Mastani

Mastani
A painting said to be of Mastani Bai
Born	Mau Sahaniya, Bundelkhand
Died	1740 Pabal, Pune
Spouse(s)	Baji Rao I
Children	Shamsher Bahadur I (Krishna Rao)
Parent(s)	Chhatrasal Ruhaani Bai

Mastani Bai was second wife of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I. She is said to have been a beautiful and brave woman, skilled in arts, literature and warfare. She had been dearly loved by Peshwa Bajirao but always neglected by his mother Radhabai and his brother Chimajiappa.

Mastani was born to Bundelkhand's Maharaja Chhatrasal of the Rajput clan. She was born in Mau Sahaniya, now a village in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. There is a Mastani Mahal in Dhubela where Mastani lived.

There are many legends associated with Mastani. One of the most well-known is that Mastani was daughter of Bundela Rajput leader Maharaja Chhatrasal(1649–1731), the founder of Panna State in Bundelkhand province. When a Mughal officer from Allahabad, Pathan Mohammad Khan Bangash, invaded Chhattrasal's kingdom during 1727-28, Chhattrasal sent a secret message, seeking help, from Bajirao I, who happened to be on a military campaign in the vicinity of Bundelkhand. Bajirao came to the rescue of Chhatrasal. In gratitude, Chattrasal gave Bajirao his daughter Mastani and a third of his kingdom, including Jhansi, Sagar and Kalpi as well as 33 lakh gold coins to Bajirao. He also gifted a Diamond mine to Bajirao in marriage to Mastani along with handful of villages.

However, sources vary on this context. According to another view of Chhatrasal, she was the daughter of Nizam of Hyderabad. Nizam, defeated by Chhatrasal in 1698, was advised by his wife to marry his daughter to Chhatrasal to foster friendly relations with the Bundelas who had become the most dominant power in Central India.