Balaji Baji Rao (1740-61) and His Achievements

Balaji Baji Rao (1740-61) and His Achievements:

On the death of Baji Rao, his son Balaji Baji Rao (commonly known as Nane Saheb succeeded to the Peshwaship at the age of eighteen. In the use of arms and diplomacy, he could not come upto the standard of his father. In his reign, the Maratha power attained its highest limits. In 1748, the Maratha ruler Sahu also died childless and he as Peshwas became the virtual head of the Marathas as he produced papers showing that Sahu had conferred all authority to him.

Holkar and Scindhia marched to Jaipur and demanded Chauth from Ishwar Singh, the Rajput ruler of Jaipur. The Rajput ruler could not pay the amount and took person to avoid humiliation. It was an unwise step on the part of the Marathas to create bad relations with the Rajputs. Another Maratha Chieh Raghoji Bhonsle overran Central India and attacked Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Alivardi Khan the Nawab who compelled to surrender the province of Orissa and also agreed to pay 12 lakhs of rupees annually as the Chauth from Bengal and Bihar. In 1757, Raghu Nath Rao, the younger brother of the Peshwa captured Delhi with all the territory in the Doab up to Saharanpur and drove away Ahmad Shah Abdali’s governor Najib Uddaulla from there. In 1758, Raghu Nath Rao in alliance with Malhar Rao Holkar proceeded towards the Punjab and captured it after driving away Abdali’s son Timur from there. The Kesaria Flag of the Marathas now began to sway proudly over the fort of Attock. This was the great achievement of the Marathas. The dream of Balaji Vishwanath of establishing the Hindu empire all over India came out to be true. In 1761, Sadashiv Rao, the Cousin of Peshwa defeated Salabat Jung, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and got from him a vast territory including Bijapur and Aurangabad and certain portions of Bidar and Daultabad, etc. In the way by 1761, the Maratha power reached the climax of its glory and there were very few places which were not either under the direct control of the Marathas or under their influence.

But just at that time when the dream of founding a Hindu Empire was coming out true, the Marathas received a blow at the hands of Ahmad Shah Abdali. In 1761, Ahmad Shah invaded India and gave a crushing blow to the Marathas in the third Battle of Panipat. All the dreams of the Hindu Empire were shattered to pieces. The Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao could not bear such an insult and died a broken man the same year. Thus it has been rightly remarked, “During Balaji’s reign the Maratha power attained its highest limits and received its crushing blow.”