Narayan Rao

Narayanrao (10 August 1755 – 30 August 1773) was the 10th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy, serving from November 1772 until his assassination in August 1773. He was the third and youngest son of Balaji Baji Rao (also known as Nana Saheb) and Gopikabai, and the younger brother of Madhavrao I. He was married to Gangabai Sathe, the daughter of Krishnaji Hari Sathe, and the couple had a posthumous son, Madhavrao II, who later succeeded him as Peshwa.

Narayanrao ascended the throne at the age of 17 following the death of his brother Madhavrao I. His reign was short and politically turbulent, marked by growing tensions between him and his uncle Raghunathrao, who had expected to succeed as Peshwa. Although Narayanrao initially sought to maintain his elder brother’s policies and continue reforms aimed at stabilizing the administration, his inexperience and strained relations with senior ministers—especially Raghunathrao—led to internal discord within the Maratha Confederacy.

His administration relied heavily on experienced statesmen such as Sakharam Bapu Bokil and Nana Fadnavis, who advised him in state matters. However, conflicts within the court and factional rivalries culminated in a conspiracy that led to his assassination at Shaniwarwada in Pune on 30 August 1773. His death triggered a succession crisis, leading to the installation of his infant son Madhavrao II as Peshwa under the regency of the Barbhai Council, a coalition of influential Maratha nobles.