The Era of Baji rao

Ujjwala Uvacha:It takes a Shivaji to dream of Hindavi Swaraj and build a foundation for it; and then it takes a Baji Rao to create on that foundation an Empire so vast that covered virtually the whole of Bharatvarsh. Where Shivaji hoisted his Zaripataka, south of Narmada, giving succor to a persecuted Hindu population in the Deccan region, Baji Rao’s aspiration took him north of Narmada and waive the same Zaripataka in the northern heartland of our country. Shivaji made the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb leave the comfort of his Delhi court and trudge to the treacherous Sahyadri, Sambhaji ensured Aurangzeb wastes 27 years of his life away from his capital fighting a war which drained the Mughal treasury; and Baji Rao put the death-nail in the Mughal’s Empire by bringing the battle to their doorstep in Delhi. He made the Marathas the real rulers, reducing the Mughal Emperor to a mere figurehead and under the Chhatrapati’s protection. However, I do not by any mean want to draw a comparison between Chhatrapati Shivaji and Peshwa Baji Rao. My intent is just to show that the fire that Shivaji kindled in the proud Marathas burnt brightly decades after him who went on to build an empire that the Chhatrapati would have been proud of.This is the second book of Dr Uday Kulkarni. In his first book, Solstice at Panipat, the author drew a picture of all the important historical events that led to the Battle of Panipat and the result of that fateful war. In this book, The Era of Baji Rao, Dr Kulkarni takes a step back in history to show the twenty years of Baji Rao’s reign as the Maratha Empire’s Peshwa.The author has yet again dug through the history as recorded by various witnesses and historians. He has used the translated work of Marathi, Farsi, English, French and Portuguese writers to build an authentic account of the era of the Peshwa Baji Rao. He has also tried to retrace the path, as could be possible almost three centuries later, to just get the feel of the large field on which the Maratha fought and won; and waived their saffron flag. And he has provided ample references, maps, colored plates to paint the picture of that era vividly in his readers’ minds.Baji Rao, not even twenty, was appointed the Peshwa at his father’s, Balaji Vishwanath, death. His life was an unending saga of campaigns in the bid to expand the Chhatrapati’s Empire beyond the boundaries of Narmada and Tungabhadra. In twenty-five years of his service to the nation, he was constantly on the move and he didn’t lose a single important battle. Like a grand chess master he would play his opponents however he liked. In all his strategies, he was ably supported by his younger brother Chimmaji Appa. Chimmaji lived in the shadows of his larger-than-life brother all his life and died a few months after Baji Rao’s death. These two warriors left the stage too soon, we could only imagine what greater heights these two could have achieved if they had lived only a few more years.Between these two brothers, with their cavalry and fearless generals, they fought not only with the Mughal in their own home, but they defeated the Portuguese as well. They expanded the Swaraj from Multan, Attock in the north-west, Bengal in the east, got Malwa, Bundelkhand as their territories, and western coastal strip and below the Tungabhadra in the south. Among all these victories, the author never lost sight of the mistakes that were made by the capable generals and their people, the kings and their vassals. He pointed out the mistakes, the errors and the short-sightedness of the key players which cost the nation its men and wealth. The author dispassionately talks about the greed and self-interest of powerful people that were instrumental in changing the course of tide.Additionally, Dr Kulkarni has successfully painted the human side of Baji Rao. A man who was a great warrior but not an invested administrator. A Peshwa who was debt-ridden all his life in his service to the Empire and always trying to get the funds to cover his immediate need, i.e. the current campaign he was engaged in. A man in love with a courtesan whom he did not want to leave despite pressures from his family and community. A person who was watching the fissures in his family develop and was not ready to pay the price for harmony. The author painstakingly brought out the multiple facets of Baji Rao’s personalities and the challenges of his life.However, Baji Rao first and last was a warrior and the author kept that in mind. He also ensured that the readers could appreciate that it is not Baji Rao’s story alone, he could not have achieved everything that he did without the support of so many unsung heroes of his time. So, the canvas of Dr Kulkarni’s story is as large as the landmass on which the Peshwa planted the Zaripataka of the Marathas.I like the narrative style of the author, in his first book he used Sootradhar as the narrator who held the various thread of history capably as the story seamlessly flowed. And in his second book, he used Rewa as the witness and the narrator of Baji Rao’s life. Rewa was not only Peshwa’s playground but also his final resting place, so, it is a great tribute to the warrior to have his story told by her.I highly recommend this book to all the history aficionados. We need to read our history which is not tainted by left-liberals, communists, and their ilk. We owe it to our heroes, our children but above all we owe it to ourselves. Even if you are not into history, just give it a read for the sheer beautiful experience. I now have started on Dr Kulkarni’s third book The Extraordinary Epoch of Nanasaheb Peshwa.P.S. - We should be mindful that Shivaji and Baji Rao, Sambhaji and Nanasaheb could not and did not create the Hindavi Swaraj on their own. There were many stalwarts like Holkar, Scindia, Purandare, Padhnis, Sadhasiv Rao, Tanhaji, Chimmaji Appa and many more (battle-hardened warriors, able administrators, shrewd strategists) even the women in their lives were not lacking in capability from Jija Bai to Ahalyabai. They proudly sacrificed their lives at the great Yajna of Swaraj and left their mark on history, they deserve their stories to be told. I hope our current and future historians would tread the path into the past and tell these stories as it should be told.

This book captures an era from 1689(After Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj) to 1740(Peshwa Baji Rao's death). Events that unfolded in these 50 years were foundational for the Maratha Empire that later span across India.Book starts with Principal Characters, Timeline and Genealogies which set the context for the reader. Book has many maps, few of these are really unique, they super impose military formations, directions of campaigns over the geographical terrain. I have not read such a reader friendly book in a long time. I wish more books present the information in this way.Sections on Balaji Vishwanath, Kanhoji Angre, Chatrapati Rajaram, Brahemndra Swami, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Sayyid brothers are rich in detail and help the reader understand the key contemporary personalities that shaped events of this era.Chapters on Battle of Palkhed, Campaign in Habshan, Pilgrimage of Radha Bai (Baji Rao's mother), Baji Rao's dash to Delhi are really epic. Chapters on Firangan area and Battle of Vasai are so thorough that you will be mesmerised. There are many things that can be learned from Battle of Palkhed, Chimaji Appa's heroic efforts while capturing Vasai Fort and his magnanimity towards enemy post the battle. For me, these chapters are highlight of this book. They are so alive(with maps, letters, references to other historians) that you will feel that history unfolded right in those pages.Most importantly, Author has stayed true to facts as recorded in the available historical documents. Author's page section captures his views on non-fiction historical writing. Such unbiased, objective writing is rare. Usually, such book runs the risk of being dry and un-engaging. However, it is a testament to author's literary skills that book keeps the reader fully engrossed. Idea of Rewa Uvach sections where River Naramada narrates the storyline is simply brilliant.This kind of history writing is rare, do read this book.