Maratha Peshwas(Balaji Vishwanath)

Balaji Vishwanath: Architect of Peshwa Power

Portrait of Balaji Vishwanath

Source: Wikipedia

The Maratha Empire's history abounds with warriors, statesmen, and visionaries who shaped the future of the Indian subcontinent. Amongst these larger-than-life figures, Balaji Vishwanath Bhat was a great administrator whose diplomatic skills and political wisdom took the Peshwa office from that of a ministerial grade to the de facto rulership of the Maratha confederacy. His was a tale of meteoric ascent, strategic genius, and the creation of a legacy that would long have held sway over Indian politics.

Early Life and Background

Shrivardhan beach along Konkan coast

Balaji Vishwanath was born in 1662 in the Konkan village of Shrivardhan in modern Maharashtra. He belonged to a Chitpavan Brahmin family, which was to dominate Maratha administration during Peshwa times. His father, Vishwanath Bhat, was a revenue clerk, and young Balaji learned the ropes of administration and finance through his early years.

The early years of Balaji's life coincided with the zenith of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's power. Growing up in this era of Maratha ascendancy, Balaji witnessed firsthand the organizational genius that had created a formidable state from scattered territories. This formative period would profoundly influence his administrative philosophy.

Little is documented on his formal education, but his future career reveals a proficiency in Sanskrit, Persian, and Marathi, as well as a very strong grasp of statecraft, diplomacy, and accounting. These abilities would play an important role in his illustrious career.

Rise Through the Ranks

Balaji Vishwanath's early career was humble as a petty revenue office in the employ of several Maratha sardars. His break came when he joined the employment of the Maratha general Dhanaji Jadhav, a man who appreciated the young Brahmin's organizational skills. Through Dhanaji's patronage, Balaji became his chief assistant, charged with intricate negotiations and finance.

Shivaji's death in 1680 marked a time of turmoil for the Marathas. The constant Deccan campaigns by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, succession battles within, and the trials of keeping the territories intact strained the resilience of the empire. It was within this fire of turmoil that Balaji Vishwanath developed his diplomatic prowess.

When Shahu, the grandson of Shivaji, was released from Mughal captivity in 1707 after Aurangzeb's death, a succession crisis erupted. Shahu's claim to the throne was contested by his aunt Tarabai, who ruled on behalf of her son Shivaji II. This civil war threatened to tear apart the Maratha state.

Appointment as Peshwa

Portrait of Chhatrapati Shahu

Source:- Wikipedia 

Balaji Vishwanath's strong support to Shahu at this turning point in time was decisive. He employed his diplomatic abilities to mobilize support among other Maratha sardars and chieftains, making them believe that the claim of Shahu was valid. His performance was instrumental in Shahu's victory at the Battle of Khed in 1707, where Shahu's position as Chhatrapati was solidified.

As an acknowledgment of his service of immense value, Shahu in 1713 made Balaji Vishwanath the Peshwa (Prime Minister). This would turn out to be one of the most momentous decisions in Maratha history. The office of the Peshwa, which had been in existence since Shivaji's day as one of many ministerial offices, would be elevated by Balaji Vishwanath to the focal point of Maratha power.

Administrative Reforms and Consolidation

As Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath wasted no time in consolidating the Maratha state machinery. His administrative acumen was seen in a number of areas:

Reorganization of Finance: Balaji inherited a treasury drained by decades of civil war. He modernized the system of revenue collection, streamlining procedures and eliminating corruption. He instituted strict accounting practices and made sure revenue arrived regularly at the central government. His knowledge of agricultural economics enabled him to develop equitable policies of taxation, boosting revenue without taxing peasants unduly.

Restructuring the Military: Recognizing that Maratha power resided in their cavalry and guerrilla warfare capability, Balaji allocated sufficient funds for military expeditions. Balaji balanced the desire for a regular army with the conventional Maratha system of sardars having their own contingents. This dual system gave flexibility while central control was preserved.

Diplomatic Structure: Balaji's most significant achievement may have been to create a refined diplomatic structure. Balaji had intelligence gathering networks throughout India, keeping abreast of activities in Delhi, Rajputana, Bengal, and the Deccan. This intelligence network enabled the Marathas to make well-informed strategic choices.

The Masterstroke: Alliance with the Sayyid Brothers

Maratha Empire in 1739

Balaji Vishwanath's diplomatic coup arrived in 1719 when he forged an alliance between the Marathas and the Sayyid Brothers, the influential kingmakers in the Mughal court in Delhi. With Aurangzeb's death in 1707, the Mughal Empire had fallen into disarray, with different groups fighting for dominance.

The Sayyid Brothers, Abdullah Khan and Hussain Ali Khan, were the most influential nobles, virtually ruling over the Mughal emperor. They had to take military assistance due to opposition from other elements of the Mughals. Balaji Vishwanath recognized an opportunity.

In a superbly conducted mission, Balaji went to Delhi with a Maratha force. He signed a treaty that gave the Marathas the right to raise chauth (one-fourth revenue) and sardeshmukhi (a further ten percent) from the six Mughal provinces of Deccan. It was a groundbreaking success—the Mughals had formally acknowledged Maratha rights in enormous areas.

In turn, the Marathas lent support to the Sayyid Brothers in their political intrigue at the Mughal court. This agreement provided the Marathas with legitimacy and a consistent revenue base without the responsibility of direct administration of all dominions. It was a piece of masterful realpolitik that converted the Marathas from rebels into stakeholders of the Mughal system.

Legacy and Impact

Drawing of Mughal Court

Source: Art Udaipur

Balaji Vishwanath's Peshwaship, however short (1713-1720), made a fundamental shift in the course of Maratha history. His victories set the stage for Maratha expansion throughout India in the next decades:

Institutionalization of Peshwa Power: Balaji converted the office of the Peshwa from a minister to the actual rule of the Maratha state. Although the Chhatrapati was still the figurehead, the actual power lay in the hands of the Peshwa. This situation would prevail all over the 18th century.

Founding of Peshwa Dynasty: Balaji made sure that the Peshwa position would be hereditary within his family. His son, Baji Rao I, would prove to be one of India's greatest generals, spreading Maratha influence from Deccan into the gates of Delhi and beyond.

Financial Security: The rights of chauth and sardeshmukhi gained by Balaji gave the Marathas immense funds. This economic base supported the militant military campaigns of the following decades.

Diplomatic Precedent: Balaji's diplomacy with the Mughal court set a precedent for Maratha diplomacy. His successors would go on to play games of politics in Delhi, ultimately becoming the preeminent force in northern India.

Chitpavan Ascendancy: Balaji's victory created opportunities for his Chitpavan Brahmin clique. At the hands of Peshwa patronage, Chitpavans began to fill up administrative roles across the Maratha Empire, establishing a bureaucratic class that handled the growing state with effectiveness.

Personal Character and Leadership Style

Modern accounts portray Balaji Vishwanath as a man of humble habits and frugal life, whereas he wielded tremendous power. Unlike most administrators who fell prey to corruption, Balaji was a man of high moral fibre. His personal character improved his credibility both among subordinates and among competing powers.

He was a patient and big-picture thinker. Instead of pursuit of instant military successes, Balaji favored diplomatic means that secured long-term strategic objectives. His diplomacy with the Mughals is the best example—through obtaining formal acknowledgment and revenue rights, he did more than military victory could possibly have done.

Balaji was also a patron of religion and learning. He patronized scholars and sponsored temples and thus continued the traditional Hindu ruler role of protecting dharma. This patronage of culture legitimized Maratha rule and established popular support.

Death and Succession

Baji Rao I Statue

Source: Wikipedia

Balaji Vishwanath passed away on April 2, 1720, at the relatively young age of 58. His demise was grieved all over the Maratha state because people realized that the great leader had left them. Chhatrapati Shahu, who had often depended upon Balaji's advice, grieved the loss intensely.

True to his father's dream, Baji Rao I inherited the position of Peshwa at the tender age of 20. Young Baji Rao would live up to his father's expectation, leading lightning cavalry campaigns that further extended Maratha dominance in India. The administrative and fiscal systems built by Balaji Vishwanath formed the basis for these conquests.