Baji Rao II
| Baji Rao II | |
|---|---|
| Peshwa of Maratha empire | |
Baji Rao II
|
|
| Reign | 6 December 1796 – 3 June 1818 |
| Coronation | 6 December 1795 |
| Born | 10 January 1775 Dhar |
| Died | 28 January 1851 Bithur near Kanpur |
| Spouse | Saraswati Bai |
| Issue | Nana Sahib (adopted) |
| Dynasty | Peshwa dynasty |
| Father | Raghunath Rao |
| Mother | Anandi Bai |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Baji Rao II (10 January 1775 – 28 January 1851) was the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, and governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him to flee his capital Pune and sign the Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the British. This resulted in the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805), in which the British emerged victorious and re-installed him as the titular Peshwa. In 1817, Baji Rao II joined the Third Anglo-Maratha War against the British, after they favoured the Gaekwad nobles in a revenue-sharing dispute. After suffering several battle defeats, the Peshwa surrendered to the British, and agreed to retire in return for an estate at Bithoor and an annual pension.
Baji Rao was the son of the former Peshwa Raghunathrao and Anandibai. Raghunathrao had defected to the English, causing the First Anglo-Maratha War, which ended with the Treaty of Salbai. Baji Rao was born in 1775, when both his parents were kept in imprisonment by the then Peshwa's cabinet. Till the age of 19, he along with his brothers were kept in confinement denying even basic rights of education.
Raghunathrao's successor as Peshwa Madhavrao II committed suicide in 1795, and died without an heir. A power struggle ensued among the Maratha nobles for control of the Confederacy. The powerful general Daulat Rao Scindia and minister Nana Fadnavis installed Baji Rao II as a puppet Peshwa. Baji Rao II had to carry the unfortunate legacy of his parents who, despite being from the same Brahmin family, were suspected of being involved in the murder of the young fifth Peshwa Narayanrao in 1774 AD. As such, being the son of suspected murderers, he was looked down upon by his ministers, nobility and even by his subjects. His every action was viewed with prejudice and it is said that though regarded as a good administrator and builder of modern-day Pune, he was often labeled as incapable and a coward Peshwa. Being a thorough Brahmin, he was averse to risks and bloodshed and tried to achieve his goals through crafty diplomacy rather than direct head-on confrontations.
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