao did not proceed with his victory although he could have taken the city unopposed. He had received intelligence that the Vazir with his army was coming towards Delhi in rapid marches when he heard that Baji Rao was before the gates of the capital. The Peshwa realised that any further stay in the city would greatly imperil his position and endanger the lines of communication with the Maratha mainland. He was content with the imperial offer of the Viceroyalty of Malwa. He, therefore, left Delhi with his soldiers towards the south.[73][2]

During his way back he encountered the Mughal Vizier Qamar-ud Din Khan at Badshahpur. After a long and tiring march following a heavy engagement, the Peshwa was in no mood to attack the Vazir. Neither could the Vazir array his forces for battle, as his artillery and a part of his men were yet on the road. There was a brush between the two forces in the failing light of the day; one elephant and a few horses were seized by the Marathas with the loss of 30 men at their side.[74] Afterwards, they moved another eight miles before encamping for the night. Finding himself heavily outnumbered to the Wazir's army and possibility of reinforcement from the other Mughal nobles he made a decision to retreat from Badshahpur during early night. Passing through Rajputana Bajirao reached Narnol and then Ajmer. The Mughals could not pursue the Marathas and the Emperor had recalled them to Delhi. The Rajput princes once again affirmed their loyalty to the Peshwa and solicited his protection.[75][76]

This event caused great consternation and dismay in the capital. Although the Peshwa left the city suddenly, he exposed the weakness of the government. The demoralizing effect which the Peshwa's surprise attack produced on the army and the citizens of Delhi was permanent.[77]

Battle of Bhopal (1737-1738)

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Main article: Battle of Bhopal

Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah sought help from the Nizam after Bajirao's march to Delhi; the Nizam set out from the Deccan, met Bajirao's returning force at Sironj, and told the Peshwa he was going to Delhi to repair his relationship with the Mughal emperor. The Nizam was joined by other Mughal chiefs, and a 30,000-man Mughal army (reinforced by artillery), was dispatched against Bajirao.

The Peshwa assembled an 80,000-man force. To counter aid to the Nizam from the Deccan, Bajirao stationed a force of 10,000 (under Chimaji Appa) on the Tapti River with instructions to prevent Nasir Jung from advancing beyond Burhanpur. He and his forces crossed the Narmada in early December 1737, communicating with agents and spies posted to observe enemy moves. The Nizam sheltered in Bhopal, a fortified town with a lake at his rear, to keep his army and artillery secure.[78]

The Nizam, unable to hold out any longer, signed a peace agreement at Doraha on 7 January 1738.[79] Malwa was ceded to the Marathas; the Mughals agreed to pay the equivalent of ₹5,000,000 in reparations, with the Nizam swearing on the Quran to abide by the treaty.[2] The Mughal defeat at Bhopal established the supremacy of Maratha arms in India and marked the birth of a new Imperial Power.[80]

Response to Nader Shah's invasion (1738-1739)

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See also: Nader Shah's invasion of India and Battle of Karnal

In May 1738, Nader Shah, the ruler of Iran and the founder of the Afsharid dynasty, invaded Northern India for funds to fight his archrivals ottomans in the west.[81] He defeated the local Mughal governors of Kabul and Peshawar by Nov 1738 and advanced through the Punjab region. The Mughal emperor, Muhammad Shah alarmed by these developments gathered his prominent nobles and summoned the Nizam to Delhi.[82] Khan Dauran, the Mir Bakshi of Mughal Empire sent messengers among the Hindu Rajputs, especially Sawai Jai Singh, to aid the Emperor.[83] However, Rajput chieftains were reluctant to act due to the growing discontent with the later Mughal emperors.

Bajirao was initially bewildered by Nader's invasion. He feared that, in the event of Nader's victory over the Mughal emperor, the latter might remain in India and potentially advance southwards, posing a major threat to Maratha supremacy in Deccan. He therefore started preparations for war against Nader.[84] Meanwhile, the emperor also appealed to Bajirao for help, and the Peshwa responded by promising to send the Malwa force under leaders such as Malhar Rao Holkar, Ranoji Sindhia, and Udaji Pawar.[83] But the help could not reach in time as most of the Maratha forces were engaged in Bassein campaign (1737-39) against Portuguese and it was useless to move against Nader without adequate forces.[85] Nevertheless, this expected assistance never arrived in time and Muhammad Shah forces faced a complete disaster at the hands of Nader Shah in the decisive Battle of Karnal.[83]

The Maratha observers posted in northern India transmitted comprehensive accounts of the unfolding events to Bajirao in Maharashtra. Varying opinions were put forward by different officials of what should be done by the Peshwa following the Mughal emperor's defeat. Some argued for Bajirao to confront Nader while others advised to wait for the invader's next move. There were even talks about placing Maharana of Mewar, a Hindu ruler, in place of Mughal emperor.[86]

The two Maratha agents, Hinge and Baburao Malhar, suggested Bajirao to form a coalition of Rajput and Maratha forces. They argued that forces of Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur and Bundelas aided by Peshwa's forces would form a very strong front and increase the odds of victory against Nader's forces.[86] Shahu also dictated Bajirao to march northwards.[87] Bajirao obliged Shahu and started moving northwards with his forces. By the time he reached Burhanpur, he received intelligence that Nader had already departed to Iran and reinstated Muhammad Shah.

He was relieved upon hearing the news and exchanged letters with both Nader and Muhammad Shah.[88] Subsequently, he returned to Poona on 27th July. Nadir's crushing defeat of the Mughal Empire left it unable to resist the aggressive Maratha expansion. Over the next twenty years, the Marathas conquered the empire’s provinces one by one, becoming the dominant power in Indian subcontinent.[89]

Deccan (1739-1740)

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Main article: Maratha invasion of Deccan (1739)

Between 1738 and 1740, Nader Shah launched an invasion of India.[90] In response to this threat, Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah summoned the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah, to Delhi. Accepting the emperor's request, Asaf Jah mobilized his army and marched to Delhi in a bid to resist the invasion.[91][92]

In the absence of the Nizam, Bajirao launched an attack on Hyderabad with the aim of capturing the six provinces of Deccan. Having already secured Malwa through the Battle of Bhopal from Jai Singh II, Bajirao sought to expand Maratha influence by targeting Hyderabad in the absence of the Nizam.[93][94] In December 1739, Bajirao led a formidable force of 50,000 horse and foot soldiers towards Hyderabad. Nasir Jung, having received intelligence about the Marathas' intent to capture the Deccan in the absence of his father, mobilized 10,000 soldiers and marched against Bajirao. The Battle ensued after both parties crossed the Godavari River.[95]

According to most sources, Bajirao attempted to alleviate his sorrow through engaging in wartime activities. When his request for additional territories from the Nizam to establish a northern route was unsuccessful, he laid siege to Nasir Jang, the Nizam's son, in the Aurangabad fort. Nasir Jung lost the battle and escaped.[96][97] Nasir sued for peace and an agreement was signed between Bajirao and Nasir through which Khargone and Handia were ceded to the Marathas.[98]

On the other hand, alternative sources suggest that Bajirao suffered defeat, and his army was compelled to make a humiliating peace treaty, marking a significant setback for the Maratha forces.[99] According to which, Marathas were deprived of their authority to collect chauth from the six provinces of Deccan and in return Khargone and Handia, previously promised by the Nizam, were formally ceded to the Maratha Empire. Historian Ghosh has however dismissed the defeat as rumor and justified that the contemporary English and Marathi letters highlights Bajirao's success against Nasir.[100]

This marked the final military engagement for Bajirao, as he died in April 1740 following the conclusion of this conflict.[59][101]

Battle tactics

[edit]

Bajirao was known for rapid tactical movements in battle, using cavalry.[102] British field marshal, Bernard Montgomery studied Bajirao's tactics in the Palkhed campaign, particularly his rapid movements and his troops' ability to live off the land (with little concern about supply and communication lines) while conducting "maneuver warfare" against the enemy. In his book, A Concise History of Warfare, Montgomery wrote the following about Bajirao's victory at Palkhed:

They (Marathas) were at their best in the eighteenth century, and the Palkhed campaign of 1727–28 in which Baji Rao I outgeneralled Nizam-ul-Mulk, is a masterpiece of strategic mobility. Baji Rao's army was a purely mounted force, armed only with sabre, lance, a bow in some units and a round shield. There was a spare horse for every two men. The Marathas moved unencumbered by artillery, baggage, or even handguns and defensive armour. They supplied themselves by looting.[103]

Montgomery further wrote,

Baji Rao resented the Nizam's rule over the Deccan and it was he who struck the first blow. In October 1727, as soon as rainy season ended, Baji Rao burst into the territories of Nizam. The lightly equipped Marathas moved with great rapidity, avoiding the main towns and fortresses, living off the country, burning and plundering. They met one reverse at the hands of Nizam's able lieutenant, Iwaz Khan, at the beginning of November 1727, but within a month they had fully recovered and were off again, dashing east, north, west, with sudden changes in direction. The Nizam had mobilised his forces, and for a time pursued them, but he was bewildered by the swift unpredictable movements of Marathas, and his men became exhausted.[103]

Legacy

[edit]
Stone fortress, with people in front for scale
The Shaniwar Wada fortress in Pune was built as the seat of the Peshwa rulers during Bajirao's reign.

Bajirao is considered one of the most important figures in the history of Maratha Empire by many historians.[104][30]

In his introduction to Bajirao I: The Great Peshwa, K. M. Panikkar wrote:

Baji Rao, the great Peshwa, was without doubt the most outstanding statesman and general India produced in [the] 18th century. If Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of Maratha State, Baji Rao could claim that he was the one who saved it from disruption and transformed what was national state in[to] an Empire.[105]

He is also considered to be one of the greatest military generals of his time.[106] Jadunath Sarkar called Bajirao, "a heavenly-born cavalry leader".[107] Also describing his twenty years military career, Jadunath Sarkar wrote:

Twenty years spent in breathless activity and tireless journeys across the Indian continent, from Delhi to Srirangpatan and Gujarat to Hyderabad, wore out the most wonderful man of action that the Hindu race has produced since the days of the great Shivaji Maharaj.[108]

British Field Marshal Montgomery, renowned for his victory over Rommel in World War II, arguably regarded Bajirao as the greatest cavalry general in Indian history.[109] Many historians like Stewart Gordon and V.G. Dighe have considered Bajirao the most charismatic and dynamic leader in Maratha history after Shivaji.[13][110] Shahu also had an implicit faith on Bajirao. On the other occasion he has called Bajirao as "the man with iron nerves".[111]

  • Bajirao's letter to Chimaji Appa
    Bajirao's letter to Chimaji Appa
  • 31 Mar 1739; Bajirao asks his brother Chimaji Appa to send reencorcements to Delhi to counter Nadir Shah
    31 Mar 1739; Bajirao asks his brother Chimaji Appa to send reencorcements to Delhi to counter Nadir Shah
  • Signatures of the Marathas line 3 is the handwriting of Bajirao
    Signatures of the Marathas line 3 is the handwriting of Bajirao

Death

[edit]
Exterior of Baji Rao's tomb
Baji Rao I memorial at Raverkhedi

Bajirao's body was exhausted due to ceaseless wars and military campaigns.[112] The first illness Bajirao encountered which appeared on 23 April, when the symptoms were mild. On 26 April the fever has grown to an extent that, Bajirao became delirious. He died on Sunday i.e. 28 April, 1740 at night, after about 8:30 p.m.[113] He was cremated the same day on the bank of Narmada River. Balaji Bajirao ordered Ranoji Shinde to build a chhatri as a memorial. The memorial is enclosed by a dharmashala. The compound has two temples, dedicated to Nilkantheshwar Mahadev (Shiva) and Rameshwar (Rama).[114]

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

"Shahmatpanah Bajirav", a Marathi book written by Kaustubh S. Kasture on the life of Bajirao I.[119]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  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 c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q 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. p. 63.
  5. ^ Dighe, V. g (1944). Peshwa Bajirao I And Maratha Expansion. p. 149. The later attempts of the Mughal Government to oust the Marathas failed on account of the pusillanimity of its leaders and want of energy in its administration. By defeating the confederate armies at Bhopal the Peshwa established the supremacy of Maratha arms in India and announced the birth of a new Imperial Power.
  6. ^ J.L., Mehta. Advanced Study In The History Of Modern India Vol. 1 Ed. 2nd. p. 126. Baji Rao was a great warrior and a brilliant military commander, a capable administrator and farsighted as a diplomat and statesman. He was by far one of the greatest military generals of his time, and the second greatest leader of men, after Shivaji, produced by the Marathas on the crest of their political awakening and grim struggle for freedom from the yoke of Mughal imperialism. Baji Rao was a conqueror, 'a liberator', and an empire builder par excellence. His imperial instincts were akin to those of Samudragupta and Akbar, who stood for political unification of the country and establishment of an Indian empire under the Maratha sway. The credit for the consolidation of Maratha state and its transformation into an empire goes to him.
  7. ^ Majumdar, R. C. (1977). The History and Culture of the Indian People: The Maratha Supremacy. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. pp. 43 and 98.
    Pg 43: The eighteenth century is rightly looked on as the age of Maratha supremacy. The Marathas dominate the Indian political scene right up to the end of the century to the exclusion of any other power. Their predecessors, the Mughuls, suffered a decline as dramatic as it was unexpected. The Deccan campaign of Aurangzeb drained the moral and material resources of the empire and brought it to the brink of disaster.
    Pg 98: He perceived, as few of his contemporaries did, that the far-flung empire of the Mughul had lost its vitality and was tottering to its fall, and he hastened to take the controlling hand in its administration. For this purpose he cleverly utilised the mutual jealousies and hatreds prevailing among the court factions at Delhi. Leading his armies beyond the Narmada he overran the Mughul provinces of Gujarat, Malwa and Bundelkhand, and to make an impression of his might on the emperor, made a dash to the imperial capital in the face of two hostile armies (1737). At Bhopal (1738) he again frustrated the enemy's designs and established Maratha superiority at the Mughul Court. It was his policy of northward drive that brought the provinces from Punjab to Bengal under Maratha influence by 1760, and gave the Marathis an eminent position at the Mughul Court. If his successors had understood his policies well and carried them out fruitfully, the Marathas might have succeeded the Mughuls in the overlordship of the Indian continent. Peshwa BajI Rao made a beginning and planted Maratha power in Malwa and Bundelkhand.
  8. ^ Dighe, V. g (1944). Peshwa Bajirao I And Maratha Expansion. pp. 17–20.
  9. ^ Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New history of the Marathas Vol_2. pp. 85–86.
  10. ^ Sardesai, Govind S. (1986). New History of the Marathas. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Private, Limited. pp. 150–151. ISBN 978-81-215-0068-5.
  11. ^ SUVRATSUT (9 January 2018). Baji Rao I The Great Peshwa. pp. 104–105.
  12. ^ Dighe, V. g (1944). Peshwa Bajirao I And Maratha Expansion. pp. 139–149.
  13. ^ a b New Cambridge History of India. The Marathas - Cambridge History of India (Vol. 2, Part 4). p. 114. Balaji Vishwanath died in 1720. Against the objections of other ministers, Shahu appointed Balaji's son, Bajirao. Here we meet, after Shivaji, the most charismatic and dynamic leader in Maratha history. He was only twenty years old and already had a reputation for rapid decisions and a passion for military adventure. Bajirao had been on the expedition to Delhi in 1719, and was convinced that the Mughal Empire was breaking up and could not resist a Maratha drive to the north into Malwa and beyond. This was the major theme of the next twenty years of his ceaseless military and administrative activity.
  14. ^ Dighe, V. g (1944). Peshwa Bajirao I And Maratha Expansion. pp. ix. Bajirao is looked upon as the greatest personality after Shivaji in Maratha history and the story of his career has an abiding interest.
  15. ^ G.S., Chhabra. Advanced Study In The History Of Modern India Vol. 1 Ed. 2nd. p. 28. Baji Rao, by all accounts, was one of the greatest organizers and Generals of his time. Shahu had been ignorant of all experiences, of war and administration because of the peculiar circumstances in which he was brought up in the Mughal court. Balaji gave him the moorings while it was Baji Rao who established his sovereignty and carried his arms far and wide. Even the great soldiers like Nizamul-Mulk considered Baji with awe, if not respect.
  16. ^ J.L., Mehta. Advanced Study In The History Of Modern India Vol. 1 Ed. 2nd. p. 126. Baji Rao was a great warrior and a brilliant military commander, a capable administrator and farsighted as a diplomat and statesman. He was by far one of the greatest military generals of his time, and the second greatest leader of men, after Shivaji, produced by the Marathas on the crest of their political awakening and grim struggle for freedom from the yoke of Mughal imperialism. Baji Rao was a conqueror, 'a liberator', and an empire builder par excellence. His imperial instincts were akin to those of Samudragupta and Akbar, who stood for political unification of the country and establishment of an Indian empire under the Maratha sway. The credit for the consolidation of Maratha state and its transformation into an empire goes to him.
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  20. ^ book, Test. Peshwa Bajirao I(1700-1740)- Life, Achievements, Military Battles & More. Peshwa Bajirao I, considered one of the best Indian cavalry generals and statesmen, He never lost a single battle and changed the map of India in the mid-18th century. Peshwa Bajirao I led a series of campaigns and expanded his empire all the way, thus, His undefeated series of battles were acknowledged as classic examples of his genius.
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  113. ^ Kulkarni, Uday S. (2016). The Era of Bajirao - An Account of the Empire of the Deccan. Pune: Mula Mutha Publishers. p. 333.
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Further reading

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Preceded by Peshwa
1720–1740 		Succeeded by
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