Balaji Baji Rao

Balaji Baji Rao (1740-1760 CE): Shrimant Peshwa Balaji Bajirao Bhat, also known as Nana Saheb, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire in India. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his illustrious father, the Peshwa Bajirao I. During his tenure, the Chhatrapati was reduced to a mere figurehead.

The eldest son of Baji Rao I, Balaji Baji Rao, succeeded his father. In 1750 CE he made Pune his capital. Balaji Baji Rao captured Delhi in 1753 CE and Punjab in 1758 CE. The Marathas clashed with Abdali in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 CE. Neither the Sikhs nor the Rajput kingdoms helped the Marathas. The Marathas were routed; they never recovered fully from this defeat.

Expansion of the Maratha Empire: The empire expanded between 1720 and 1761. It slowly chipped away at the authority of the Mughal Empire. By the 1720s Malwa and Gujarat were seized from the Mughals. The Maratha king was recognized as the overlord of the entire Deccan peninsula by the 1730s. He had the right to levy chauth and sardeshmukhi in the entire region. After the raid in Delhi by the Marathas in 1737, the frontiers of the Maratha domination expanded fast:

Into Rajasthan and Punjab in the north

Into Bengal and Orissa in the east

Into Karnataka and the Tamil and Telugu states in the south

Though these were not formally included in the Maratha empire, they were made to pay tribute as a way of accepting Maratha sovereignty.

Drawbacks of expansion: Though the expansion brought enormous wealth, it came at a price. It made other regional rulers hostile towards the Marathas. Consequently, they were not inclined to support the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat in 1761.

Administrative system of Marathas:

The Administration of the Marathas was very well organized. After the Maratha rule became secure subsequent to the conquests, revenue demands were gradually introduced taking local conditions into account. Agriculture was encouraged and trade got revived. This allowed the following Maratha chiefs enough resources to raise powerful armies:

Sindhia of Gwalior

Gaekwad of Baroda

Bhonsle of Nagpur

The campaigns of Marathas into Malwa in the 1720s did not challenge the growth and prosperity of the cities of the region. Ujjain expanded under Sindhia’s patronage and Indore under that of Holkar. These cities were large and prosperous by all accounts and functioned as important commercial and cultural centres. New trade routes emerged within the areas that were controlled by the Marathas. The silk produced in the Chanderi region found a new outlet in the city of Poona. Burhanpur which had earlier participated in the trade between Agra and Surat now expanded its hinterland to include Poona and Nagpur in the south and, in the east, Lucknow and Allahabad.

Sample Questions

(More Questions for each concept available in Login)

Question : 1

What were the drawbacks of the Maratha expansion?
A. The local rulers were not inclined to support the Marathas in the third battle of Panipat in 1761		B. It made other rulers hostile towards the Marathas
C. Both A and B		D. The Administration of Marathas was well organised
Right Option : C
View Explanation

Question : 2

Name the Maratha chiefs who, with revival of trade, got enough resources to raise armies.
A. Sindhia of Gwalior, Gaekwad of Baroda and Bhonsle of Nagpur		B. Afghans of Rohilkhand , Afghans of Rohilkhand
C. Sindhia of Mewat, Gaekwad of Baroda and Bhonsle of Kashmir		D. All of these
Right Option : A
View Explanation