Balaji Baji Rao
Nana Saheb I | |
|---|---|
18th-century portrait of Balaji Bajirao | |
| 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire | |
| In office August 1740 – 23 June 1761 | |
| Monarchs | |
| Preceded by | Baji Rao I |
| Succeeded by | Madhavrao I |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Balaji Rao Bhat 8 December 1720 |
| Died | 23 June 1761 (aged 40) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Vishwasrao Madhavrao I Narayanrao |
| Parent(s) | Baji Rao I (father) Kashibai (mother) |
| Relatives | Raghunathrao (brother) Sadashivrao Bhau (cousin) Shamsher Bahadur I (half-brother) |
| Signature | |
Balaji Baji Rao (8 December 1720 – 23 June 1761), commonly known as Nana Saheb I, was the eighth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He succeeded his father, Baji Rao I, as Peshwa in 1740.
During his tenure, the Chhatrapati (Maratha monarch) served largely as a titular head, while effective power remained with the Peshwa. Under Balaji Baji Rao’s administration, the Maratha Empire evolved into a confederation, with prominent chiefs such as the Holkars, the Scindias, and the Bhonsles of Nagpur gaining semi-autonomous authority. The Maratha domains reached their greatest territorial extent during his period.
Balaji Baji Rao’s administration, assisted by his paternal cousin Sadashivrao Bhau, introduced several fiscal and administrative reforms. Under his leadership, the boundaries of the Maratha Empire extended from Peshawar (in present-day Pakistan) in the northwest to Srirangapatna in Karnataka, and to Midnapore in West Bengal.
Balaji Baji Rao sponsored public works across the empire, including the construction of canals, bridges, temples, and travellers’ rest houses, particularly in Pune, the imperial capital. During his twenty-year reign, he brought under Maratha dominance several major powers of the Indian subcontinent—subduing the Mughals in the north, the Nizam of Hyderabad in the south, and the Nawab of Bengal in the east. He also weakened Afghan control over Punjab, curtailed their incursions toward Delhi, subdued the Rajput and Rohilla states, and effectively neutralized the State of Oudh.