Raghunath Rao

Raghunathrao Bhat, also known as "Raghoba", "Raghoba Dada" and "Ragho Bharari", was the younger brother of Balaji Baji Rao. He was born to Peshwa Bajirao I and Kashibai. He was born in Mahuli near Satara on 8 December 1734. Much of his early childhood was spent in Satara. Shortly after his birth, his stepmother Mastani gave birth to his half-brother Krishna Rao, later known as Shamsher Bahadur I. Raghunathrao was born into the Bhat family of Chitpavan Brahmin origin, which held the hereditary office of the Peshwa in the Maratha Empire. During his early years, the Maratha Empire was at the height of its territorial expansion under the leadership of his father Bajirao I and grandfather Balaji Vishwanath. Growing up in this political environment, Raghunathrao was exposed to administrative affairs, military organization, and statecraft from an early age. He received an education in Sanskrit, Marathi and Persian, and was trained in horseback riding, swordsmanship, and the use of traditional Maratha weapons. Contemporary accounts describe him as intelligent, energetic, and ambitious. His enthusiasm for warfare and quick decision-making on the battlefield earned him the nickname "Ragho Bharari" (literally, "Ragho the Charger") due to his preference for rapid cavalry movements. In his youth, Raghunathrao assisted his elder brother Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao in various administrative and military responsibilities. Over time, however, differences in political and military judgment developed between the two brothers, which later contributed to factional divisions within the Peshwa administration. Despite these differences, Raghunathrao remained an influential figure within the Maratha polity and played an active role in several important military campaigns during the mid-18th century. == First Northern Expedition (1753–1755) ==

In his early years, Raghunathrao led successful military campaigns in northern Indian subcontinent. His expedition between 1753 and 1755 was concluded by an advantageous treaty with the Jat rulers of Bharatpur, which secured Maratha influence in parts of the Doab region and strengthened their position in the north. During this period, Raghunathrao allied with Imad-ul-Mulk, the powerful Mughal vizier, in a bid to assert Maratha authority over the Mughal Empire. With Maratha support, Imad-ul-Mulk deposed Ahmad Shah Bahadur in 1754, who was subsequently imprisoned along with his mother. The Mughal throne was then offered to Alamgir II, who ruled as a puppet monarch under the influence of the Marathas and Imad-ul-Mulk. This intervention made the Marathas the de facto power in Delhi for several years. Raghunathrao’s northern campaign extended Maratha control over several key territories and forts in Doab and the Delhi Subah, consolidating their presence in the region. However, despite these military gains, the expedition did not yield significant economic benefits for the Maratha treasury. The cost of maintaining garrisons and managing distant territories proved burdensome, and internal political divisions within the Maratha leadership limited the long-term success of these operations. ==Second Northern Expedition (1757–1758) ==

At the end of 1756, Ahmad Shah Abdali began preparations for another invasion of the Indian subcontinent and a march toward Delhi. In response, Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao directed his brother Raghunathrao, along with Malharrao Holkar, Dattaji Shinde and Sidojiraje Gharge-Desai-Dehmukh, to organize a northern expedition aimed at repelling the Afghan advance. The Marathas, as protectors of the Mughal Emperor, sought to restore stability in the north and defend imperial authority from Durrani incursions. Maratha affairs in Rajputana (February 1757 - July 1757) Raghunathrao reached Indore on 14 February 1757, accompanied by Santajirao Wable, where he was joined by Malharrao Holkar. The objectives of Raghunathrao’s northern expedition were twofold: first, to defend the Mughal Emperor from the advancing Afghan forces, and second, to collect outstanding taxes and tributes from northern states to meet the Peshwa's growing financial obligations. In mid-May 1757, Raghunathrao dispatched an advance force of 20,000 troops into the Ganga–Yamuna Doab region to recover territories previously held by the Marathas. Meanwhile, with Malharrao Holkar and the remaining army, he turned toward Rajputana to levy contributions from local rulers. However, the fortified nature of Rajput strongholds and the martial resistance of the local population made revenue collection difficult. Raghunathrao repeatedly wrote to the Peshwa in Pune requesting funds to sustain his forces, stating: Advancing through Mewar, the Maratha army extracted a ransom of ₹1 lakh from Jawad and attacked Ranikheda in March 1757. Reaching Jaipur in April, Raghunathrao demanded pending payments from Madho Singh, the ruler of Jaipur, and laid siege to Barwada, a fort held by the Shekhawat clan. The Marathas lacked adequate siege equipment, and the prolonged blockade strained their resources. Kaniram, Jaipur’s chief minister, offered payments as per previous agreements with the Marathas, but Raghunathrao insisted on a higher tribute, demanding ₹40–50 lakhs and territory valued at ₹14 lakhs. Madho Singh rejected these terms and instructed his feudatories to fortify their estates and remain on alert. By July 1757, realizing that his army lacked the strength to capture the forts of Barwada or Jaipur, Raghunathrao agreed to negotiate. A settlement was reached on 12 July 1757, under which Jaipur paid ₹11 lakhs, six of which were paid immediately. On the same day, Raghunathrao wrote again to the Peshwa, noting: Despite his repeated appeals, no financial assistance arrived from Pune. Having concluded operations in Rajputana, Raghunathrao and Malharrao Holkar marched toward Delhi at the end of July 1757 to expel Afghan garrisons and reassert Maratha control over the Mughal capital. By this time, Ahmad Shah Abdali had already withdrawn to Afghanistan following his invasion of northern Indian subcontinent. Marathas enter the Ganga Doab (May 1757 - July 1757) The Maratha forces dispatched by Raghunathrao to recover lost territories in Ganga Doab were commanded by Sakharam Bapu, Vithal Shivdev, Tatya Gangadhar, and Antaji Mankeshwar. They reached Agra in May 1757, where the Marathas negotiated peace with Suraj Mal before advancing toward the Yamuna. Crossing the river at Agra, the Marathas captured Etawah and Sikandra and established a camp at Kasganj on the southern bank of the Ganges on 17 June 1757. On 2 July 1757, Antaji Mankeshwar advanced toward Anupshahr. The town of Meerut, then held by agents of Najib Khan, resisted the Marathas but was quickly subdued. Imad-ul-Mulk sent his diwan, Nagar Mal, to Anupshahr to renew friendly relations with the Marathas. Meanwhile, Shuja-ud-daulah agreed to remain neutral in the conflict between Najib ad-Dawlah and the Marathas. As a result, most of the Ganga Doab was cleared of Najib’s agents and came under Maratha control. Following his death, the Marathas appointed Dattaji Scindia and later Sabaji Shinde as governors of Punjab. In 1760, Ahmad Shah Durrani’s forces defeated and killed Dattaji Scindia at the Battle of Barari Ghat near modern-day Delhi. In response, Raghunathrao was instructed to lead a northern campaign. He requested substantial military and financial support, noting that the death of Adina Beg had left them without a key ally. However, his request was denied by Sadashivrao Bhau, his cousin and the Diwan of the Peshwa. As a result, Raghunathrao declined to march north, and Sadashivrao Bhau was appointed commander-in-chief of the Maratha Army, under whom the Third Battle of Panipat was later fought. ==Regency==

After the Maratha defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, and the deaths of his brother Balaji Baji Rao and half-brother Shamsher Bahadur I, the Peshwa title passed to Madhavrao I, the second son of Nanasaheb. As Madhavrao was a minor at the time, Raghunathrao was appointed regent of the young Peshwa. Raghunathrao soon fell out of favor with Madhavrao and conspired against him by allying with the Nizam of Hyderabad. This alliance was defeated at Ghodegaon, and Raghunathrao was placed under house arrest. After Madhavrao's death in 1772, he was released and became regent for Madhavrao's younger brother, Narayanrao. Together with his wife Anandibai, Raghunathrao orchestrated the murder of Narayanrao. Legend holds that a written order originally read "Hyala Dharaava" (“Have him seized”), but Anandibai altered it to "Hyala Maraava" (“Have him killed”). When the assassins attacked, Narayanrao reportedly ran outside, crying “Kaakaa, malaa waachwaa” (“Uncle, save me”), but Raghunathrao did not intervene, and Narayanrao was killed. Raghunathrao assumed the Peshwa position, but he was soon overthrown by Nana Fadnavis and eleven other administrators in the “Baarbhaai Conspiracy” (Conspiracy of the Twelve). He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death by Ram Shastri Prabhune, though the sentence was never executed. In 1774, the first battle between Raghunathrao and the Baarbhai took place at Kasegaon near Pandharpur. He then moved to Khambhat seeking assistance from the British, who did not support him militarily but transported him to Surat. At Surat, Raghunathrao signed a treaty with the British East India Company on 6 March 1775, under which Thane, Vasai, and Sashti were to be handed over to the Company, and the Company would assist Raghunathrao in claiming the Peshwa position. However, the Company was not yet prepared for war, and after the Treaty of Purandar (1776), openly distanced themselves from Raghunathrao, asking him to live as a pensioner. Fearful of the Baarbhai, he remained in Surat, where the Company allowed him to stay. In 1776, Raghunathrao unsuccessfully sought assistance from the Portuguese and subsequently moved to Bombay, where the Company provided him ₹15,000. During this period, the East India Company suffered defeat at the Battle of Talegaon. Following this, a treaty was signed at Vadgaon, in which Raghunathrao’s claim to the Peshwa position was formally rescinded. == Assassination of Peshwa Narayanrao ==

On 30 August 1773, Peshwa Narayanrao was assassinated by his uncle Raghunathrao and Raghunathrao's wife, Anandibai. As Raghunathrao was confined and could not directly orchestrate the act, the preparations were carried out by Tujali Pawar, an influential personal servant. Tujali Pawar reportedly held personal grievances against Narayanrao and possibly Madhavrao, and whether or not these perceived offenses were justified, they motivated him to play a central role in the plot. While the original plan had been to capture Narayanrao, it was later amended to involve murder. This revised plan relied, in part, on the assumption that Sakharam Bapu would remain neutral regarding the conspiracy. Legal consequences Ram Shastri, the Nyayadhish ("Chief Justice") of the Maratha Empire, began investigating the assassination of Narayanrao immediately after the incident, despite Raghunathrao's opposition. The investigation lasted approximately six weeks and was conducted in accordance with established judicial practices. Shastri concluded that Raghunathrao was the main culprit and identified about fifty additional individuals as being more or less responsible for the murder (forty-nine men and one female servant). Among the forty-nine men, thirteen were Gardis (eight Hindus and five Muslims), twenty-six were Brahmins, three were Prabhus, and seven were Marathas. The twenty-six Brahmins primarily served as clerks who acted as agents in planning and executing the details of the conspiracy. Vyankatrao Kashi, his brother Laxman, and Sakharam Hari Gupte were the three Prabhus identified as having played prominent roles in the plot. When Shastri confronted Raghunathrao, the latter attempted to downplay the murder as a private matter and urged Shastri not to concern himself with it. Shastri, however, fearlessly declared Raghunathrao the main culprit in the murder of his nephew, demonstrating the power of an independent judiciary in a well-governed state. Despite his principled stance, Shastri was subsequently dismissed from his office by Raghunathrao. Shastri returned to his native village. Barabhai Council While Shastri was conducting the investigation, Sakharam Bapu took measures to ensure the safety of the pregnant Gangabai, the widow of Narayanrao. Her unborn child would determine the succession: if she gave birth to a male, he would become the heir to the Peshwa throne; if female, Sakharam Bapu considered installing Ali Bahadur, the grandson of Baji Rao I, as Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. To secure this outcome, Sakharam Bapu persuaded many Maratha chiefs from Raghunathrao's camp to switch allegiance without raising his suspicion. He subsequently laid the foundations of a council of twelve influential Maratha officials and chiefs, collectively known as the Barabhai Council ("Twelve Comrades"). Key members of this council included Nana Fadnavis, Haripant Fadnavis, Babuji Naik, Maloji Ghorpade, Bhavanrao Pratinidhi, the Raste and Patwardhan families, along with Mahadji Shinde and Tukoji Holkar. ==Death and aftermath==

Raghunathrao moved to Kopargaon to reside with his trusted Sardar, Santajirao Wable, and died there on 11 December 1783 of unknown causes. He had two sons, Baji Rao II and Chimaji Rao II, and had also adopted Amrut Rao. After his death, his wife Anandibai and his three sons were kept in confinement by the Peshwa's minister Nana Fadnavis. Following the death of Peshwa Madhavrao II, Nana Fadnavis, together with the influential chief Daulat Rao Scindia, installed Chimaji Rao and Baji Rao II as puppet Peshwas in quick succession. ==In popular culture==

• In the 1994 Hindi TV series The Great Maratha, Raghoba's character was portrayed by Bhushan Jeevan. • In the 2014 Indian Marathi-language film, Rama Madhav, he is portrayed by Prasad Oak. • In 2019 Hindi film Panipat, he was portrayed by Kashyap Parulekar. ==See also==