The Nizam At the outset of Bajirao's Peshwa rule, the Mughal leaders, led by Nizam-ul-Mulk, rebelled against the Sayyid Brothers. To quell the uprising, the Sayyid brothers sought assistance from the Marathas. However, in the
Battle of Balapur, where Bajirao, Malhar Rao Holkar, and Khanderao Dabhade were present, the combined forces of the Sayyid Brothers and the Marathas were defeated by the Nizam's forces. Sankarji Malhar was captured as a prisoner of war, marking Bajirao's first significant military engagement as Peshwa. On 4 January 1721, Bajirao met
Nizam of Hyderabad at
Chikhalthana to resolve their disputes. However, the Nizam refused to recognize the Maratha right to collect taxes from the Deccan provinces. In 1725, the Nizam sent an army to clear Maratha revenue collectors from the
Carnatic region. The Marathas dispatched a force under Fateh Singh Bhosle to counter him; Bajirao accompanied Bhosle, but according to
Stewart Gordon, Bajirao did not command the army. According to
Govind Sakharam Sardesai, Bajirao personally led the campaign under Shahu's command. In contrast,
Stewart Gordon's account suggests that Bajirao was present during the campaign but did not assume command. In the Deccan,
Sambhaji II of
Kolhapur State had become a rival claimant to the title of Maratha King. The Nizam took advantage of the internal dispute, refusing to pay the chauth because it was unclear who was the real Chhatrapati (Shahu or Sambhaji II) and offering to
arbitrate.
Shripatrao Pant Pratinidhi advised Shahu to begin negotiations and agree to arbitration. Sambhaji II was supported by Chandrasen Jadhav, who had fought Bajirao's father a decade earlier. Bajirao convinced Shahu to refuse the Nizam's offer and instead launch an assault. In his
Military History of India,
Jadunath Sarkar wrote:"This campaign gives a classic example of what the predatory horse, when led by a genius, could achieve in the age of light artillery."
Bundelkhand In
Bundelkhand,
Chhatrasal rebelled against the Mughal Empire and established an independent kingdom. In December 1728, a Mughal force led by
Muhammad Khan Bangash attacked him and besieged his fort and family. Although Chhatrasal repeatedly sought Bajirao's assistance, he was busy in Malwa at the time. He compared his dire situation to that of
Gajendra Moksha. In his letter to Bajirao, Chhatrasal wrote the following words: In March 1729, the Peshwa responded to Chhatrasal's request and marched towards Bundelkhand with 25,000 horsemen and his lieutenants Pilaji Jadhav, Tukoji Pawar,
Naro Shankar, and Davalji Somwanshi. Bangash was later forced to leave, signing an agreement that "he would never attack Bundelkhand again". Chhatrasal's position as ruler of Bundelkhand was restored. He granted a large
jagir to Bajirao, and gave him his daughter Mastani. Before Chhatrasal's death in December 1731, he ceded one-third of his territories to the Marathas. Two other Maratha nobles from Gujarat,
Damaji Rao Gaekwad and Kadam Bande, also sided with Dabhade. he intended to visit
Rajput courts and persuade them to pay chauth. Bajirao arrived at
Mewar's southern frontier in January 1736, where Rana
Jagat Singh II had made arrangements for his visit. Diplomatic talks got underway. Bajirao also visited
Jagmandir Palace, in the centre of
Pichola Lake (at Rana Jagat Singh's invitation), and
Nath-Dwara. After resolving matters in Mewar, Bajirao advanced towards
Jaipur.
Jai Singh hastened south with his forces, and they met in Bhambholao (near
Kishangarh).
March to Delhi After the death of Trimbak Rao, Bangash's alliance against the Marathas fell apart. The Mughal emperor recalled him from Malwa, and re-appointed Jai Singh II as the governor of Malwa. However, the Maratha chief Holkar defeated Jai Singh in the 1733
Battle of Mandsaur. After two more battles, the Mughals decided to offer the Marathas the right to collect the equivalent of 22
lakh in chauth from Malwa. On 4 March 1736, Bajirao and Jai Singh reached an agreement at
Kishangad. Jai Singh convinced the emperor to agree to the plan, and Bajirao was appointed deputy governor of the region. Jai Singh is believed to have secretly informed Bajirao that it was a good time to subdue the weakening Mughal emperor. The Mughal emperor dispatched a force, led by Mir Hasan Khan Koka, to check Bajirao's advance. The Marathas defeated his force on 28 March 1737 in outskirts of Delhi at Rikabganj. When the news of the defeat of the Mughal troops by the Marathas spread, a sudden fear seized the citizens of Delhi who expected the attack of the Maratha conqueror any moment. But Baji Rao did not proceed with his victory although he could have taken the city unopposed. He had received intelligence that the Vazir with his army was coming towards Delhi in rapid marches when he heard that Baji Rao was before the gates of the capital. The Peshwa realised that any further stay in the city would greatly imperil his position and endanger the lines of communication with the Maratha mainland. He was content with the imperial offer of the Viceroyalty of Malwa. He, therefore, left Delhi with his soldiers towards the south. Afterwards, they moved another eight miles before encamping for the night. Finding himself heavily outnumbered to the Wazir's army and possibility of reinforcement from the other Mughal nobles he made a decision to quickly retreat from Badshahpur during early night. Passing through Rajputana Bajirao reached Narnol and then Ajmer. The Mughals could not pursue the Marathas and the Emperor had recalled them to Delhi. The Rajput princes once again affirmed their loyalty to the Peshwa and solicited his protection. This event caused great consternation and dismay in the capital. Although the Peshwa left the city suddenly, he exposed the weakness of the government. The demoralizing effect which the Peshwa's surprise attack produced on the army and the citizens of Delhi was permanent.
Battle of Bhopal Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah sought help from the Nizam after Bajirao's march to Delhi; the Nizam set out from the Deccan, met Bajirao's returning force at
Sironj, and told the Peshwa he was going to Delhi to repair his relationship with the Mughal emperor. The Nizam was joined by other Mughal chiefs, and a 30,000-man Mughal army (reinforced by artillery), was dispatched against Bajirao. The Peshwa assembled an 80,000-man force. To counter aid to the Nizam from the Deccan, Bajirao stationed a force of 10,000 (under Chimaji Appa) on the
Tapti River with instructions to prevent
Nasir Jung from advancing beyond
Burhanpur. He and his forces crossed the Narmada in early December 1737, communicating with agents and spies posted to observe enemy moves. The Nizam sheltered in
Bhopal, a fortified town with a lake at his rear, to keep his army and artillery secure. The Nizam, unable to hold out any longer, signed a
peace agreement at
Doraha on 7 January 1738. Malwa was ceded to the Marathas; the Mughals agreed to pay the equivalent of 5,000,000 in
reparations, with the Nizam swearing on the
Quran to abide by the treaty. In response to this threat,
Mughal Emperor
Muhammad Shah summoned the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah, to
Delhi. Accepting the emperor's request, Asaf Jah mobilized his army and marched to Delhi in a bid to resist the invasion. In the absence of the Nizam, Bajirao launched an attack on
Hyderabad with the aim of capturing the six provinces of
Deccan. Having already secured
Malwa through the
Battle of Bhopal from
Jai Singh II, Bajirao sought to expand Maratha influence by targeting Hyderabad in the absence of the Nizam. In the ensuing battle, according to some sources, Bajirao suffered defeat, and his army was compelled to make a humiliating peace treaty, marking a significant setback for the Maratha forces. According to some historical sources, Peshwa Bajirao's last battle took place in Rawarkhedi, Madhya Pradesh in 1739, against
Nasir Jung, the Nizam's son. Nasir Jung lost the battle and escaped. Nasir sued for peace and an agreement was signed between Bajirao and Nasir. According to which, Marathas were deprived of their authority to collect chauth from the six provinces of Deccan, Bajirao promised to not invade the Deccan again.
Khargone and
Handia, previously promised by the Nizam, were formally ceded to the Maratha Empire. ==Battle tactics, character and legacy ==