Baji Rao: The Warrior Peshwa

by E. Jaiwant Paul

Peshwa Baji Rao, 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 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. Though he had sworn to plant his flag on the Indus, death robbed him of this honour. His sons, however, 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.

Genres: Nonfiction

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 19, 2017

About the author

E. 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.

Reviews

[Shruti Patankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Virag Padalkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

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....

[Vedvrat Shikarpur · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Anmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ronald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a pretty okay read. Nothing that jumps out.

[Azimah Othman · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Gaurav purandare · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Last · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Gulshan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. You'll be inclined to read it in one go.

[Ashokee · Rating 5 out of 5]

marvelous , you surely gona get goosebumps