Pune, December 7 (IANS). December 8 is the birth anniversary of Nanasaheb Peshwa alias Balaji Bajirao, who assumed the position of Peshwa after the death of his father Bajirao I at the age of just 19. He was one of the most discussed and controversial Peshwas in Maratha history, who was also called the creator of the Maratha Empire. Historians call Balaji Bajirao the ‘real emperor of the Maratha Empire’. Balaji Bajirao inherited a large but unstable empire. His father Bajirao Ballal raised the Maratha flag in Malwa, Bundelkhand and Gujarat, but the power of the Mughal emperor still remained in North India. Nanasaheb first paid attention to internal unity. He tied together great chiefs like Sadashivrao Bhau, Malharrao Holkar, Jankoji Shinde and Raghuji Bhosale. The Maratha Empire expanded unprecedentedly under the leadership of Balaji Bajirao. During this period, the territory of the Maratha Empire reached about 2.5 million square kilometers. The Marathas had a strong influence in the Mughal court of Delhi. In 1752, he signed a treaty with the Mughal emperor Ahmed Shah, in which the Marathas were given the right to collect Chauth-Sardeshmukhi in Western India. In 1758, the Marathas captured Delhi and sent their army to Punjab. During this the Maratha flag was hoisted up to Attock. Maratha armies used to reach Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Bengal to gather Chauth. Nanasaheb made Pune the capital of Marathas and built a huge palace in Shaniwarwada. Even today, Shaniwarwada is a symbol of its glory. He made Marathi the official language and encouraged Sanskrit and Modi script. Scholars like Damodar Pant, Narayan Dixit and Ramshastri were appointed in the Peshwa Court. The tax system was streamlined and farmers got relief. Balaji Bajirao’s greatest misfortune was the third battle of Panipat on January 14, 1761. 80 thousand Maratha soldiers led by Sadashivrao Bhau fought against Ahmed Shah Abdali. The Maratha army was defeated in the war. Vishwasrao Peshwa (eldest son of Nanasaheb), Sadashivrao Bhau and thousands of Maratha chiefs were killed. When this sad news reached Pune, Balaji Bajirao died of deep grief on June 23, 1761 at the age of just 40. In Maratha history it is called ‘Peshwa’s elegy’. There are many controversies about Bajirao. In fact, many historians hold Nanasaheb responsible for the defeat of Panipat. He is accused of giving full command of the army to Bhau and prefers to stay in Pune himself. Moreover, discontent among the local people also increased due to Maratha atrocities and Chauth collection in North India, which favored Abdali. Yet it is undeniable that Balaji Bajirao fulfilled the dream of Bajirao I. Under his rule, the Maratha Empire became the most powerful state in India. After his death, the Maratha confederacy began to disintegrate and was finally abolished by the British in 1818. Even today, Nanasaheb Peshwa is remembered as ‘Maharaj’ in the Maratha community. –IANS SCH/DKP Share this story Tags