Peshwas

Peshwas were the prime ministers of the Maratha Empire and, from the early 18th century, the de facto rulers of the Maratha confederacy even though the title of sovereign remained with the Maratha monarchs. The word Peshwa comes from Marathi and indicates a position of standing before the ruler, effectively serving as chief administrator and military commander. The office originated under Chhatrapati Shahu, and over time it became hereditary within a powerful cadre from the Pune region, controlling finance, administration, and campaigns.

The Peshwas held broad authority over civil governance, revenue collection, and diplomacy, and they led Maratha military campaigns. They managed the empire’s expansion and the administrative machinery, including the collection of customary levies such as chauth and sardeshmukhi, and they exercised substantial influence even as royal authority remained in the hands of the Chhatrapati. The Shaniwar Wada palace in Pune became the traditional seat of the Peshwas, symbolizing their political centrality.

Among the most notable Peshwas were Balaji Vishwanath, who solidified the office in the early 18th century; his son Bajirao I, renowned for his northern campaigns and expansion of Maratha influence; and Balaji Baji Rao, who presided during a period of sustained power despite setbacks such as the major defeat at the Battle of Panipat in 1761. Subsequent Peshwas, including Madhav Rao Narayan, sought to stabilize finances and maintain the confederacy amid rising internal rivalries and growing British influence.

The era ended with the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1818), when the British defeated the last Peshwa, Bajirao II, and disbanded the Maratha Empire, marking the end of the Peshwa era as a distinct political authority.