Remembering Bajirao Peshwa I

History has witnessed the coming and going of many great civilisations. Through its
long history, the Hindu civilisation has endured numerous attacks and attempts at its
destruction. However, it has also produced a long line of heroes and warriors to rise up
and protect their motherland from the fate of every other ancient civilisation. Bajirao
Peshwa was one of the greatest warriors and protectors of Hindu Dharma in the History
of Bharat in the 18th century.

Shrimant Bajirao Peshwa (August 18, 1700 April 28, 1740)

The rebirth of Hindu polity after the Vijainaygar Kingdom under the nomenclature of
Hindu Pad Padshahi, well founded by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, attained shape during
the ascendency of the Peshwas.

Expert swordsman, outstanding rider, master strategist and leader by example, Bajirao I
succeeded his father as Peshwa when he was only twenty years of agelaunching into
an illustrious military career that occupies its own special place in the history of
Hindustan.

Peshwa Bajirao, the great Maratha general and statesman, changed the map of India in
the mid-eighteenth century. His military campaigns were classic examples of his genius.
In the havoc of the religious intolerance continued by the tottering Mughals after
Aurangzeb, Bajirao stood out as the champion of Hinduism as he protected Hindu
Dharma from the onslaught of Islamic rulers.

It was he who expanded the Hindu Kingdom beyond Maharashtra across the Vindhyas
and got it recognised in Delhi, the capital of the Mughals who kept Bharat (India) under
their rule for many hundred years. The Hindu Kingdom created by its founder, Shivaji,
and later expanded by Bajirao reached its peak during his sons reign twenty years after
his death. After driving the Afghans out of the Punjab, they raised the saffron flag of
Hindus not just on the walls of Attock, but even beyond.

Bajirao is thus acknowledged as one of the greatest warriors of Hindu Dharma and the
most famous ruler in the history of Bharat. He was a noted general who served as
Peshwa (Prime Minister) to the fourth Chhatrapati (Emperor) Shahu.

Birth and early life of Bajirao

Baji was born on August 18, 1700, as the eldest son of Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath Rao
who had taken the Peshwaship to a new height. He belonged to the reputed, traditional
Chit-Pawan Brahmin family of Konkan. Balaji Vishwanath (Father of Bajirao), though
third among the Peshwas, had overtaken his predecessors as far as his achievements
were concerned.

Thus, Bajirao was an infant with a silver spoon in his mouth. Bajirao was well trained by
the Maratha cavalry generals who were distinguished in the war of 27 years. For the
young Bajirao, in the absence of his mother, his close association with his father was a
mobile school of politics. Bajirao, even while he was quite young, rarely missed the
military campaigns of his father. This provided maturity to Bajirao, in practical military
science. Father Balajis role in Bajiraos life was similar to that played by Mother Jijabai
in Chatrapati Shivajis life.

In 1716, Maharaja Shahus army-in-chief Dabhaji Thorat treacherously arrested Peshwa

Balaji. Bajirao also chose to accompany his father for two years till he was released.
Bajirao shared the torture bestowed upon his father during his imprisonment. This
experience brought him face to face with their treachery.
The post-imprisonment career of Balaji Vishwanath reached a new dimension in the
history of the Maratha-Mughal relationship. Young Bajirao was eye-witness to all this
development. In 1718 AD he travelled to Delhi along with his father. In the capital he
witnessed unimaginable intrigue and learnt quickly to cope with the devious ways of
political machinations.These and other experiences coupled with his own youthful
energy, vision and skill prepared him for the position that he was to rise to. He was a
natural leader who preferred to lead by example, inspiring his troops by his own skill at
using the deadly circular danapatta sword of the Marathas and riding a horse into the
thick of battle.

Bajirao becomes the Peshwa (Prime Minister)

On April 2, 1719, Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath breathed his last. The Satara royal court,
nay, different Maratha power agglomerations were humming with only one question-
would Bajirao the son of the deceased Peshwa, just 19, devoid of experience, be
suitable for the supreme post ? There was criticism against deciding on a person so
young.

Maharaja Shahu a great jeweler of human qualities, made no delay in answering this
question. He immediately announced the appointment of Bajirao as the new Peshwa.
The announcement was soon translated into a royal function. It was April 17, 1719,
when Bajirao was ordained with the regal formalities. He was entrusted with the high
honorable post much more because of stout mental and physical constitutions clumped
with his political sagacity rather than due to conventional hereditary or reward against
the great services rendered by the late Peshwa. Still a number of nobles and ministers
were unable to hide their jealousy towards Bajirao. Bajirao, however, hardly spared any
opportunity to justify the decision of the King and thereby deftly shut the mouths of his
rivals.
 Expansion of Hindu Kingdom under the supremacy of
Peshwa Bajirao

Bajirao soon realised that the feudalistic forces had a tendency towards segmentation
and that the honour of the kingship required determined deterrence to the centrifugal
forces. Then alone the expansion of the Hindu Pad Padshahi could be ascertained.
Bajiraos realistic insight was phenomenal. He was quite aware of his inimical
surroundings. Nizam, the governor of Mughal Sultan, the vexatious terrorist Siddi of
Janjira and the bugbear Portuguese along with internal rivals demanded his immediate
commanding performance for the sake of the security of the Hindu Kingdom on which
was based the volume of expansion of Hindu Pad Padshahi across the Vindhyas in the
north.

Bajirao believed that if the lofty dream of Shivaji Maharaj for a Hindavi Swarajya or
Hindupad Padshahi as he called it was to be achieved, the two Maratha factions of
Satara and Kolhapur had to come together. When Bajirao realized that this was
unacceptable to the Kolhapur faction, he decided to achieve his objectives without their
help. To accomplish his dream of Hindavi Swarajya (Hindu Kingdom) Bajiraos brain was
working faster than anything else and finally he decided to put forth his thoughts in the
court (darbar) of Chatrapati Shahu.

Standing tall, poised and confident before Shahu Maharaj and his court, the young new
Peshwa Bajirao is said to have thundered, Let us transcend the barren Deccan and
conquer central India. The Mughals have become weak, insolent, womanizers and
opium-addicts. The accumulated wealth of centuries in the vaults of the north, can be
ours. It is time to drive from the holy land of Bharatvarsha the outcastes and the
barbarians. Let us throw them back over the Himalayas, back to where they came from.
The saffron flag must fly from the Krishna to the Indus. Hindustan is ours.
The members of the court (Pratinidhi) opposed the idea and suggested that they should
first consolidate in the Deccan but Bajirao insisted on his original plan.

He fixed his piercing gaze on Shahu Maharaj and said, Strike, strike at the trunk and
the branches will fall off themselves. Listen but to my counsel and I shall plant the
saffron flag on the walls of Attock.

Chatrapati Shahu was deeply impressed and exclaimed, By heaven, you shall plant it
on the Himalayas and permitted the warrior Peshwa to lead the armies and launch
forth.

This story itself indicates the vision of Bajirao and Shahu Maharajs faith in the young
man. Shahu Maharaj appointed him as a Peshwa at such a tender age, recognising his
talents and entrusting to him imperial troops which had recently emerged victorious in
the Mughal-Maratha conflict which ended in 1707. Bajiraos greatness lies in that true
judgment of his master and the seasoned troops at his disposal. Thus his conquests
brought on a feeling of terror towards the Maratha armies in the sub-continent of Bharat
(India).

He then embarked on a ceaseless twenty year campaign in a strike northwards, every

year inching nearer to Delhi and towards the extinction of the Mughal Empire. It is said
that the Mughal emperor was in such terror that they refused a meeting with Bajirao,
fearing to even sit in his presence. The holy pilgrimage routes of the Hindus from
Mathura, to Benares to Somnath were made free of harassment.

Bajiraos first campaign in the north-west started from 1723 with the victory of Malwa
followed by Gujarat. Bajirao conquered Gujarat and most of central India and even
shook the foundations of the Mughal Empire by attacking imperial Delhi. It was he who
really went ahead and occupied many Mughal provinces right under their nose.
Bajiraos political wisdom stands out in his Rajput policy. He sought to avoid
confrontation with the Rajput houses, the ex-supporters of the Mughal rule, and opened
a new era of friendly relations between the Marathas and Rajputs. To name the houses
were Bundi, Amer, Doogargarh, Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, etc. Visualising the danger
lurking dangerously close to Delhi, the Sultan called for the help of the once vanquished
Nizam. Bajirao again raised him to the ground. This wielded considerable influence of
Bajirao over the Delhi court.

He moved the administrative capital of the Maratha Empire from Satara to the new city
of Pune in 1728 with the permission of his master.

Bajiraos, crowning success was the defeat of Bungash Khan, near Mahoba, who was
regarded as the bravest commander of the Mughal army, while he was busy bullying the
old Hindu King of Bundelkhand. This act of military assistance provided by Bajirao made
Chhatrasal feel passionately indebted to him forever.

It is said that Chhtrasaal was on the defensive against Mohd. Khan Bungash. Then he
sent a message to Bajirao saying this couplet :

jo gati bhayi gajendra ki, wahi gati hamri aaj

baaji jaat bundel ki baaji raakhiyo laaj

When he received the message, he was taking his lunch. He stood up and road on a
horse. His wife asked atleast you have your lunch and then proceed. Then he replied
agar deri karne se Chhatrsaal haar gaye to itihaas yehi kahega ki Bajirao khana kha
raha tha isliye der ho gayi. He immediate left with few men and gave instructions that
as quick as possible an army must follow me. Soon after Bungash was defeated and
Chhatrsaal award one third of his kingdom to the Maratha Chief.
The Kingdoms of Scindias (Ranoji Shinde) of Gwalior, Holkars (Malharrao) of Indore,
Gaekwads(Pilaji) of Baroda, and Pawars (Udaiji) of Dhar were Bajiraos creation of a
Maratha confederacy as he wreaked havoc on the disintegrating Mughal Empire and set
up his jagirdars (fiefdoms).

The greatest of the warriors of the empire, Mughal, Pathan and Central Asian alike were
defeated by Bajirao: Nizam ul Mulk, Khan I Dauran, Muhammad Khan are but a few of
the names of the warriors who failed before the Marathas. The Battles of Bhopal,
Palkhed, the victories over the Portuguese invaders in Western India are amongst his
great achievements.

Bajirao fought over 41 battles and is reputed to have never lost one. He is one of the
three Generals in world history who never lost a battle. He is often compared with
Napoleon Bonaparte by many great historians. His first encounter, the Battle of Palkhed
was a good example of his innovative warfare tactics. Looking back at this battle one is
compelled to admire him. His battle with the Nizam at Bhopal is known to be a
masterpiece of tactical war strategy and maturity of political view. A brilliant military
tactician, a born leader and a brave soldier; in every possible, sense he was the true
torchbearer of Chhatrpati Shivajis dream.

Legacy

In April 1740, when Bajirao was in the village of RawarKhedi in his Jagir in Khargaon
preparing to march out with his army, he fell ill and passed away on April 28, 1740 on
the banks of the Narmada.

A famous English historian Sir Richard Carnac Temple wrote, He died as he lived, in
camp under canvas among his men, and he is remembered to this day among the
Marathas as the fighting Peshwa and the incarnation of Hindu energy.
When Bajirao took over as Peshwa, Maratha territorial limits were confined to tracts in
Western India. At his death after twenty years in A.D 1740, the Marathas had conquered
a large part of Western and Central India and were dominating the South of India up to
the peninsula. Though Bajirao died unable to plant the Maratha flag on the Himalayas
as promised, his son Raghunath Rao in A.D.1757 planted the Saffron flag on the fort of
Attock and across the Indus river.

He has been described as the incarnation of Hindu energy, ceaselessly striving for 20
years to establish the Hindawi Swarajya (Hindu Kingdom). His sons continued his
mission of carrying the saffron flag to the gates of Afghanistan in 1758 to the fort of
Attock in the North and simultaneously marching to the Southern shores of India. He
represents the creative and destructive power of Dharma as he unleashed the urge of a
people yearning to be free and remains as a symbol of victory to the Hindus in modern
day.

Peshwa Bajirao-I was a legend during his life time and continues to be so in his
passing. His presence remains indelibly marked on the Hindu psyche as it traverses the
spaces of time.

Quotes on Bajirao Peshwa

J. Grant Duff says in the History of the Marathas

Bred a soldier as well as a statesman, Bajirao united the enterprise, vigour and
hardihood of a Maratha chief with the polished manners, the sagacity and address
which frequently distinguish the Brahmins of the Konkan. Fully acquainted with the
financial schemes of his father, he selected that part of the plan calculated to direct the
predatory hordes of Maharashtra in a common effort. In this respect, the genius of
Bajirao enlarged the schemes which his father devised; and unlike most Brahmins, of
him it may be truly said- he had both- the head to plan and the hand to execute.
 Sir R. Temple says in Oriental Experiences

Bajirao was hardly to be surpassed as a rider and was ever forward in action, eager to
expose himself under fire if the affair was arduous. He was accustomed to fatigue and
prided himself in enduring the same hardships as his soldiers and sharing their scanty
fare. He was moved by an ardour for success in national undertakings by a patriotic
confidence in the Hindu cause as against its old enemies, the Muhammadans and its
new rivals, the Europeans that were rising above the political horizon. He lived to see
the Marathas spread over the Indian continent from the Arabian sea to the Bay of
Bengal. He died as he lived, in camp, under canvas among his men and he is
remembered among the Marathas as the fighting Peshwa, as the incarnation of Hindu
energy.

Jadunath Sarkar says in his forward to Peshwa Bajirao I and Maratha

Expansion

Bajirao was a heaven born cavalry leader. In the long and distinguished galaxy of
Peshwas, Bajirao Ballal was unequalled for the daring and originality of his genius and
the volume and value of his achievements. He was truly a Cavalry Hero as king- or
rather as a Man of action. If Sir Robert Walpole created the unchallengeable position of
the Prime Minister in the unwritten constitution of England, Bajirao created the same
institution in the Maratha Raj at exactly the same time.

Battle tactics used by Bajirao

1. Bajiraos success depended a great deal on his light foray tactics. He mainly
used his cavalry.

2. Two riders had three horses between them and while one horse was rested the
other two in turn were ridden. As a result his army could move forty miles in a day and
sustain this rate of advance for many days. This was the highest speed of any army
during his time. Thats why he used to attack the enemy before giving any hint about his
whereabouts.
3. It is said that his army moved two thousand miles in six months from the time he
left Pune in Oct 1727 until the end of the Battle of Palkhed in March 1728.

4. Only horse mounted fighting troops went into combat. There were no followers or
servants hanging around and encumbering the mobility of the fighting forces

5. Furthermore, he had no use for an infantry or artillery like the Mughals. His
cavalry was lightly armed with a spear and dandapatta, the circular gauntlet sword of
the Marathas useful for a close quarter battle or hand to hand combat favoured by them.

6. His main focus was always on cutting the enemy supply-lines with the help of
rapid troop movement and knowledge of the local terrain. He revolutionised military
tactics in his times. Encircling the enemy quickly, appearing from the rear of the enemy,
attacking from an unexpected direction, distracting the enemys attention, keeping the
enemy in surprise and deciding the battle field on his own terms, were his trademark
war-winning tactics.

7. Night, said Bajirao is not for sleeping but to engage an enemy superior in
numbers. Bajirao is said to have told his brother Chimaji Appa, Remember that the
night has nothing to do with sleep. It was created by God, to raid the territory held by
your enemy. The night is your shield, your screen against the cannons and swords of a
vastly superior enemy force.

8. The major reason of Peshwa Bajiros success lies also in his strong intelligence
department. His intelligence agency was so strong that every moment he used to get
all the information of his enemys whereabouts.

9. Leading by personal example, his banner, a swallow tailed saffron flag signifying
sacrifice, held high he always moved into battle with the cry Har har Mahadev, inspiring
his troops to fight without fear.