Maratha Peshwa and Generals from Bhat Family
The Bhat Peshwa family earlier known as Bhat family is a prominent Indian family who dominated India for around 100 years in the 18th century. Most of the members in this family were the Peshwas in the Peshwa Era of the Maratha Empire, and Peshwa later became their family name. During their regime, most of the Indian subcontinent was under their control. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. The territory was annexed to the British East India Company's Bombay Presidency, and he was pensioned off.
Family tree
First generation
- Balaji Vishwanath was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Chitpavan Brahmin family who gained effective control of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century. Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha Emperor Shahu I, grandson of Shivaji, to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistent attack by the Mughals under Aurangzeb. He was called "the second founder of the Maratha State."
Second generation
- Baji Rao I, also known as Bajirao I, was a noted general who was appointed as the Peshwa by Shahu I of the Maratha Empire in 1720., He is also known as Thorale Bajirao in was the son of Balaji Vishwanath Bhat and the younger brother of Bajirao Peshwa. He was an able military commander who liberated Vasai fort from the Portuguese in a hard-fought battle in 1739,.
- Bhiubai – She married Abaji Joshi of Baramati, brother of the banker Balaji Naik famed as Bajirao I's "most tormenting creditor", who belongs to Deshastha Brahmin community.
- Anubai - She married Venkatrao Ghorpade of Ichalkaranji. Their heirs ruled the state of Ichalkaranji till 1947.
Third generation
Chimajiappa was married to Rakhmabai. He had only son, Sadashivrao known popularly as Sadashivrao Bhau who led the Maratha forces in the Third Battle of Panipat against Ahmad Shah Abdali. Rakhmabai died shortly after Sadashivrao's birth, which led to Chimajiappa's second marriage to Annapuurnabai. Bajirao and Mastani had a son named Shamsher Bahadur.
- Balaji Baji Rao , also known as Nana Saheb Peshwa was son of Bajirao and Kashibai. Chattrapati Shahu, at time of his death, appointed Balaji Baji Rao Peshwa of Maratha Empire. He contributed to development of Pune, India. Under his reign, borders of Maratha Empire crossed Peshawar by 1760 AD. However, he is also held responsible for defeat of Marathas at the Battle of Panipat.
- Raghunathrao was Peshwa of the Maratha Empire from 1773 to 1774. Earlier in his career as a commander of Maratha forces, he is credited with expanding the Maratha Kingdom to include far-flung areas such as Attock in present-day Pakistan. However, he is also blamed sowing the seeds for the downfall of the Peshwa Dynasty. He is nicknamed as Ragho Bharari since he is instrumental in planting the triumphant Hindu Maratha flag till Attock in present-day Pakistan.
- Janardan Rao who died young
- Sadashivrao Bhau was the son of Chimaji Appa and Rakhmabai and the nephew of Peshwa Baji Rao I. He served as the Sarsenapati of the Maratha army at the third battle of Panipat. He died fighting at the third battle of Panipat.
- Shamsher Bahadur I also spelled as Samsher Bahadur, a.k.a. Krishnasinh, was a Maratha ruler of the dominion of Banda in northern India. He was the son of Shreemant Peshwa Bajirao I and Mastani.
Fourth generation
- Vishwasrao was the eldest son of Balaji Baji Rao, Peshwa of Pune of the Maratha Empire and also was the heir to the title of Peshwa of Maratha Empire. He was killed during the period of the most intense fighting at Third Battle of Panipat, fighting on the front lines. It is generally accepted that the third battle of Panipat, which hung in balance till his death, moved decisively in favour of the Afghans and ended up in victory of Durrani Empire.
- Madhavrao I was the fourth Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. During his tenure, Maratha power recovered from the losses suffered during the Panipat Campaign, a phenomenon known as "Maratha Resurrection". He is considered as one of the greatest personalities of the Maratha history.
- Narayan Rao was the fifth Peshwa or ruler of the Maratha Empire from November 1772 until his murder by his palace guards in August 1773
- Baji Rao II, also Rao Pandit Pandham, was the son of Peshwa Raghunathrao and Anandibai was Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, and governed from 1796 to 1818.
- Ali Bahadur , was a Nawab of the dominion of Banda in northern India, a vassal of Mahratta polity. He was the son of Shamsher Bahadur I and the grandson of Shreemant Peshwa Bajirao I Under the auspices of the powerful Maratha nobles, Ali Bahadur established his authority over large parts of Bundelkhand and became the Nawab of Banda and placed his trusted aide Ramsingh bhatt as kotwal of Kalinjar. RamSingh bhatt along with Yashwant Rao deshshta attacked and hain es Chauth from Vidhaya and Chunar Ghati. His son and successor Shamsher Bahadur II held allegiance towards the Maratha polity and fought the English in the Anglo-Maratha War of 1803
Fifth generation
- Madhavrao II,, was Peshwa of the Maratha Empire in India, from his infancy. He was known as Sawai Madhav Rao or Madhav Rao Narayan. He was the posthumous son of Narayanrao Peshwa, murdered in 1773 on the orders of Raghunathrao Madhavrao was considered the legal heir, and was installed as Peshwa by the treaty of Salbai in 1782. He was made Peshawa when he was barely 40 days. He is the youngest Peshawa/King ever seen in history.
- Nana Sahib, Nana Sahib was born as Nana Govind Dhondu Pant, to Narayan Bhatt and Ganga Bai. who led the during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was adopted son by the exiled Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II.The Company's refusal to continue the pension after his father's death, as well as what he perceived as high-handed policies, compelled him to lead the First Indian Revolution against the British and seek freedom from company rule in India. He forced the British garrison in Kanpur to surrender, and thus gained control of Kanpur for a few days. He later disappeared, after his forces were defeated by a British force that recaptured the city. He also led the battle at Gwalior with Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi; but was unsuccessful as many Indian rulers sided with the British including the Afghans, Sikhs & Gorkhas. He disappeared after the war but there were many rumors that he was seen alive at a number of places in a period after 1857.
- Shamsher Bahadur II, Nawab of Banda 1802/1825, died 1823/1825 son of Ali Bahadur I
- Nawab Zulfikar Ali, Nawab of Banda in 1802 and 1825/1850, son of Ali Bahadur,He was married and had issue.
- Nawab Ali Bahadur II, Nawab of Banda 1850/1858, son of Ali Bahadur I.He fought with Rani Lakshmi Bai Of Jhansi Against British East India Company in 1857 Indian rebellion in Kalpi. He was married and had issue, three sons. He died 1873.
- Jagat Bahadur fl.1833 son of Ali Bahadur I
present generation
- Descendants of Amrut Rao,the adopted son of Raghunathrao, settled in Pune after staying in Bithoor and Varanasi for some duration.Family members are still associated with temples built by Amrutrao on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi.
- The descendants of Bajirao Iand Mastani lead middle class lives, as social workers, teachers and government servants, in the town of Sehore near Bhopal.
Genealogy