The term Peshwa (Marathi: पेशवे) means Prime Minister.

It was King Shivaji of the

Maratha Kingdom who first appointed a Peshwa to the 'Chattrapatis' (King). The Peshwas
controlled the Maratha army and they later became the hereditary rulers of the Maratha
Empire from 1749 to 1818. During their rein, the Maratha empire reached its zenith
ruling most of the Indian Subcontinent. Prior to 1700 one Peshwa received the status of
king for eight or nine years. They oversaw the greatest expansion of the Maratha Empire
around 1760 with the help of Sardars (Generals) like Holkar, Shinde, Bhosale,
Pantpratinidhi, Gaekwad, Panse, Vinchurkar, Pethe, Raste, Phadke, Patwardhan, Pawar,
Pandit and Purandare, and also its eventual annexation by the British East India Company
in 1818.

Title
The word Peshwa may have originated in Persian, meaning "foremost", and was
introduced in Deccan by the Muslim rulers. After his coronation as a Maratha Chhatrapati
in 1674, the founder of the Maratha Empire, Shivaji appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle
as the first Peshwa. However, the first Peshwa was Sonopant Dabir, appointed by Shahaji
to assist Shivaji. Duties and authorities of a Peshwa were equal to that of a Prime
Minister. Shivaji renamed this designation as "Pantpradhan" in 1674 but this name was
less frequently used. The surname of "Peshwe" (alternatively spelt as Peshave) is today
found both among Konkanastha and Deshastha Brahmins, as well as some Maratha
(Kshatriya) families of Vidarbha.[citation needed]

Moropant Pingle
Moropant Trimbak Pingle was the first Peshwa (Prime Minister) in the court of Shivaji,
the founder king of the Maratha empire in western India. He joined the service of Shivaji
in 1647. He was one of the warriors in the famous 1659 war against Afzal Khan. Later he
also won the battle of Trimbakeshwar fort, and assisted Netaji Palkar in the battle of
Wani-Dindori against Mughals and in Surat's war of 1665.

He can be credited for appropriate revenue administration techniques. He also played a

role in planning the fort's resources.

When Shivaji died in 1680, he was busy at development activity Salher-Mulher in

Baglan-Nashik District. He died in 1683.

Ramchandra Pant Amatya (Bawadekar)

Ramchandra Amatya received King status from Chatrapti Rajaram as "Hukumatpanha"
during 1689-1699. He was a basically good administrator who rose from the level of
Local Kulkarni to the ranks of Ashtapradhan due to guidance and support from Shivaji
Maharaj, one of the prominent Peshwas earlier from 1700.
He recaptured many forts from Moguls during 1690-1694. Some forts he captured
personally using guerilla war techniques. When Chatrapati Rajaram fled to Jinji in 1689
then before leaving from Maharastra, he gave "Hukumat panha" (King Status) to Pant.
Ramchandra Pant managed the entire state under many challenges like influx of Moguls,
betrayal of Vatandars, and scarcity of food. With the help of Pantpratindhi, Sachiv kept
the economic condition of Maratha State in a proper way. He got tremendous military
help from Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav the great Maratha warriors. Many times
he directly participated in war, especially during 1689-1695; he personally re-captured
many forts in south Maharastra from the Moguls and played a role of shadow king in the
absence of Chatrapati Rajaram.

In 1698, he happily stepped down from the post of "Hukumatpanha" and Rajaram offered
this post to his wife Tarabai. Tarabai gave an important position to Pant in senior
administration of Maratha State. He wrote a book called Adnyapatra मराठी: आजापत which
explained different techniques of war, maintenance of forts and administration etc.

The concepts in Adnyapatra and the wisdom and leadership of Tararani (Tarabai) greatly
helped the Maratha empire in building the foundation of state. As he was more loyal to
Tararani than Shahu, he was sidelined after the arrival of Shahu. Later the Peshwa post
was given to Balaji Vishwanath in 1713. Ramchandra Pant died in 1716 on Panhala fort.

Bhat Family
The position moved to the Bhat family of Shrivardhan in the Konkan region, upon
appointment of Balaji Vishwanath|Balaji Vishwanath Bhat as Peshwa by the fourth
Chattrapati Shahu in 1713. The appointment of his son, Baji Rao I as Peshwa in 1719 by
Shahu made the position hereditary in the Bhat family, and also led to a rebellion by
General Trimbak Rao Dabhade, the senapati (commander in chief), over Chauthai
(revenue collection) of Gujarat. The followers of Baji and Trimbak clashed at the Battle
of Bilhapur on April 1, 1731, and Trimbak was killed, giving the peshwas and the Bhat
family unchallenged control over Maratha.[1] Shahu, 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.

At the time of his death in 1749, Shahu made the Peshwas his successors under such
conditions. Shivaji's descendants, who remained as the titular Raja of Satara, were called
Swami (Marathi for The real Owner) by the Peshwas who reported to them, and they
were to seek guidance from the Raja. However, the Peshwa also became a ceremonial
head of state after the battle of Panipat and the death of Madhavrao.
Legacy
Maratha Emperors (1674–1818)
Shivaji (1674–1680)
Sambhaji (1680–1689)
Rajaram Chhatrapati (1689–1700)
Queen Tarabai (1700–1707)
Chattrapati Shahu (1707–1749)
Rajaram II of Satara (1749–1777)

Peshwas (Prime Ministers)

(1674–1818)
Moropant Pingle (1674–1689)
Ramchandra Pant Amatya (1689–1708)
Bahiroji Pingale (1708–1711)
Parshuram Tribak
(1711–1713)
Kulkarni
Balaji Vishwanath (1712–1719)
Bajirao (1719–1740)
Balaji Bajirao (1740–1761)
Madhavrao Ballal (1761–1772)
Narayanrao (1772–1773)
Raghunathrao (1773–1774)
Sawai Madhavrao (1774–1795)
Bajirao II (1795–1818)

The first Peshwa to receive the status of a king was Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar
in 1689 by Chatrapati Rajaram.The first Bhat family Peshwa was Balaji Vishwanath
Bhat. He was succeeded as Peshwa by his son Baji Rao I, who never lost a battle. Baji
Rao and his son, Balaji Baji Rao, oversaw the period of greatest Maratha expansion (see
map at right), brought to an end by the Maratha's defeat by an Afghan army at the Third
Battle of Panipat in 1761. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British East
India Company in the Battle of Khadki which was a part of Third Anglo-Maratha War
(1817–1818). After the defeat the Maratha Empire was merged with British India. The
kingdom was annexed to the British East India Company's Bombay province, and the
Peshwa was pensioned off.

Peshwas
• Sonopant Dabir Period 1640-1652
• Shyampant Kulkarni-Ranzekar Period 1652-1657
 • Moropant Peshwe(Pingale) Period 1657-1683
• Moreshwar Pingale 1683-1689
• RamchandraPant Amatya 1689-1708

Generals and diplomats of Peshwas (1720 to 1795)

• Malharrao Holkar
• Ranoji Scindia
• Udaji Pawar
• Govind Pant Bundele
• Pilaji Jadhav
• Pilaji Gaekwad
• Visaji Krushna Biniwale
• Nana Phadnis
• Mahadji Shinde