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Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa
Peshwa Baji Rao, the great Maratha general and statesman, changed the map of India in the mid-eighteenth century. In the mayhem of the religious intolerance continued by the tottering Mughals after Aurangzeb, Baji Rao stood out as the champion of Hinduism. He conquered Gujarat and most of central India and even shook the foundations of the Mughal Empire by attacking imperial Delhi. After his death, his sons fulfilled their father's pledge. After driving the Afghans out of the Punjab, they raised the swallow-tailed flag not just on the walls of Attock, but even beyond.
- GenresNonfiction
Hardcover
First published April 19, 2017
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About the author
E. Jaiwant Paul
9 books4 followersE. Jaiwant Paul is a man of varied interests, having authored five other books: By My Sword and Shield: Traditional Weapons of the Indian Warrior, Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa, Har Dayal: The Great Revolutionary, Rani of Jhansi: Lakshmi Bai, and Unforgettable Maharajas.
A hardcore corporate, he initially worked for Hindustan Lever and was later a director of Brook Bond India for several years. Thereafter, he headed the National Mineral Water Company in Muscat. Apart from collecting weapons, he is a keen cricketer and tennis player.
His lifelong interest in arms and armour springs from the fact that his father as well as his grandfather served in the Princely States, where swords and daggers were part of everyday attire. He lives in Delhi and serves as a director of a few companies.
A hardcore corporate, he initially worked for Hindustan Lever and was later a director of Brook Bond India for several years. Thereafter, he headed the National Mineral Water Company in Muscat. Apart from collecting weapons, he is a keen cricketer and tennis player.
His lifelong interest in arms and armour springs from the fact that his father as well as his grandfather served in the Princely States, where swords and daggers were part of everyday attire. He lives in Delhi and serves as a director of a few companies.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 21, 2020
History with letters backing the same!
Very well written with factual data and details! I love this author!
He has introduced all major historical characters with their own brief backgrounds who have played major role in life and conquests of Peshwe Baji Rao.
Additionally no drama or unnecessary descriptions of lavishness of either king or the peshwa. The entire focus is on his military activities and his strategies! Loved it!
Very well written with factual data and details! I love this author!
He has introduced all major historical characters with their own brief backgrounds who have played major role in life and conquests of Peshwe Baji Rao.
Additionally no drama or unnecessary descriptions of lavishness of either king or the peshwa. The entire focus is on his military activities and his strategies! Loved it!
March 11, 2019
Just like Bajirao overshadowed his younger brother throughout his life; geopolitical events in Maharashtra have relegated Bajirao to the sidelines of history. Maharashtra is Shivaji and our vision often ends there. Sad but true. Adding to the problem is Bollywood. With the romantic angle of Bajirao's life often hyper-emphasized and nowhere more so in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's extravagant epic "Bajirao Mastani"; we have boxed Bajirao the personality. We forget that he was a military general par excellence and that he never lost a battle. We forget that he was an unorthodox progressive for his age and that he ate meat and drank mead in an environment that was oppressively conservative. He preferred the company of his soldiers than the rich confines of the palace and we've forgotten that Bajirao was much more than his love affair with Mastani.
With detailed evidences, citations and corroborated events in history; Jaiwant E Paul tries to correct this gross injustice. The title itself moves away from the usual hoopla about Bajirao's love life. From his conquest of the central plains to his sudden attack on Delhi, Jaiwant E Paul has chronicled the life of a military tactician par excellence. A very interesting read that gives perspective to the Peshwa ascendancy before its eventual decline into extravagance and debauchery. One wonders what would have happened had "brahminical patriarchy" been more liberal and allowed an inter-caste marriage and what would have happened if Bajirao had lived another decade....
With detailed evidences, citations and corroborated events in history; Jaiwant E Paul tries to correct this gross injustice. The title itself moves away from the usual hoopla about Bajirao's love life. From his conquest of the central plains to his sudden attack on Delhi, Jaiwant E Paul has chronicled the life of a military tactician par excellence. A very interesting read that gives perspective to the Peshwa ascendancy before its eventual decline into extravagance and debauchery. One wonders what would have happened had "brahminical patriarchy" been more liberal and allowed an inter-caste marriage and what would have happened if Bajirao had lived another decade....
March 29, 2020
On 17th April, 1720 Chhatrapati Sahu held an extraordinary Darbar, at Masur thirty miles east of Satara, and bestowed the robes of the Peshwaship on Baji Rao, son of the departed Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath. Baji Rao was at that time a robust teenager of nineteen springs. It was, consequently not without reason that the broad-spectrum estimation in the court of Sahu considered Baji Rao as a raw and unproven youth and was not in favour of his appointment.
In fact, a number of old hands of Sahu's court, particularly Shripat Rao Pratinidhi, Anand Rao Sumant and Nara Rao Mantri, opposed tooth and nail the selection of Baji Rao. The very idea that they would have to accept orders from an impetuous youth injured their pride. But Sahu, a shrewd judge of men, possessed with the clout of detached scrutiny, often acted on his own perceptive, but unerring judgement. He did not take long to make up his mind on the question of appointing a successor to the deceased Peshwa. He always valued the audacious spirit of a young and aspirant soul. Baji Rao was indeed a debonair soldier as well an incisive strategist, having the head to plan and the hand to execute.
Physically, Baji Rao possessed a stout body with a resilient constitution. He was barely to be surpassed as a rider and was inured to exhaustion. He stands, next only to Shivaji in military genius. These qualities, evidently, enabled him to renovate the character of the Maratha State from a small principality to a potent imperial power. For twenty years, his cavalry scoured over the length and breadth of the country, and he was triumphant wherever he went.
The result of this hard endeavour was that at the time of his death in 1740, the centre of political gravity had shifted from the Mughal Court at Delhi to Sahu's Court at Satara. Baji Rao placed before him the ideal of 'Hindu-pad-padshahi', and attempted to procure the support of the Rajputs and other Hindu Chiefs for attainment of his goal.
He was an advocate of forward policy in opposition to the policy of consolidation and concentration in the South advocated by Shripat Rao and his supporters. Shripat Rao pleaded that as long as the situation of the Marathas was fragile in the Deccan and there was a potent and crafty adversary, Nizam-ul-mulk Asaf Jah to risk the aspiration of the Marathas, it was only gallant and not a very prudent step to undertake the invasion of the North.
Baji Rao thought of the situation in an unlike point of view. He said to Sahu, "Now is our time to drive strangers from the country of the Hindus and acquire immortal renown. Let us strike at the trunk of the withering tree, and the branches will fall off themselves. By directing our efforts to Hindustan the Maratha flag shall fly from Krishna to Attock".
Sahu gave his full support to the Peshwa and said, "You shall plant it beyond the Himalayas. You are, indeed a noble son of a worthy father." With so overpowering a support and commiseration from his master, Baji Rao became a champion of Hinduism all over the country.
All his campaigns were imbued with a crusading spirit of religious fervour. In the conquest of Malwa, he had secured the alliance of the Hindus, while in the war against the Sidis he was avenging the desecration of Hindu Temples. Again, in his war against the Portuguese he was undoubtedly fighting for Hinduism, in as much as the Portuguese inquisition in India made it unfeasible for Hindus to profess their faith in tranquility. And when the Bundela Chief, Chhatrasal, found his principality threatened by the Pathan Nawab of Farrukhabad, he hurried for protection to Baji Rao as the acknowledged leader of the Hindus in India.
The aficionado of Mastani knew well how to plead to the religious sentiments of his co-religionists, although he could narrowly be considered an orthodox Brahmin.
The most formidable adversary of Baji Rao was the Nizam-ul-mulk Asaf Jah. No sooner were the two Sayyid brothers, Husain Ali, and Abdullah, deposed at the Mughal court by the anti-Sayyid party, than the Nizam as Viceroy of the Deccan disputed the right of the Marathas to collect the 'Chauth' from six Subahs of Deccan. But Baji Rao humbled the Nizam in a battle fought in December 1720.
In 1722, the Nizam was appointed Wazir at the Mughal Court, which enabled him to secure from the Emperor the Viceroyalty of Malwa, Gujarat and Deccan. As the Marathas had by now established their control in Malwa, this brought the Nizam into direct clash with Baji Rao. He made a joint cause with a rival Maratha party, led by Trimbak Rao Dabhade against Baji Rao and when Peshwa was busy in subduing Karnatak, the Nizam made use of the absence of the Peshwa by attacking and plundering the Maratha territories in the district of Poona.
But as soon as the Peshwa came back from the campaign of Karnatak, he was able to disgrace the Nizam in a battle near Palkhed and compelled him to capitulate to his terms. The Nizam recognized the right of the Marathas to collect Chauth granted to them by the Treaty of 1719 and also agreed to accept Sahu as the Head of the Maratha nation. Baji Rao also defeated the rival Maratha leader Trimbak Rao in April, 1731 in the plains of Bilhapur where the latter lost his life. The triumph of the Peshwa in the Battle of Bilhapur forms a milestone in the history of Peshwa, as it helped Baji Rao to become free from domestic adversaries. This emboldened him to execute his motivated plan with full viciousness and dynamism.
In August 1731, the Nizam and the Peshwa reached a cordial understanding between themselves, according to which the former was free to satisfy his ambitions in the South and the Peshwa in the North.
This enabled the youthful Peshwa to become free from the tangles of Deccan politics and
concentrate himself on the conquest of the North. The Marathas had already seized Malwa in November 1718, when Baji Rao and his brother, Chimaji after the victory of Palkhed had advanced towards Malwa from two different routes.
Chimaji had proceeded by the western route through Khandesh and Baji Rao through Berar, keeping a close liaison with each other. Chimaji conquered Malwa in November, 1718 when he defeated and killed Girdhar Bahadur along with his able lieutenant and cousin Oaya Bahadur in a battle near Ohar. Baji Rae invaded Bundelkhand in 1729. He helped Raja Chhatrasal against the Mughal Governor, Mohammad Khan Bangash, and routed the army of Muhammad Khan near' Jaitpur.
The grateful Raja Chhatra ceded to the Marathas a number of key districts, such as Sagar, Jhansi and Kalpi. Herein destiny had started spinning her plans for Baji Rao. Rao was presented with a young Muslim blonde of outstanding beauty, named Mastani. The Peshwa took little time in making the damsel his mistress. Mastani all the time accompanied him in his campaigns, riding stirrup to stirrup.
In 1730, Chimaji marched to Gujarat where he obtained submission of the Mughal Governor Sarbuland Khan and asserted the rights of the Marathas to collect both 'Chauth' and 'Sardeshmukh' from this province.
These daring onslaughts of the Marathas on the imperial dominions infuriated the Emperor Muhammad Shah who sent two armies to chastise the Marathas. One contingent of twenty five thousand soldiers was led by Wazir Qamr-ud-din Khan. The Marathas defeated him in numerous encounters.
Another force, led by the Mir-Bakhshi Khan Dauran, was defeated by the Maratha Chiefs, Holkar and Sind hi a, near Bundy in Rajasthan. The Mir Bakhshi agreed to pay the Marathas twenty-two lakhs of rupees as the Chauth of Malwa. When Baji Rao tried to meet the emperor personally to secure his approval to the treaty made by his Mir Baknshi, the Emperor showed utter disinclination and expressed the view that the terms could be better settled by their plenipotentiaries.
Subsequantly, in a chance encounter, the Mughal forces led by Saadat Khan were able to defeat a Maratha advance-guard under Malharrao Holkar near the Jamuna. This gave the Mughal party an excessive sense of elation and highly exaggerated reports of the success of the Imperial force were sent to the capital. The Emperor felt gratified and conferred rewards and honours upon the Mughal Generals. To dispel the false complacency among the Mughals and let the Emperor know the truth, Baji Rao made a dash and appeared near the Imperial capital on the 28th March, 1737 demonstrating that the Marathas were still in Northern India, as formidable and invincible as ever.
He did not plunder the city, because there was a festival of Ramnavmi on March 27, 1737 and outsized crowds had gathered to commemorate the sacred occasion. The Peshwa remained in the capital for three days only, causing utter consternation in the Emperor's Chambers.
He left towards Rewari on 31st March, 1737 and wrote to his brother Chimaji on April 5, 1737, "We have practically desolated the environs of Delhi."
The daring audacity of Rao on the Imperial capital won for him the boundless affection and overwhelming admiration from his allies as well as other Hindu princes. It caused gruesome panic among the courtiers of the Emperor who sent imperative summons to the Nizam-ul-mulk for coming to the salvage of the imperial capital.
The unabashing Nizam felt no scruples in breaking the compromise he had made with the Peshwa in August 1731 and rushed towards Delhi to crush the power of Baji Rao. As fortune was on the side of the Peshwa, Baji Rao came to know in advance about the sinister designs of Nizam and he besieged his adversary near Bhopal, cutting off all his supplies.
This compelled the Nizam to capitulate to the Peshwas on the latter's terms and sign a surrender treaty on 1 st January 1738 at Doraha Sarai.
The victory of Bhopal was an epoch-making event in Maratha history. It marks the zenith of the Peshwa's triumphant career.
It was unfortunate that before the formal sanction of the Treaty of Doraha Sarai was received in the court of Sahu, the cruel hands of death had removed Baji Rao, the valiant hero of the Marathas, from the scene.
Before his death, the Peshwa had learnt about the invasion of India by Nadir Shah, and he had initiated plans to present a united resistance to the foreign invader with the help of his Muslim neighbours. But before anything could be achieved he died a prejnature death at the age of forty-two. The immediate cause of his death was his separation from his beloved lady, Mastani. As Mastani was a Muslim dancing girl before she met Baji Rao, the infatuation of the Peshwa for her was resented to by the orthodox members of his family on religious grounds.
Thus when the Peshwa went outside Poona towards the close of 1739, the members of his family imprisoned Mastani and made plots to kill her. This news deeply touched Baji Rao's heart.
Finding himself in a dilemma that he could neither rescue Mastani nor live without her, the Peshwa took to excessive drinking to drown his afflictions. This ultimately took his life. As Mastani received the sad news of her paramour's death, she instantly collapsed and died.
Baji Rao was both a brave soldier, a competent organiser, an astute general and a capable statesman. He was, in a way, an embodiment of vigour, enterprise, hardihood and sagacity. Throughout his life, he remained on the saddle ravaging one Mughal province and adding another to his dominions. The result of his adventures was that the strength of the Maratha army was recognised all over the country, both in the north and the south.
The primary take away features for me as far as this book is concerned are:
1) It deals with exceedingly key junctures of Rao’s illustrious life. It does not deal in jargons and is uncomplicated in approach.
2) It uses detailed substantiations, references and substantiated occurrences.
3) It does not dwell gratuitously on Bajirao's love life.
It is an inescapable truth that Baji Rao cannot be hailed as a grand constructive mastermind fit to rank with Shivaji. He made no endeavour to mould or restructure the political institutions of his State in a way that would profit his people enduringly. Though we cannot effortlessly be oblivious to the truth of the aforesaid statement, we must not, at the same time, be blind to the fact that Rao did not get sufficient time to think of establishing enduring institutions.
If his mission, as he himself enunciated, was to strike at the trunk of a withering tree and strengthen the forces of Hindu nationalism, he largely fulfilled it. Heaven knows where Brahminical patriarchy would have stood were he alive for a decade longer.
In fact, a number of old hands of Sahu's court, particularly Shripat Rao Pratinidhi, Anand Rao Sumant and Nara Rao Mantri, opposed tooth and nail the selection of Baji Rao. The very idea that they would have to accept orders from an impetuous youth injured their pride. But Sahu, a shrewd judge of men, possessed with the clout of detached scrutiny, often acted on his own perceptive, but unerring judgement. He did not take long to make up his mind on the question of appointing a successor to the deceased Peshwa. He always valued the audacious spirit of a young and aspirant soul. Baji Rao was indeed a debonair soldier as well an incisive strategist, having the head to plan and the hand to execute.
Physically, Baji Rao possessed a stout body with a resilient constitution. He was barely to be surpassed as a rider and was inured to exhaustion. He stands, next only to Shivaji in military genius. These qualities, evidently, enabled him to renovate the character of the Maratha State from a small principality to a potent imperial power. For twenty years, his cavalry scoured over the length and breadth of the country, and he was triumphant wherever he went.
The result of this hard endeavour was that at the time of his death in 1740, the centre of political gravity had shifted from the Mughal Court at Delhi to Sahu's Court at Satara. Baji Rao placed before him the ideal of 'Hindu-pad-padshahi', and attempted to procure the support of the Rajputs and other Hindu Chiefs for attainment of his goal.
He was an advocate of forward policy in opposition to the policy of consolidation and concentration in the South advocated by Shripat Rao and his supporters. Shripat Rao pleaded that as long as the situation of the Marathas was fragile in the Deccan and there was a potent and crafty adversary, Nizam-ul-mulk Asaf Jah to risk the aspiration of the Marathas, it was only gallant and not a very prudent step to undertake the invasion of the North.
Baji Rao thought of the situation in an unlike point of view. He said to Sahu, "Now is our time to drive strangers from the country of the Hindus and acquire immortal renown. Let us strike at the trunk of the withering tree, and the branches will fall off themselves. By directing our efforts to Hindustan the Maratha flag shall fly from Krishna to Attock".
Sahu gave his full support to the Peshwa and said, "You shall plant it beyond the Himalayas. You are, indeed a noble son of a worthy father." With so overpowering a support and commiseration from his master, Baji Rao became a champion of Hinduism all over the country.
All his campaigns were imbued with a crusading spirit of religious fervour. In the conquest of Malwa, he had secured the alliance of the Hindus, while in the war against the Sidis he was avenging the desecration of Hindu Temples. Again, in his war against the Portuguese he was undoubtedly fighting for Hinduism, in as much as the Portuguese inquisition in India made it unfeasible for Hindus to profess their faith in tranquility. And when the Bundela Chief, Chhatrasal, found his principality threatened by the Pathan Nawab of Farrukhabad, he hurried for protection to Baji Rao as the acknowledged leader of the Hindus in India.
The aficionado of Mastani knew well how to plead to the religious sentiments of his co-religionists, although he could narrowly be considered an orthodox Brahmin.
The most formidable adversary of Baji Rao was the Nizam-ul-mulk Asaf Jah. No sooner were the two Sayyid brothers, Husain Ali, and Abdullah, deposed at the Mughal court by the anti-Sayyid party, than the Nizam as Viceroy of the Deccan disputed the right of the Marathas to collect the 'Chauth' from six Subahs of Deccan. But Baji Rao humbled the Nizam in a battle fought in December 1720.
In 1722, the Nizam was appointed Wazir at the Mughal Court, which enabled him to secure from the Emperor the Viceroyalty of Malwa, Gujarat and Deccan. As the Marathas had by now established their control in Malwa, this brought the Nizam into direct clash with Baji Rao. He made a joint cause with a rival Maratha party, led by Trimbak Rao Dabhade against Baji Rao and when Peshwa was busy in subduing Karnatak, the Nizam made use of the absence of the Peshwa by attacking and plundering the Maratha territories in the district of Poona.
But as soon as the Peshwa came back from the campaign of Karnatak, he was able to disgrace the Nizam in a battle near Palkhed and compelled him to capitulate to his terms. The Nizam recognized the right of the Marathas to collect Chauth granted to them by the Treaty of 1719 and also agreed to accept Sahu as the Head of the Maratha nation. Baji Rao also defeated the rival Maratha leader Trimbak Rao in April, 1731 in the plains of Bilhapur where the latter lost his life. The triumph of the Peshwa in the Battle of Bilhapur forms a milestone in the history of Peshwa, as it helped Baji Rao to become free from domestic adversaries. This emboldened him to execute his motivated plan with full viciousness and dynamism.
In August 1731, the Nizam and the Peshwa reached a cordial understanding between themselves, according to which the former was free to satisfy his ambitions in the South and the Peshwa in the North.
This enabled the youthful Peshwa to become free from the tangles of Deccan politics and
concentrate himself on the conquest of the North. The Marathas had already seized Malwa in November 1718, when Baji Rao and his brother, Chimaji after the victory of Palkhed had advanced towards Malwa from two different routes.
Chimaji had proceeded by the western route through Khandesh and Baji Rao through Berar, keeping a close liaison with each other. Chimaji conquered Malwa in November, 1718 when he defeated and killed Girdhar Bahadur along with his able lieutenant and cousin Oaya Bahadur in a battle near Ohar. Baji Rae invaded Bundelkhand in 1729. He helped Raja Chhatrasal against the Mughal Governor, Mohammad Khan Bangash, and routed the army of Muhammad Khan near' Jaitpur.
The grateful Raja Chhatra ceded to the Marathas a number of key districts, such as Sagar, Jhansi and Kalpi. Herein destiny had started spinning her plans for Baji Rao. Rao was presented with a young Muslim blonde of outstanding beauty, named Mastani. The Peshwa took little time in making the damsel his mistress. Mastani all the time accompanied him in his campaigns, riding stirrup to stirrup.
In 1730, Chimaji marched to Gujarat where he obtained submission of the Mughal Governor Sarbuland Khan and asserted the rights of the Marathas to collect both 'Chauth' and 'Sardeshmukh' from this province.
These daring onslaughts of the Marathas on the imperial dominions infuriated the Emperor Muhammad Shah who sent two armies to chastise the Marathas. One contingent of twenty five thousand soldiers was led by Wazir Qamr-ud-din Khan. The Marathas defeated him in numerous encounters.
Another force, led by the Mir-Bakhshi Khan Dauran, was defeated by the Maratha Chiefs, Holkar and Sind hi a, near Bundy in Rajasthan. The Mir Bakhshi agreed to pay the Marathas twenty-two lakhs of rupees as the Chauth of Malwa. When Baji Rao tried to meet the emperor personally to secure his approval to the treaty made by his Mir Baknshi, the Emperor showed utter disinclination and expressed the view that the terms could be better settled by their plenipotentiaries.
Subsequantly, in a chance encounter, the Mughal forces led by Saadat Khan were able to defeat a Maratha advance-guard under Malharrao Holkar near the Jamuna. This gave the Mughal party an excessive sense of elation and highly exaggerated reports of the success of the Imperial force were sent to the capital. The Emperor felt gratified and conferred rewards and honours upon the Mughal Generals. To dispel the false complacency among the Mughals and let the Emperor know the truth, Baji Rao made a dash and appeared near the Imperial capital on the 28th March, 1737 demonstrating that the Marathas were still in Northern India, as formidable and invincible as ever.
He did not plunder the city, because there was a festival of Ramnavmi on March 27, 1737 and outsized crowds had gathered to commemorate the sacred occasion. The Peshwa remained in the capital for three days only, causing utter consternation in the Emperor's Chambers.
He left towards Rewari on 31st March, 1737 and wrote to his brother Chimaji on April 5, 1737, "We have practically desolated the environs of Delhi."
The daring audacity of Rao on the Imperial capital won for him the boundless affection and overwhelming admiration from his allies as well as other Hindu princes. It caused gruesome panic among the courtiers of the Emperor who sent imperative summons to the Nizam-ul-mulk for coming to the salvage of the imperial capital.
The unabashing Nizam felt no scruples in breaking the compromise he had made with the Peshwa in August 1731 and rushed towards Delhi to crush the power of Baji Rao. As fortune was on the side of the Peshwa, Baji Rao came to know in advance about the sinister designs of Nizam and he besieged his adversary near Bhopal, cutting off all his supplies.
This compelled the Nizam to capitulate to the Peshwas on the latter's terms and sign a surrender treaty on 1 st January 1738 at Doraha Sarai.
The victory of Bhopal was an epoch-making event in Maratha history. It marks the zenith of the Peshwa's triumphant career.
It was unfortunate that before the formal sanction of the Treaty of Doraha Sarai was received in the court of Sahu, the cruel hands of death had removed Baji Rao, the valiant hero of the Marathas, from the scene.
Before his death, the Peshwa had learnt about the invasion of India by Nadir Shah, and he had initiated plans to present a united resistance to the foreign invader with the help of his Muslim neighbours. But before anything could be achieved he died a prejnature death at the age of forty-two. The immediate cause of his death was his separation from his beloved lady, Mastani. As Mastani was a Muslim dancing girl before she met Baji Rao, the infatuation of the Peshwa for her was resented to by the orthodox members of his family on religious grounds.
Thus when the Peshwa went outside Poona towards the close of 1739, the members of his family imprisoned Mastani and made plots to kill her. This news deeply touched Baji Rao's heart.
Finding himself in a dilemma that he could neither rescue Mastani nor live without her, the Peshwa took to excessive drinking to drown his afflictions. This ultimately took his life. As Mastani received the sad news of her paramour's death, she instantly collapsed and died.
Baji Rao was both a brave soldier, a competent organiser, an astute general and a capable statesman. He was, in a way, an embodiment of vigour, enterprise, hardihood and sagacity. Throughout his life, he remained on the saddle ravaging one Mughal province and adding another to his dominions. The result of his adventures was that the strength of the Maratha army was recognised all over the country, both in the north and the south.
The primary take away features for me as far as this book is concerned are:
1) It deals with exceedingly key junctures of Rao’s illustrious life. It does not deal in jargons and is uncomplicated in approach.
2) It uses detailed substantiations, references and substantiated occurrences.
3) It does not dwell gratuitously on Bajirao's love life.
It is an inescapable truth that Baji Rao cannot be hailed as a grand constructive mastermind fit to rank with Shivaji. He made no endeavour to mould or restructure the political institutions of his State in a way that would profit his people enduringly. Though we cannot effortlessly be oblivious to the truth of the aforesaid statement, we must not, at the same time, be blind to the fact that Rao did not get sufficient time to think of establishing enduring institutions.
If his mission, as he himself enunciated, was to strike at the trunk of a withering tree and strengthen the forces of Hindu nationalism, he largely fulfilled it. Heaven knows where Brahminical patriarchy would have stood were he alive for a decade longer.
July 10, 2021
The word blitzkrieg has permeated the English language thanks to the offensive strategy adopted by the Nazi army during World War II. But had the English come face-to-face with the likes of Bajirao, the term may have a Marathi moniker. One of the greatest strategists ever to grace the Indian subcontinent, undefeated on the battlefield, and someone who singlehandedly took the Maratha empire to reach its zenith (his dreams being achieved by his sons), any story on Indian medieval history is incomplete without Bajirao Peshwa. Although I won't go much into detail about his life, knowing about the 'Prime Minister' of the Maratha Empire is paramount for anyone interested in Indian history at the time, especially after the greats like Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The book is a short yet well-researched account of Bajirao Peshwa, his tale told brilliantly through the lens of those around him and those against him. The writer builds on the Peshwa's aura by ensuring he covers the situation and the characters of other key players in this timeline. It helps understand just how daunting a presence the Peshwa held. Be it the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Portuguese, the English, the Mughals, his brother and equally valiant Chimajiappa, the ruler Chhatrapati Shahu, his sardars, other competitors within the Maratha Empire; the Peshwa has influenced each of their lives. The author brilliantly captures not just his encounters and his battle skills; the writing also ensures to tough upon his actions through an analytical lens, helping the reader understand just how big an impact the Peshwa's actions have had in Indian history. I highly recommend it to all avid history lovers, and it is a great starting point for those wanting to explore more about Maratha history.
The book is a short yet well-researched account of Bajirao Peshwa, his tale told brilliantly through the lens of those around him and those against him. The writer builds on the Peshwa's aura by ensuring he covers the situation and the characters of other key players in this timeline. It helps understand just how daunting a presence the Peshwa held. Be it the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Portuguese, the English, the Mughals, his brother and equally valiant Chimajiappa, the ruler Chhatrapati Shahu, his sardars, other competitors within the Maratha Empire; the Peshwa has influenced each of their lives. The author brilliantly captures not just his encounters and his battle skills; the writing also ensures to tough upon his actions through an analytical lens, helping the reader understand just how big an impact the Peshwa's actions have had in Indian history. I highly recommend it to all avid history lovers, and it is a great starting point for those wanting to explore more about Maratha history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2020
Very well written
The author did a great job chronologically explaining the material. The flow of the chapters and the suspense in between the stories made it really hard to put the book down.
The author did a great job chronologically explaining the material. The flow of the chapters and the suspense in between the stories made it really hard to put the book down.
November 14, 2020
I recall the saying that it takes another Akbar to rule the Mughal Empire but Aurangzeb was no Akbar. The Empire had begun to stagnate since the days of Shah Jehan especially so after the death of his beloved wife, Mumtaz. I am of the opinion that it was that inherited Mongol tradition of leaders to be the strongest amongst them except that in the case of the Mongols the Great Khans were elected. The Mughal’s story is full of battles of succession, treacheries, intrigues, killings, …. brother against brother for some more generations to come. It is also possible that the Mughals had become less and less Mongol (they traced their ancestors to Temur and Chagadai, 2nd son of Genghiz Khan) as their emperors took on wives and concubines from many different origins. While this was often shrouded as being political they also became the seeds of contention. Just my thoughts…
At the same time the Mughals were also up against forces from within and outside the Empire who found opportunities amidst the convulsed and chaotic state of affairs. Aurangzeb’s attitude towards the non-Muslims had further caused many rebellions. Amongst the trouble makers were the Sayyid brothers Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali – both district Governors in Uttar Pradesh, Nizam ul Mulk – a Mughal Vicreroy in the Deccan, the Bundelas, the Rajputs - once the staunchiest supporters of the Mughal and the Marathas to name a few. But then the Empire did not sink in so fast as the general loyalty towards the Empire was as much ingrained.
The Sayyids worked their ways to become the Prime Minister and a Commander respectively. Together they became kingmakers- masters of intrigue- until they too had a fallout over the distribution of the riches they looted from the treasury.
Nizam ul Mulk aka Tiger of Deccan was from one of four factions of nobility during Aurangzeb’s time namely the Persians, Afghans, Turani Mughals and Hindis. There were so much rivalry between them which intensified in the absence of a strong central authority.
Maratha was then simply a petty state within the Mughal Empire. To it’s south was the Deccan. At this point I must say more illustrations and maps would be helpful to non-Indian readers. They too had more than they could chew with the manace caused by the Siddis (Abyssinians), Portuguese and the British in the western coastal areas, to name a few. It was viewed that if the Marathas had focused on these areas instead of trying to expand their empire to the north, they might have staved off the might of the Europeans….. Boy, the war and battle scenes are so tiring to read….!
Maratha Kingdom was established by Shivaji in mid 1600 and who took up a royal title. After his death in 1680 Marathas went into turmoil. In the ensuing war with the Mughals, Shivaji’s eldest son was captured and executed. His youngest infant son Shahu, Shivaji’s grandson and a possible heir was taken back to the Mughal capital. He would be released some years later. There was really no true peace between the two …Mughals and Marathas. The later continued their struggle for independence through Rajaram, Shivaji’s 2nd son and other generals and captains much of it in the form of raids into Mughal territory ….. all in all a rather protracted state of affair….one day you win next day you lose it back…. When Rajaram died, his widow, Tara Bai kept the spirit up while protecting her infant son.
Then Aurangzeb died. Shahu was released to add to the squabbles, intrigues and counter-intrigues of the Maratha’s royalty. Out of the obscurity arrived Balaji, a Brahmin who helped Shahu over the difficult times. Balaji was a great administrator, soldier, diplomat and a Brahmin hence giving some stability to Shahu’s domains. Not much is known of his origin. This provided grounds for legends to build around him. His son, Baji Rao was born in 1698. Baji Rao’s childhood was much spent in war camps accompanying his dad but still had time for some formal education in Sanskrit and accounting. His first taste of war was at the age of 11. He excelled in horse riding and the Maratha’s gauntlet sword patta. It would be worthwhile to look up this patta and I wonder how big one would be to be able to manage it!! He fought many battles and his raise to Peshwa (Prime Minister) came fast but not without turning heads.
So who was Mastani? Apparently very little is known of her. The movie “Baji Rao Mastani” is an adaptation of the fiction novel, “Rao”. One historian, D B Parasnis theorised her as being the daughter of Maharaja Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand from a Muslim mistress. She was presented to Baji Rao with 1/3 of his kingdom for aiding him against the Mughals. She became Baji Rao’s love interest much to the chagrin of his wife, Kashi Bai and other family members. Mastani (a Muslim) nor any other mistresses was ever accepted by the family and the Brahmins and this caused a lot of problems for the Peshwa. It is said that she killed herself in the Peshwa’s funeral pyre. A strange story I thought as nothing like that is said of his Hindu wife…..
A good read for those who love war stories.
At the same time the Mughals were also up against forces from within and outside the Empire who found opportunities amidst the convulsed and chaotic state of affairs. Aurangzeb’s attitude towards the non-Muslims had further caused many rebellions. Amongst the trouble makers were the Sayyid brothers Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali – both district Governors in Uttar Pradesh, Nizam ul Mulk – a Mughal Vicreroy in the Deccan, the Bundelas, the Rajputs - once the staunchiest supporters of the Mughal and the Marathas to name a few. But then the Empire did not sink in so fast as the general loyalty towards the Empire was as much ingrained.
The Sayyids worked their ways to become the Prime Minister and a Commander respectively. Together they became kingmakers- masters of intrigue- until they too had a fallout over the distribution of the riches they looted from the treasury.
Nizam ul Mulk aka Tiger of Deccan was from one of four factions of nobility during Aurangzeb’s time namely the Persians, Afghans, Turani Mughals and Hindis. There were so much rivalry between them which intensified in the absence of a strong central authority.
Maratha was then simply a petty state within the Mughal Empire. To it’s south was the Deccan. At this point I must say more illustrations and maps would be helpful to non-Indian readers. They too had more than they could chew with the manace caused by the Siddis (Abyssinians), Portuguese and the British in the western coastal areas, to name a few. It was viewed that if the Marathas had focused on these areas instead of trying to expand their empire to the north, they might have staved off the might of the Europeans….. Boy, the war and battle scenes are so tiring to read….!
Maratha Kingdom was established by Shivaji in mid 1600 and who took up a royal title. After his death in 1680 Marathas went into turmoil. In the ensuing war with the Mughals, Shivaji’s eldest son was captured and executed. His youngest infant son Shahu, Shivaji’s grandson and a possible heir was taken back to the Mughal capital. He would be released some years later. There was really no true peace between the two …Mughals and Marathas. The later continued their struggle for independence through Rajaram, Shivaji’s 2nd son and other generals and captains much of it in the form of raids into Mughal territory ….. all in all a rather protracted state of affair….one day you win next day you lose it back…. When Rajaram died, his widow, Tara Bai kept the spirit up while protecting her infant son.
Then Aurangzeb died. Shahu was released to add to the squabbles, intrigues and counter-intrigues of the Maratha’s royalty. Out of the obscurity arrived Balaji, a Brahmin who helped Shahu over the difficult times. Balaji was a great administrator, soldier, diplomat and a Brahmin hence giving some stability to Shahu’s domains. Not much is known of his origin. This provided grounds for legends to build around him. His son, Baji Rao was born in 1698. Baji Rao’s childhood was much spent in war camps accompanying his dad but still had time for some formal education in Sanskrit and accounting. His first taste of war was at the age of 11. He excelled in horse riding and the Maratha’s gauntlet sword patta. It would be worthwhile to look up this patta and I wonder how big one would be to be able to manage it!! He fought many battles and his raise to Peshwa (Prime Minister) came fast but not without turning heads.
So who was Mastani? Apparently very little is known of her. The movie “Baji Rao Mastani” is an adaptation of the fiction novel, “Rao”. One historian, D B Parasnis theorised her as being the daughter of Maharaja Chhatrasal of Bundelkhand from a Muslim mistress. She was presented to Baji Rao with 1/3 of his kingdom for aiding him against the Mughals. She became Baji Rao’s love interest much to the chagrin of his wife, Kashi Bai and other family members. Mastani (a Muslim) nor any other mistresses was ever accepted by the family and the Brahmins and this caused a lot of problems for the Peshwa. It is said that she killed herself in the Peshwa’s funeral pyre. A strange story I thought as nothing like that is said of his Hindu wife…..
A good read for those who love war stories.
March 6, 2023
Nice Book On Bajirao Peshwa Conquests
The book has many interesting facts but they are not arranged in desired way. The book is about Peshwa Bajirao but first two chapters were written for Mughal Empire with no mention of Bajirao which is bit turn off for me. Later part of book has really interesting conquests ok Maratha army under Bajirao Peshwa.
The book has many interesting facts but they are not arranged in desired way. The book is about Peshwa Bajirao but first two chapters were written for Mughal Empire with no mention of Bajirao which is bit turn off for me. Later part of book has really interesting conquests ok Maratha army under Bajirao Peshwa.
January 13, 2024
An excellent book detailing the life and times of the revered Peshwa Baji Rao. The book primarily deals with his military conquests while also highlighting the political situation and historical background. A must-read for all admirers of Indian history.
May 19, 2024
Very well written. You'll be inclined to read it in one go.
Read
June 20, 2025marvelous , you surely gona get goosebumps
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews