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{{for|the pretender Peshwa Nana Saheb of Bithur|Nana Sahib}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Balaji Rao
| reign = 1740 - 1761
| office = [[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|border|33x30px]]8th [[Peshwa]] of the [[Maratha Empire]]
| honorific_prefix = '''''[[Peshwa|Shrimant Peshwa]]'''''
| honorific_suffix = [[Bhat]]
| nickname = Nana Saheb
| honorific-suffix =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Peshwa Balaji Bajirao.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| monarch = {{unbulleted list
|[[Shahu I]]
|[[Rajaram II of Satara|Rajaram II]] (titular monarch)
}}
| predecessor = [[Bajirao I]]
| successor = [[Madhavrao I]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1720|12|08|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Pune]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1761|06|23|1720|12|08|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Parvati Hill]], [[Pune]]
| spouse = [[Gopikabai]]
| relations = [[Raghunath Rao]] (brother) [[Sadashivrao Bhau]] (cousin) [[Shamsher Bahadur I (Krishna Rao)|Shamsher Bahadur I]] (half-brother)
| children = [[Vishwasrao]] [[Madhavrao I]] [[Narayan Rao]]
| parents = [[Baji Rao I]] [[Kashibai]]
| image_size = 250px
| term_start =
| term_end =
| residence = [[Shaniwarwada]], [[Pune]], [[Maratha Empire]]
}}

'''Shrimant Peshwa Balajirao Bhat''' (December 8, 1720 – June 23, 1761), also known as '''Nana Saheb''', was the 8th [[Peshwa]] of the [[Maratha Empire]] in India.<ref name="JLM_2005"/> He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his illustrious father, the Peshwa [[Bajirao I]].

During his tenure, the [[Chhatrapati]] (Maratha Emperor) was reduced to a mere figurehead. At the same time, the Maratha empire started transforming into a [[confederation|confederacy]], in which individual chiefs — such as the [[Holkar]]s, the [[Scindia]]s and the [[Bhonsle]]s of [[Nagpur kingdom]] — became more powerful. During Balaji Rao's tenure, the Maratha territory reached its zenith. A large part of this expansion, however, was led by the individual chiefs of the Maratha Empire.

By the end of Balaji Baji Rao's tenure, the Peshwa was reduced to more of a financier than a general. Unlike his father, Balaji Baji Rao was not a great military leader and failed to gauge the seriousness of [[Indian Campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani|Durrani invasions]] in northern India. This ultimately resulted in a devastating Maratha defeat at the [[Third Battle of Panipat]].<ref name="GSC_2005"/> Some judicial and revenue reforms were made during his tenure, but the credit for these goes to his cousin [[Sadashivrao Bhau]] and his associate Balshastri Gadgil.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

== Early years and family==

Balaji Rao was born in the [[Maratha Peshwa and Generals from Bhat Family|Bhat family]], to Peshwa [[Baji Rao I]], on 8 December 1720. After Baji Rao's death in April 1740, [[Chhatrapati Shahu]] appointed 19-year old Balaji as the Peshwa in August 1740, despite opposition from other chiefs such as [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]].<ref name="GSC_2005">{{cite book |author=G.S.Chhabra |title=Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UkDi6rVbckoC&pg=PA19 |date=1 January 2005 |publisher=Lotus Press |isbn=978-81-89093-06-8 |pages=29–47 }}</ref><ref name="WH_1928">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yoI8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA408 |title=The Cambridge History of India, Volume 3 |author=Wolseley Haig |author-link=Wolseley Haig |year=1928 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=407–418 }}</ref> He was married to [[Gopikabai]]. The couple had three sons, Vishwasrao who died in the battle of Panipat in 1761, Madhavrao who succeeded Nanasaheb as Peshwa and Narayanrao who succeeded Madhavrao in his late teens. Nanasaheb had an able brother called Raghunathrao whose ambitions to be the Peshwa became disastrous for the Maratha empire.

== Rivalry with Raghoji Bhonsle ==

In early years of Balaji Rao's tenure, [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]] helped extend Maratha influence in South and East India. However, he was not on good terms with the Peshwa. Shortly before Balaji's appointment as the Peshwa, Raghoji had led a Maratha force to South India. His mission was to help [[Pratap Singh of Thanjavur]], a royal of the Bhonsle clan, against [[Dost Ali Khan]]. Raghoji killed Dost Ali in May 1740, and installed Dost Ali's son [[Safdar Ali Khan]] as the [[Nawab of Arcot]]. He returned to Satara, and unsuccessfully lodged a protest against Balaji Rao's appointment as the Peshwa. He then returned to South India, where he defeated [[Chanda Sahib]] in March 1741, before being forced to retreat by Chanda Sahib's [[French India|French]] allies from [[Pondicherry]]. After returning to Satara, Raghoji continued to oppose Balaji Rao.<ref name="WH_1928"/>

In 1743, Raghoji Bhonsle attacked [[Alivardi Khan]]'s forces in [[Orissa, India|Orissa]]. Khan paid {{INR}} 2,000,000 to Balaji Rao, who helped him expel Raghoji from Orissa in 1744. Raghoji then complained to Chhatrapati Shahu, and got himself appointed the in-charge of Marathas in Orissa, [[Bengal Subah|Bengal]] and [[Bihar]]. By 1752, Raghoji had taken over administration of Orissa, and also frequently raided Bengal and Bihar to collect ''[[chauth]]''. The instability brought by him to Bengal later paved way for the rise of the [[East India Company]] there.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

== Rebellion by Tarabai and Umabai ==
[[File:Tarabai.jpg|thumb|193x193px|A 20th century of depiction of [[Tarabai]] by artist [[Baburao Painter]]. She unsuccessfully rebelled against the Peshwa in 1751.]]
[[Tarabai]], the senior widow of [[Rajaram Chhatrapati]] after being released by her stepson [[Sambhaji II]] of Kolhapur was given asylum by Chhatrapati Shahu, her nephew. In the 1740s, during the last years of Shahu's life, Tarabai brought a child to him: [[Rajaram II of Satara|Rajaram II]]. She presented the child as her grandson, and thus, a direct descendant of [[Shivaji]]. Shahu adopted the child, and after his death in 1749, Rajaram II succeeded him as the ''Chhatrapati''.<ref name="BP_2000">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S2Yn4LlujqsC&pg=PA30 |title=Issues in Modern Indian History |editor=Biswamoy Pati |isbn=9788171546589 |publisher=Popular |year=2000 |page=30 }}</ref> The next year, Peshwa Balaji Rao left to fight against the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]]. In his absence, Tarabai urged Rajaram II to remove him from the post of Peshwa. When Rajaram refused, she imprisoned him in a dungeon at Satara, on 24 November 1750. She claimed that he was an impostor, and that she had falsely presented him as her grandson. Tarabai was unsuccessful in getting support from other ministers and the would-be [[Nizam of Hyderabad|Nizam]] [[Salabat Jung]]. However, she managed to enlist the help of another noblewoman, Umabai Dabhade.<ref name="CAKDBP_1918">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/historyofmaratha03kincuoft#page/2/mode/2up/search/umabai |title=A History of the Maratha People Volume 3 |author=Charles Augustus Kincaid |author-link=Charles Augustus Kincaid |author2=Dattatray Balwant Parasnis|author2-link=Dattatray Balwant Parasnis |name-list-style=amp |year=1918 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |pages=2–10 }}</ref>

[[Umabai Dabhade]] was the matriarch of the [[Dabhade]] family, whose members held the title of ''Senapati'' (commander-in-chief) and controlled several territories in [[Gujarat]]. Her husband had been killed by the Mughals, and her eldest son had been killed by Balaji Rao's father for a rebellion against Chhatrapati Shahu. However, Shahu had forgiven the Dabhades and allowed them to retain their [[jagir]]s and titles on the condition that they would remit half of the revenues collected from Gujarat to his treasury. Umabai's minor son Yashwant Rao was made the titular ''Senapati'', while she held the actual executive power in Maratha territories of Gujarat. The Dabhades never actually shared any revenues, but Shahu did not want to take any action against a grieving mother. However, after Shahu's death Peshwa Balaji Rao faced an empty treasury and pressurized the Dabhades to share Gujarat revenues as per the agreement. Umabai personally met him in 1750 and argued that the agreement was void because the Dabhades had signed it under force. The Peshwa refused to entertain this argument.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

Umabai dispatched 15,000 troops led by her lieutenant [[Damaji Rao Gaekwad]] in support of Tarabai's rebellion. Gaekwad initially advanced towards Pune, prompting the Peshwa's mother [[Kashibai]] and his grandmother Radhabai to flee from Pune to [[Sinhagad]]. While encamped at Pargaon near Pune, he received a letter from the Peshwa loyalist Mahadji Purandare, who denounced him as a traitor. Subsequently, Gaekwad changed course and started advancing towards Satara. Mahadji's brother Trimbakrao Purandare led a 20,000-strong force against him. Gaekwad defeated him at Nimb, a small town north of Satara. He then marched to Satara, where he was received by Tarabai. However, Trimbakrao re-formed his army and on 15 March 1751, he attacked Gaekwad's army, which was encamped on the banks of the [[Venna River]]. Gaekwad was defeated in this battle, and forced to retreat with heavy losses. Trimbakrao kept pursuing him and cornered his force near a gorge in the [[Krishna river]] valley.<ref name="CAKDBP_1918"/>

Meanwhile, on hearing about the rebellion, Balaji Rao left the Mughal frontier, and quickly advanced towards Satara, covering 400 miles in 13 days. He reached Satara on 24 April, and stormed the Yavateshwar garrison, defeating Tarabai's forces. He then joined Trimbakrao, who had been keeping a watch on Gaekwad's army. Gaekwad was compelled to declare ceasefire and meet Balaji Rao to discuss the terms of a peace treaty. Balaji Rao demanded from him half of Gujarat's territories in addition to a [[war indemnity]] of {{INR}} 2,500,000. Damaji refused to sign an agreement, stating that he was only a subordinate, and asked Balaji Rao to consult Umabai. On 30 April, Balaji Rao launched a surprise evening attack, and Damaji's camp surrendered without resistance. Balaji Rao then surrounded the Satara fort, and asked Tarabai to release Chhatrapati Rajaram II, whose physical and mental condition had deteriorated considerably. Tarabai refused, and Balaji Rao left for Pune, since a siege of the well-provisioned and strong Satara fort would not be easy.<ref name="CAKDBP_1918"/>

Later, a section of Tarabai's troops in the Satara garrison rebelled against her. Although she crushed the mutiny, she realized that it would be difficult to continue the fight against Balaji Rao. She, therefore, agreed to a peace treaty. She met Balaji Rao in Pune, and accepted the superiority of the Peshwa's office. She agreed to dismiss her lieutenant Baburao Jadhav, whom the Peshwa disliked. In return, the Peshwa forgave her. On 14 September 1752, the two took oaths at [[Jejuri#Khandoba Temple|Khandoba temple]] in [[Jejuri]], promising mutual peace. At this oath ceremony, Tarabai swore that Rajaram II was not her grandson, but an impostor from the Gondhali caste.<ref name="CAKDBP_1918"/> Nevertheless, the Peshwa retained Rajaram II as the titular Chhatrapati and a powerless figurehead.<ref name="BP_2000"/>

In May 1751, Balaji Rao had arrested Damaji Gaekwad and his relatives, and sent them to Pune. Sometime later, the Dabhades were also arrested, and deprived of their [[jagir]]s and titles.<ref name="JLM_2005">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1wUgKKzawoC&pg=PA215 |title=Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813 |author=Jaswant Lal Mehta |publisher=Sterling |year=2005 |isbn=9781932705546 |pages=213–216 }}</ref> In Pune, Balaji Rao repeatedly pressurized Damaji to cede half of Gujarat on behalf of Yashwant Rao Dabhade. Damaji kept refusing, and on 19 July 1751, Balaji Rao placed him and his [[dewan]] Ramchandra Baswant in strict confinement. On 14 November, he sent them to captivity in [[Lohagad]]. A few weeks later, Ramchandra Baswant escaped to Gujarat. As a result, Balaji Rao ordered Damaji to be put in iron chains at Lohagad. He then sent a military expedition to Gujarat, under his brother [[Raghunath Rao]]. Raghunath Rao managed to recover revenues from [[Surat]], but could not advance north of the [[Tapti river]]. Meanwhile, Balaji Rao received a setback when his general Shankarji Keshav Phadke was defeated at the siege of Parner. As a result, he decided to seek reconciliation with the Gaekwads. In March 1752, Damaji finally agreed to abandon Dabhades and join Balaji Rao. In return, he was made the Maratha chief of Gujarat, and Balaji Rao offered him assistance in expelling the Mughals from Gujarat. Gaekwad promised to pay an annual tribute of {{INR}} 525,000 to Peshwa in addition to a one-time payment of {{INR}} 1,500,000. He was also asked to maintain a cavalry of 20,000 horses in service of the Peshwa.<ref name="CAKDBP_1918"/>

== Campaign against the Nizam ==

In 1751, Balaji Rao had invaded the territories of [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] [[Salabat Jung]], who was supported by the French Governor-General of Pondicherry [[Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau]]. Due to Tarabai's rebellion and the French-trained enemy troops, the Marathas had to retreat. In 1752, Balaji Rao launched a fresh attack against the Nizam. He also sought support of [[East India Company|the English]] to counter the French, but the English refused to get involved in the conflict. The Marathas wanted Salabat Jung's brother [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II|Ghazi ud-Din Khan]] to be appointed as the Nizam; as he had promised them a payment of {{INR}} 6,000,000 among other favours.{{cn|date=July 2020}} However, Khan was poisoned to death by his step-mother. Ultimately, Balaji Rao and Marquis de Bussy-Castelnau concluded a peace treaty. Raghoji Bhonsle also agreed to peace on the condition that Nizam would grant him some [[jagir]]s in [[Berar Subah|Berar]].<ref name="HD_2013">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-JkuAgAAQBAJ&pg=PR4-IA2 |title=Dupleix and Clive: Beginning of Empire |author=Henry Dodwell |publisher=Routledge |year=1920 |isbn=9781136912856 |pages=87–90 }}</ref>

== Interference in Rajput politics ==
[[File:India1760 1905.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Map of India in 1760. The areas under Maratha suzerainty are coloured yellow.]]
Balaji's father Baji Rao aimed to establish a ''Hindu Padshahi'' (Hindu kingship) in India, and maintained good relations with the Hindu [[Rajputs]]. However, during Balaji Rao's tenure, the Marathas alienated the Rajput rulers.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

When [[Jai Singh II]] of [[Jaipur State|Jaipur]] died in 1743, a war of succession broke out between his sons Ishwari Singh and [[Madho Singh I|Madho Singh]]. Madho was supported by [[Jagat Singh II]] of [[Udaipur State|Mewar]] and Ummed Singh of [[Bundi State|Bundi]]. The Marathas, however, initially supported Ishwari, simply because he offered them more money. Later, Jagat Singh was able to enlist [[Malhar Rao Holkar]] on Madho's side, while [[Jayappaji Rao Scindia|Jayappa Rao Scindia]] continued to support Ishwari. This episode not only spoiled the Maratha relations with the Rajputs, but also resulted in internal strife among the Marathas. Madho Singh later sought arbitration from Balaji Rao, who personally came to Jaipur and convinced Ishwari Singh to cede 4 [[mahallah|mahals]] to Madho Singh. Ishwari Singh initially agreed, but refused to abide by his promise after Balaji returned to Pune. Malhar Rao Holkar then not only forcefully captured the ''mahal''s for Madho, but also imposed a [[tribute]] on Ishwari Singh. In 1750, the Marathas declared a war on Ishwari Singh for his failure to pay the arrears. Ishwari Singh was desperate as he did not have sufficient money to pay off the Marathas, and he could not impose excessive taxes on his citizens. As a result, he committed suicide by consuming poison.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

After Ishawari Singh's death, [[Madho Singh I|Madho Singh]] became the ruler of Jaipur. However, he no longer trusted the Marathas, having seen their treatment of his elder brother. He participated in battles against the Marathas, until [[Safdarjung]] intervened and convinced the Marathas to leave with an apology and some compensation. After Safdarjung's death, the Marathas again invaded the Rajput territories. This forced Madho Singh to seek help from Safdarjung's successor [[Shuja-ud-Daula]] as well as the Afghan king [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] (Abdali).<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

In 1749, [[Abhai Singh of Marwar|Abhai Singh]] of [[Jodhpur State|Jodhpur]] (Marwar) died, leading to a war of succession between his sons Bakht Singh and [[Ram Singh of Marwar|Ram Singh]]. Ram Singh sought help from Jayappa Scindia. By the time Scindia marched to Jodhpur in September 1752, Bakhat Singh had died. He was succeeded by his son Bijay Singh, who sought help against the Marathas from the Mughals, the [[Najib ad-Dawlah|Rohillas]] and Madho Singh. With Madho Singh's help, Bijay Singh resisted the Marathas for a year, before he agreed to peace talks. During one such peace negotiation, Jayappa Scindia was assassinated by emissaries of [[Vijay Singh of Marwar]] in July 1755. This led to further hostilities between the Marathas and the Rajputs until [[Dattaji Rao Scindia]] concluded a peace treaty in February 1756.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

== Relations with the Jats ==

The Marathas-[[Jat people|Jat]] relations also worsened during Balaji Rao's reign. Balaji's younger brother [[Raghunath Rao]] wanted a share of revenues from the prosperous [[Bharatpur State]]. [[Suraj Mal]], the ruler of this state, had interfered in Jaipur politics in support of Ishwari Singh. This had antagonized Maratha chiefs like Malhar Rao Holkar, who had supported Madho. In 1754, the Mughal wazir [[Safdarjung]] sought Suraj Mal's help against the Mughal emperor. To counter him, the imperial loyalist [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III|Imad-ul-Mulk]], sought Maratha help. Raghunath Rao used this opportunity and sent a force led by Malhar Rao Holkar to Bharatpur. Suraj Mal tried to avoid a war by offering him {{INR}} 4,000,000; but, Raghunath Rao was not satisfied with the offer. The Marathas besieged Bharatpur's Kumher fort in early 1754 for around four months, before a peace treaty was concluded. The Marathas accepted an offer by Suraj Mal to pay {{INR}} 3,000,000 in three yearly installments.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

== Relations with the Mughals ==

During Baji Rao's tenure, the [[Mughal empire|Mughals]] had nominally granted the [[Malwa Subah|Malwa]] to the Marathas, but the control was not actually passed to the Marathas. After becoming Peshwa, Balaji Rao approached the Mughal emperor through [[Jai Singh II]], and managed to get appointed as the Deputy Governor of Malwa (with [[Ahmad Shah Bahadur|Ahmad Shah]] as the titular Governor). In return, he pledged faithfulness to the Mughal emperor. He also agreed to keep a force of 500 soldiers at the emperor's court, in addition to providing a force of 4,000 soldiers on a need basis.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

In 1748, Javed Khan, a rival of the Mughal wazir [[Safdarjung]] invited the new [[Nizam of Hyderabad]] [[Nasir Jung]], to join an alliance against the wazir. Safdarjung requested Maratha support against Nasir Jung. Balaji Rao dispatched Scindia and Holkar chiefs to prevent Nasir Jung from reaching Delhi, and thus, saved Safdarjung.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

Starting in 1748, the Afghan king [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]] (Abdali) launched several invasions of India, forcing the Mughals to seek Maratha help. In 1752, the [[Rohilla]]s of the [[Doab]] region rebelled against the Mughal emperor. They defeated Safdarjung in a battle, and invited Durrani to invade India. Once again, Safdarjung sought assistance from the Marathas, who helped him crush the rebellion. The Marathas and the Mughals signed an agreement in 1752. The Marathas agreed to help the Mughals defeat external aggressions as well as internal rebellions. The Mughals agreed to appoint Peshwa Balaji Rao as the Governor of [[Ajmer]] and [[Agra]]. The Marathas were also granted the right to collect ''[[chauth]]'' from [[Lahore]], [[Multan]], [[Sindh]], and some districts of [[Hisar (city)|Hissar]] and [[Moradabad]]. However, the Mughal emperor had also ceded Lahore and Multan to Ahmad Shah Durrani in order to pacify him. In addition, he did not ratify the transfer of Rajput-ruled territories like Ajmer to the Marathas. This brought the Marathas in conflict with Durranis as well as Rajputs.<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

[[File:The Third battle of Panipat 13 January 1761.jpg|thumb|300px|A {{circa|1770}} drawing of the Third battle of Panipat]]

== Conflict with the Durrani Empire==
{{main|Indian Campaign of Ahmad Shah Durrani|Third Battle of Panipat}}

After his initial invasions of India, [[Ahmed Shah Durrani]] appointed his son [[Timur Shah Durrani]] as the governor of Punjab and Kashmir. Balaji Rao then dispatched [[Raghunath Rao]] to check the advance of the Durranis. In 1758, Raghunath Rao conquered [[Lahore]] and [[Peshawar]], and drove out Timur Shah Durrani. The Marathas thus became Durranis' major rivals in the north-western part of the subcontinent.<ref name="K.RoyIHB">{{cite book | last=Roy |first=Kaushik |title=India's Historic Battles: From Alexander the Great to Kargil |year=2004 |publisher=Permanent Black, India |pages=80–1 |isbn=978-8178241098}}</ref> Meanwhile, the Marathas had reduced the Mughal emperor to a figurehead, and Balaji Rao talked of placing his son [[Vishwasrao]] on the Mughal throne.<ref>{{cite book| first=Mountstuart |last=Elphinstone |title=History of India | url=https://archive.org/details/historyindia02elphgoog |publisher=John Murray, Albermarle Street |year=1841 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyindia02elphgoog/page/n318 276]}}</ref> The Mughal loyalist Muslim intellectuals of Delhi were alarmed at these developments, and appealed Durrani to check the rising Maratha power.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E0VuAAAAMAAJ |title=Afghanistan Under Soviet Occupation |author1=Syed Shabbir Hussain |author2=Abdul Hamid Alvi |author3=Absar Hussain Rizvi |publisher=World Affairs Publications |year=1980 |page=56 }}</ref>

Under these circumstances, Ahmad Shah Durrani launched a fresh invasion of India, reaching [[Lahore]] by the end of 1759. He gained allies in the [[Rohilla]] noble [[Najib-ud-Daula]] and the [[Nawab of Oudh]] [[Shuja-ud-Daula]]. Balaji Rao responded to the Durrani invasion by dispatching a large force commanded by [[Sadashiv Rao Bhau]]. This force was supplemented by the contingents of [[Holkar]], [[Scindia]], [[Gaikwad]] and [[Govind Pant Bundele]]. The Jat ruler [[Suraj Mal]] of [[Bharatpur State|Bharatpur]] also joined the Marathas, but later left the alliance due to a misunderstanding with Bhau.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Development of the British Empire |url=https://archive.org/details/developmentbrit01robigoog |last=Robinson|first= Howard|author2=James Thomson Shotwell|year=1922 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |chapter=Mogul Empire|page=[https://archive.org/details/developmentbrit01robigoog/page/n115 91] }}</ref>

Between 1759 and 1761, the Durranis and the Marathas fought each other in several skirmishes and small battles, with varying results. Due to the extended duration of the siege of the Maratha garrison at Panipat which Balaji's reinforcements were supposed to break but never reached beyond the [[Narmada]], the Durranis decisively defeated the famished and under-equipped Maratha army in the [[Third Battle of Panipat]] on 14 January 1761.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jpXijlqeRpIC&pg=PA84 |title=India's Historic Battles: From Alexander the Great to Kargil |author=Kaushik Roy |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2004 |pages=84–94|isbn=9788178241098 }}</ref> According to Shuresh Sharma, "It was Balaji Bajirao's love of pleasure which was responsible for Panipat. He delayed at Paithan celebrating his second marriage until December 27th, when it was too late."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sharma |first1=Suresh K. |title=Haryana: Past and Present |date=2006 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=9788183240468 |page=173 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6n7vV0eiS3YC&q=Balaji+Baji+Rao+married++1760%7C1761&pg=PA173 |access-date=7 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

== Death ==
The defeat at Panipat resulted in heavy losses for the Marathas, and was a huge setback for Peshwa Balaji Rao. He received the news of the defeat of Panipat on 24 January 1761 at [[Bhilsa]], while leading a reinforcement force. Besides several important generals, he had lost his own son [[Vishwasrao]] in the Battle of Panipat. He died on 23 June 1761, and was succeeded by his younger son [[Madhavrao I|Madhav Rao I]].<ref name="GSC_2005"/>

==In popular culture==
*In 1994 [[Hindi]] TV series ''[[The Great Maratha]]'', Peshwa Balji Bajirao's character was portrayed by [[Bal Dhuri]].
*In the 2014 Indian [[Marathi language|Marathi]]-language film, ''[[Rama Madhav]]'', he is portrayed by [[Ravindra Mankani]].
*In the 2015 [[Bollywood]] film ''[[Bajirao Mastani]]'', [[Ayush Tandon]] essays the role of a young Balaji Bajirao.
*In the 2019 [[Bollywood]] film, ''[[Panipat (film)|Panipat]]'', Peshwa Balaji Bajirao was portrayed by [[Mohnish Bahl]].

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Balaji Baji Rao}}
* ''Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb) Peshwa'' by Prof. S. S. Puranik
* ''Solstice at Panipat'' by Uday S. Kulkarni, Mula Mutha Publishers, 2nd edition, 2012.
* ''Panipat'' by Vishwas Patil, Rajhamns publishers.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Bajirao|Baji Rao I]] |
title=[[Peshwa]] |
years=1740–1761 | after=[[Madhavrao Peshwa|Madhava Rao I]]
}}
{{S-end}}

{{MarathaEmpire}}
{{Peshawe family}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Balaji Baji}}
[[Category:Peshwa dynasty]]
[[Category:1720 births]]
[[Category:1761 deaths]]

Balaji Baji Rao - Revision history

ShereeDrm9452: expanded content

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103.134.110.68 at 17:31, 3 July 2021