Baji Rao I - Accomplishments

Accomplishments

• Baji Rao, who fought over 41 major battles and many others, is reputed never to have never lost one battle. General Montgomery, British general and later Field Marshal after WWII, affirmed this in his writings.

• He was one of the first to understand and exploit the weaknesses of the fragmenting Mughal Empire, following the footsteps of his father. The declining influence of the Syed Brothers at the Imperial court was another factor influencing his decision to attack.

• The later Kingdoms of Scindias (Ranoji Shinde) of Gwalior, Holkars (Malharrao) of Indore, Gaekwads (Pilaji) of Baroda, and Pawars (Udaiji) of Dhar were created by Baji Rao as part of a Maratha Empire, as he wreaked havoc on the disintegrating Mughal Empire and set up his jagirdars (fiefdoms).

• He moved the administrative capital of the Maratha Empire from Satara to the city of Pune in 1728. His general, Bapuji Shripat, persuaded some of the richer families of Satara to settle in the Pune city, which was divided into 18 peths (boroughs).

• In 1732, after the death of Maharaja Chhatrasal, a long-time ally of the Maratha Empire, Baji Rao was granted one-third of Chhatrasal's kingdom in Bundelkhand.

• An outstanding cavalry leader, Baji Rao was loved by his troops and his people. He fought for the protection of Hindu Dharma, and freed central and western India from Mughals. Under his command, Marathas defeated the Siddis(Moghul admirals), Portuguese, and Nizam, Bangash and other generals.