What is the Peshwa?

The Peshwa (Persian: "foremost") was the chief minister and de facto head of government of the Maratha Empire, holding the second-highest office after the Chhatrapati (king). Originally an appointed position, it became hereditary under the Bhat family when Shahu I granted the office to Balaji Vishwanath (r. 1713–1720). Under the Peshwas — particularly Baji Rao I (r. 1720–1740) and Balaji Baji Rao (r. 1740–1761) — effective power shifted from the Chhatrapati at Satara to the Peshwa's court at Pune, and the Maratha Empire reached its greatest territorial extent.

The Peshwa era ended with the defeat and exile of Baji Rao II after the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1818), when the British annexed the Peshwa's territories.

Key Features at a Glance

# Feature Details
1 Meaning Persian for "foremost" — equivalent to Prime Minister
2 Original role Head of the Ashtapradhan (Council of Eight) under Shivaji
3 Became hereditary Under the Bhat family — starting with Balaji Vishwanath (1713)
4 Capital Pune (shifted from Satara, the Chhatrapati's seat)
5 Balaji Vishwanath First hereditary Peshwa; negotiated with the Mughals; secured Chauth and Sardeshmukhi rights
6 Baji Rao I Greatest Peshwa; expanded into Malwa, Gujarat, Bundelkhand; never lost a battle
7 Balaji Baji Rao Presided over maximum territorial expansion; Chhatrapati became titular; era ended with Panipat (1761)
8 Madhavrao I Revived Maratha power after Panipat; called "the greatest Peshwa" by some historians
9 Baji Rao II Last Peshwa; signed Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the British; defeated in Third Anglo-Maratha War (1818)
10 End of Peshwa office 1818 — British annexed Peshwa territories; Baji Rao II exiled to Bithur near Kanpur

UPSC Exam Corner

Prelims: Key Facts to Remember

  • Hereditary Peshwas: Balaji Vishwanath → Baji Rao I → Balaji Baji Rao → Madhavrao I → Narayanrao → Raghunathrao → Madhavrao II → Baji Rao II
  • Baji Rao I: Never lost a battle; expanded Maratha power deep into North India
  • Treaty of Bassein (1802): Baji Rao II signed with the British — made Marathas subsidiary allies
  • Third Anglo-Maratha War (1818): Final defeat; end of Peshwa office
  • Nana Sahib (adopted son of Baji Rao II): Key leader in the 1857 Revolt — connection to Peshwa legacy
  • Chhatrapati became titular under the later Peshwas — real power at Pune
  • Chauth and Sardeshmukhi: Revenue rights secured by Balaji Vishwanath from the Mughals

Mains: Probable Answer Themes

  1. "The rise of the Peshwas transformed the Maratha kingdom into a confederacy." — Shift of power from Satara to Pune; emergence of Maratha chiefs
  2. "Baji Rao I was the architect of Maratha expansion in North India." — Military campaigns and diplomatic achievements
  3. "The Peshwa system carried within it the seeds of Maratha decline." — Hereditary weakness, confederacy fragmentation, Panipat disaster
  4. "Trace the evolution of the Peshwa's office from an appointed position to the de facto head of the Maratha state." — Shivaji's Ashtapradhan to Baji Rao II's exile

Sources: Wikipedia — Peshwa | Britannica — Baji Rao I | Britannica — Balaji Baji Rao