The Peshwa or the prime minister was the foremost minister in the Ashta Pradhan, the council of ministers of Shivaji. The Peshwas gained more powers and became dominant in the eighteenth Century. Balaji Viswanath (1713-1720) Balaji Viswanath was one of the greatest Maratha Peshwa, who ...

Sivaji was born in the hill fort of Shivner near Junnar in 1627. His father was Shahji Bhonsala and mother was Jijabai. In 1632 Shahaji had entered into the service of Bijapur state and left for his new jagir with his second wife. The serious illness of the Sultan of Bijapur in 1646 and the ...

An additional reason for the rise of Marathas had been the wide gap between the ordinary people and the ruling class. The gap had been created by the deteriorating nature of leadership provided by Delhi rulers, who, siphoning wealth from the country, left it underdeveloped and poor. In contrast, ...