The Peshwa(Marathi:पेशवे or पेशवा) (also known in Marathi as Peshwe) 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. Prior to 1700 AD,One Peshwa also got king status for 8-9 years. They oversaw the greatest expansion of the Maratha Empire around 1760 with the help of Sardars (Generals)like Hokar,Shinde, Bhosale,Pantprainidhi, Gayakwad, Pethe, Raste, Phadke, Patwardhan, Pawar, Pandit and Purandare, and also its eventual annexation by the British East India Company in 1818.
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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. However, the first Peshwa was Sonopant Dabir, appointed by Shahaji to assist Shivaji. Duties and authorities of a Peshwa were equal to that of a Prime Minister.Shivaji maharaj renamed this designation as “Pantpradhan” in 1674 but this name was less frequently used.
RamchandraPant Amatya Bawadekar
Ramchandra Amatya got King status from Chatrapti Rajaram as “Hukumatpanha” during 1689-1699 He was basically a good administrator who rose from Local Kulkarni Level to later in ranks of Ashtapradhan only because of guidance and support from Shivaji Maharaj. This is one of the prominent peshwa earlier from 1700. He recaptured many forts from Moguls during 1690-1694. Some forts he captured personally using gorilla war techniques.When Chatrapati Rajaram fled to Jinji in 1689 then before leaving from Maharastra, he gave “ Hukumat panha” (King Status) to Pant. Ramchandra Pant managed entire state under many challenges like influx of Moguls, betrayals Vatandars, Scarcity of food. He with the help of Pantpratindhi, Sachiv, kept economic condition of Maratha State in proper way. He got tremendous military help from Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav the great Maratha warriors. Many times he directly participated in war Especially during 1689-1695; He personally re-captured many forts in south Maharastra from Moguls and played a role of Shadow king in absence of Chatrapati Rajaram. In 1698, he happily stepped down from the post of “Hukumatpanha” and Rajaram offered this post his wife to Tarabai. Tarabai gave important position to Pant in senior administration of Maratha State. He wrote “Adnyapatra” मराठी: आज्ञापञ who have explained different techniques of war, maintance of forts and administration etc. The concept of Adnyapatra (rules and steps) and wisdom and leadership of Tararani helped Maratha empire a lot in building foundation of state. As he was Loyal to Tararani than Shahu so he was sidelined after arrival of Shahu and later Peshawa post was given to Balaji Vishwanath in 1713. RamchandraPant died in 1716 on Panhala fort.
Bhat Family
The position moved to the Bhat family of Shrivardhan in the Konkan region, upon appointment of Balaji Vishwanath Bhat as Peshwa by the fourth Chattrapati Shahu in 1713. The appointment of his son, Baji Rao I as Peshwa in 1719 by Shahu made the position hereditary in the Bhat family, and also led to a rebellion by General Trimbak Rao Dhabade, the senapati (commander in chief), who thought that his father should have been appointed Peshwa. The followers of Baji and Trimbak clashed at the Battle of Bilhapur on April 1, 1731, and Trimbak was killed, giving the peshwas and the Bhat family unchallenged control over Maratha.[1] 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. At the time of his death in 1749, Shahu made the Peshwas his successors under such conditions. Shivaji's descendants, who remained as the titular Raja of Satara, were called Swami (Marathi:The real Owner) by the Peshwas who reported to them, and they were to seek guidance from the Raja. However, the Peshwa also became a ceremonial head of state after the battle of Panipat and the death of Madhavrao.
Legacy
First Peshwa to receive king status was Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar in 1689 by Chatrapati Rajaram.The first Bhat family Peshwa was Balaji Vishwanath Bhat, a chitpavan 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 (see map at right), 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 Battle of Khadki which was a part of Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818). The Peshwa's territory in central Maharashtra was annexed to the British East India Company's Bombay province, and he was pensioned off.
The Peshwas
- Sonopant Dabir Period 1640-1652
- Shyampant Kulkarni-Ranzekar Period 1652-1657
- Moropant Trimbak Pingle Period 1657-1683
- Moreshwar Pingale 1683-1689
- RamchandraPant Amatya 1689-1708
- Bahiroji Pingale 1708-1711
- Parshuram Tribak Kulkarni 1711-1713
- Balaji Vishwanath (1713-2apr.1720) (b.1660, d. 2apr.1720)
- Peshwa Bajirao I (17 apr.1720-28 apr.1740) (b.18 aug.1700, d. 28 apr.1740)
From 1749 ,after death of Shahu , peshawa became head of maratha empire ,offcourse reporting to Chatrapati.
- Balaji Bajirao (4 jul.1740-23 jun.1761) (b.8 dec.1721, d. 23 jun.1761)
- Madhavrao Peshwa (1761-18 nov.1772) (b.16 feb.1745, d. 18 nob.1772)
Hereafter they remained titular
- Narayanrao Bajirao (13 dec.1772-30 aug.1773) (b.10 aug.1755, d. 30 aug.1773)
- Raghunathrao (5 dec.1773-1774) (b.18 aug.1734, d. 11 dec.1783)
- Sawai Madhava Rao II Narayan (1774-27 oct.1795) (b.18 apr.1774, d. 27 oct.1795)
- Baji Rao II (6 dec.1796-3 jun.1818) (d. 28 jan.1851)
- Amritrao (brother of Bajirao II), Peshwa for a short period during Yashwantrao Holkar's siege of Pune. Bajirao was later reinstated by the British.
- Nana Sahib (1 jul.1857-1858) (b.19 may.1825, d. 24 sep.1859)
See also
References
- ^ Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Micropaedia Vol. II, p17
