Peshwa

The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Empire, next in rank and prestige only to that of the Chhatrapati. Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom, the office became hereditary when Shahu gave the seat of Peshwa to Bajirao Ballal. During the reign of Shahu, the office of Peshwas were handed more responsibilities to keep the Jagirdars and Vatandars of the Maratha Empire from rebelling. After the passing of Shahu I the empire had no male heir apparent; hence the duty of maintaining peace lay with the Peshwas till the heir apparent (Rajaram II) was of age. The Peshwas from the time of Balaji Rao became the supreme authority in Maratha empire and the Chhatrapati's position became nominal.

All Peshwas during the rule of Shivaji, Sambhaji and Rajaram belonged to Marathi Deshastha Brahmin community. The first Peshwa was Moropant Pingle, who was appointed as the head of the Ashta Pradhan (council of eight ministers) by Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom. The initial Peshwas were all ministers who served as the chief executives to the king. The later Peshwas held the highest administrative office and also controlled the Maratha confederacy. Under the Bhat family, the Peshwas became the de facto hereditary administrators of the Confederacy. The Peshwa's office was most powerful under Baji Rao I (r. 1720–1740).

Under Peshwa administration and with the support of several key generals and diplomats, the Maratha Confederacy reached its zenith, ruling majority of the Indian subcontinent. The subsequent Peshwas brought in autonomy and as a result later on many states were controlled and administered by the Maratha chiefs such as Scindias, Holkars, Gaekwads and Bhonsles though they often held allegiance to the Peshwa. The Peshwas decline was initiated when Raghunath Rao (Son of the great Baji Rao I) along with his wife Anandibai blinded by greed, had his 18 year-old nephew Narayanrao assassinated.

The word Peshwa is from Persian پیشوا pēshwā, meaning "foremost, leader". The term was inherited from the political vocabulary of previous Persianate empires operating in the Deccan. As early as 1397, the Bahmani Sultanate designated its prime minister as "peshwa". In the 16th and 17th centuries, this practice was continued by the Ahmednagar Sultanate and the Bijapur Sultanate, both successor states of the Bahmani Sultanate. After the coronation of Shivaji in 1674, he appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as his first Peshwa. Shivaji renamed this designation as Pantpradhan in 1674 but this term was less commonly used. Moropant Trimbak Pingale's son, Nilopant Moreshvar Pingale, succeeded him during Sambhaji's rule after Moropant Pingle's death in 1683.

Ramchandra Amatya recaptured many forts from the Mughals between 1690 and 1694, some in person, as well as personally conducting guerilla war techniques. When Rajaram I fled to Jinji in 1689, before leaving Maharashtra, he ordered Ramchandra Pant to safeguard the throne; and he managed the entire state under many challenges such as the Mughal influx, rebellions, and scarcity of food. With his help, Sachiv kept the Maratha State on a sound economic footing.

The Maratha war of succession between Tara Bai and Shahu resulted in latter's victory and assumption of Maratha throne as Chhatrapati. In 1713, Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath (Bhat), as Peshwa. The appointment of Balaji's son, Baji Rao I, as Peshwa in 1720 by Shahu made the position hereditary in the Bhat family. Baji Rao proved his loyalty by controlling the feudal chieftains who wanted independence from the Maratha Empire. The rebellion of General Trimbak Rao Dabhade, the senapati (commander in chief), over Chauthai (revenue collection) of Gujarat is one example of such internal Maratha feuds. The followers of Baji and Trimbak clashed at the Battle of Dabhoi on 1 April 1731, and Trimbak was killed. As reward, Shahu Maharaja gave the Peshwas and the Bhat family more responsibilities in the Maratha empire. who also appointed Baji Rao's son as Peshwa in 1740, gave considerable authority to the Peshwas to command the Maratha armies, and they responded well during his reigns.

The earlier Peshwas had a modest lifestyle in comparison to their Mughal and Nawabi counterparts. There is a Marathi legend about how Peshwa Bajirao I would always utilize the same amenities as his troops, often going to the extent of sharing the same food and going without it for 2–3 days at a time if his army shared the same fate. However this fraternity was largely reduced after the Maratha Resurrection and gradual prosperity of the Maratha Confederacy.

Contrary to belief, the Marathas were not fully committed to casteism and discrimination, as the support of all groups was required for waging wars and appropriate taxation in the Confederacy. The only major involvement in matters of caste was by Narayan Rao Peshwa, when he altered the disputed status of the Prabhus.