Balaji Vishwanath

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Balaji Vishwanath
His Highness Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa.jpg
Portrait of Balaji Vishwanath
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg 6th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire
In office
16 November 1713 – 12 April 1720
MonarchShahu I
Preceded byParshuram Pant Pratinidhi
Succeeded byBaji Rao I
Personal details
Born
Balaji Vishwanath Bhat

(1662-01-01)1 January 1662
Shrivardhan, Bijapur Sultanate
(modern day Maharashtra, India)
Died12 April 1720(1720-04-12) (aged 58)
Saswad, Maratha Empire
(modern day Maharashtra, India)
Spouse(s)Radhabai
ChildrenBajirao I
Chimaji Appa
Bhiubai Joshi
Anubai Ghorpade [1]
Bhikaji
Ranoji
Parents
  • Vishwanath Pant Bhat (Visaji) (father)
  • Unknown (mother)

Balaji Vishwanath Bhat (1 January 1662 – 12 April 1720) was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Bhat family who gained effective control of the Maratha Confederacy and other Mughal vassals during the early 18th century. Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha king Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistently intruded on by the Mughals under Aurangzeb.

Reference[edit | edit source]

  1. G.S.Chhabra (2005). Advance Study in the History of Modern India (Volume-1: 1707-1803). Lotus Press. pp. 19–28. ISBN 978-81-89093-06-8.