Balaji Bajirao
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Peshwa Peshwa Nanasaheb |
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 Peshwa of Maratha Empire
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In office July 04, 1740 – June 23, 1761 |
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| Monarch |
Chhatrapati Shahu Rajaram II |
| Preceded by | Bajirao I |
| Succeeded by | Madhavrao I |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
8 December 1720 Pune |
| Died | 23 June 1761 (aged 40) Parvati Hill, Pune |
| Spouse(s) | Gopikabai |
| Relations | Raghunath Rao (brother) |
| Children |
Vishwasrao Madhavrao I Narayan Rao |
| Parents |
Baji Rao I Kashibai |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Balaji Baji Rao (December 08, 1720 – June 23, 1761), also known as Nana Saheb, was a Peshwa (prime minister) of the Maratha Empire in India.
During his tenure, the Chhatrapati (Maratha king) was reduced to a mere figurehead. At the same time, the Maratha empire started transforming into a confederacy, in which individual chiefs — such as the Holkars, the Scindias and the Bhonsles of Nagpur kingdom — became more powerful. During Balaji Rao's tenure, the Maratha territory reached its zenith. A large part of this expansion, however, was led by the individual chiefs, whose acts of plundering alienated the masses.
By the end of Balaji Rao's tenure, the Peshwa was reduced to more of a financier than a general. Unlike his father, Balaji Rao was not a great military leader and failed to gauge the seriousness of Durrani invasions in northern India. This ultimately resulted in a massive Maratha defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat. Some judicial and revenue reforms were made during his tenure, but the credit for these goes to his cousin Sadashivrao Bhau and his associate Balshastri Gadgil.
Balaji Rao was born in the Bhat family, to Peshwa Baji Rao I, on 8 December 1720. After Baji Rao died in April 1740, Chhatrapati Shahu appointed 19-year old Balaji as the Peshwa in August 1740, despite opposition from other chiefs such as Shahu's own relative Raghoji I Bhonsle. He was married to Gopikabai. The couple had three sons, Vishwasrao who died in the battle of Panipat in 1761, Madhavrao who succeeded Nanasaheb as Peshwa and Narayanrao who succeeded Madhavrao in his late teens. Nanasaheb had an able brother called Raghunathrao whose ambitions to be the Peshwa became disastrous for the Maratha empire.
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Wikipedia