1. Bajirao I was appointed Peshwa at the age of nineteen by Shahu I, following the death of his father, Balaji Vishwanath.
40 Facts About Bajirao I
1. 2.
Bajirao I is celebrated for his military campaigns and pivotal role in establishing Maratha supremacy in the Indian subcontinent.
3.
Bajirao I secured the important territory of Malwa after defeating the combined forces of Mughal-Nizam-Nawab of Awadh in Battle of Bhopal.
4.
Bajirao I died of fever in 1740 at an age of 39 years.
5.
Bajirao I's relationship with his second wife Mastani is a controversial subject; very little is known with certainty about it.
6.
Bajirao I was born into the Bhatt family in Sinnar, near Nashik.
7.
Bajirao I had a younger brother, Chimaji Appa, and two younger sisters, Anubai and Bhiubai.
8.
Bajirao I displayed a passion for the military at an early age and often accompanied his father on military campaigns.
9.
Bajirao I was with his father when his father was imprisoned by Damaji Thorat before being released for a ransom.
10.
Bajirao I had been on the expedition to Delhi in 1719 with his father and was convinced the Mughal Empire was disintegrating and would be unable to resist northward Maratha expansion.
11.
Bajirao I always treated his wife Kashibai with love and respect.
12.
Bajirao I took Mastani as his wife, the daughter of Rajput king Chhatrasal, born from his Muslim concubine.
13.
Bajirao I moved his base of operations from Saswad to Pune in 1728, laying the foundation for the transformation of the kasba into a large city.
14.
Bajirao I convinced Shahu that the Maratha Empire had to go on the offensive against its enemies to defend itself.
15.
Bajirao I believed the Mughal Empire was in decline, and wanted to take advantage of the situation with aggressive expansion into North India.
16.
Bajirao I compared the Mughals' declining fortune to a tree which, if attacked at its roots, would collapse.
17.
Bajirao I promoted young men like himself, such as Malhar Rao Holkar, Ranoji Shinde, the Pawar brothers and Fateh Singh Bhosle, as commanders; these men did not belong to families who were hereditary Deshmukhs in the Deccan sultanates.
18.
Bajirao I was made vizier of the Mughal Empire in 1721 by emperor Muhammad Shah, who, alarmed at his increasing power, transferred him from the Deccan to Awadh in 1723.
19.
The Marathas, led by Bajirao I, helped the Nizam win this battle.
20.
The Marathas dispatched a force under Fateh Singh Bhosle to counter him; Bajirao I accompanied Bhosle, but according to Stewart Gordon, Bajirao I did not command the army.
21.
In contrast, Stewart Gordon's account suggests that Bajirao I was present during the campaign but did not assume command.
22.
Bajirao I convinced Shahu to refuse the Nizam's offer and instead launch an assault.
23.
Bajirao I began to destroy the towns held by the Nizam; leaving Pune, he crossed the Godavari River near Puntamba and plundered Jalna and Sindkhed.
24.
Bajirao I destroyed Berar, Mahur, Mangrulpir and Washim before turning north-west to Khandesh.
25.
Bajirao I compared his dire situation to that of Gajendra Moksha.
26.
Bajirao I declared Bajirao as his adopted son and granted a large jagir to Bajirao, and gave him his daughter Mastani.
27.
Bajirao I was replaced by Abhay Singh, who recognized the Maratha right to collect taxes.
28.
Bajirao I learned that Dabhade and Gaikwad had made preparations for an open fight on the plain of Dabhoi with a force of 40 thousand, while Bajirao I's numbers hardly reached 25 thousand in all.
29.
Bajirao I repeatedly sent messages to Dabhade to solve the dispute amicably in the presence of Shahu.
30.
Shahu and Bajirao I avoided a rivalry with the powerful Dabhade clan after subduing Trimbak Rao; Trimbak's son, Yashwant Rao, was appointed as Shahu's senapati.
31.
Bajirao I sent a Maratha force led by Sekhoji Angre, son of Kanhoji Angre.
32.
Bajirao I allowed the Siddis to retain control of Janjira if they accepted Abdul Rehman as the ruler; they were allowed to retain control of Anjanvel, Gowalkot and Underi.
33.
Bajirao I visited Jagmandir Palace, in the centre of Pichola Lake, and Nath-Dwara.
34.
Jai Singh convinced the emperor to agree to the plan, and Bajirao I was appointed deputy governor of the region.
35.
Jai Singh is believed to have secretly informed Bajirao I that it was a good time to subdue the weakening Mughal emperor.
36.
Bajirao I was content with the imperial offer of the Viceroyalty of Malwa.
37.
Bajirao I was known for rapid tactical movements in battle, using cavalry.
38.
Bajirao I is considered to be one of the greatest military generals of his time.
39.
Bajirao I's body was exhausted due to ceaseless wars and military campaigns.
40.
Balaji Bajirao I ordered Ranoji Shinde to build a chhatri as a memorial.