Sadashivrao Bhau was the Diwan of the Peshwa and served as the commander-in-chief of the Maratha army in the Third Battle of Panipat (1761). He is also known as Bhau and Bhausaheb.
Wiki/Biography
Sadashivrao Bhau was born in Saswad, Pune on Friday, August 4, 1730 (age 30 years at the time of death). His zodiac sign is Leo. He completed his studies under the guidance of his guru Ramchandrababa Shenvi in Satara, Maharashtra.
family, caste and wife
Bhau was born into a Maratha family. His father was Chimaji Appa, who died when Bhau was 10 years old. Bhau’s mother Rakhmabai died when he was one month old and his father later married Annapurnabai. Bhau was raised by his grandmother Radhabai and aunt Kashibai. Peshwa Baji Rao was his uncle and Nanasaheb Peshwa was his cousin.
Sadashivrao Bhau’s father-Pandit Chimaji Saheb
Peshwa Baji Rao
cypress
Nanasaheb Peshwa
Bao was married twice. His first wife was Umabai, who bore him two sons. After her death, he married Parvatibai, who accompanied him in the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.
Sadashivrao’s Wife- Parvati Bai
Early Life of Sadashivrao Bhau
In 1746, a mission was assigned to Babuji Naik and Fateh Singh Bhonsle of Karnataka, but they failed and later it was assigned to Sadashivrao Bhau. On 5 December 1746, Bhau left Pune along with his political advisors Mahadoba Purandare and Sakharam Bapu and carried out a campaign in Karnataka His first campaign, which lasted until May 1747. In January 1747, Bhau won his first battle at Ajra, south of Kolhapur, in which 36 Parganas were captured by the Marathas. He annexed Kittur, Parasgad, Gokak, Yadwad, Bagalkot, Badami, Navalgund, Umbar, Giri, Togarh, Haliyar, Cities like Harihar and Basavapatna.
After the resignation of Mahadjipant Purandare, Bhau became the Diwan of the Peshwa. He won many battles in which he rebelled against Yamaji Shivdev, won the Battle of Udgir (1760) and captured the Daulatabad fort. One of the most notable battles during his leadership was the “Third Battle of Panipat (1761)”.
daulatabad fort
Third Battle of Panipat (1761)
In January 1760, Nana Saheb Peshwa learned of the invasion of the Indian Punjab region by Ahmed Shah Abdulli (the leader of the Afghan army). All Muslims in northern India aligned themselves with Abdul in the name of religion. Nana Saheb chose Sadashiv Rao to lead the Maratha army to Delhi to fight against Abdul.
On March 14, 1760, his army of 45,000-60,000 men set out from Padur, later joined by non-combatants, including family members, who wished to make a pilgrimage to Hindu holy sites in northern India. Later, the Marathas of Holkar and Scindia also joined his army.
Bhau employed hit-and-run tactics, which had helped him win previous fights. He raised a force of 10,000 infantry and 50 artillery pieces. Holkar and Scindia tried to influence Bhau to form an alliance with the Rajput, Sikh, Shuja-ud-Daula and Muslim leaders of northern India. The Rajputs denied supporting him in the fighting; as the Marathas repeatedly interfered in the internal and political affairs of Rajputana.
Holkar and Scindia requested Suraj Mal, the powerful leader of Rajasthan, to join their fight. Suraj Mal did not trust Bhau so Holkar and Scindia assured Suraj Mal of their personal safety. Suraj Mal accepted their offer and agreed to join the Maratha army. Due to the non-cooperation of the Jat and Rajput kings, there was a shortage of food and other supplies. Beau’s domineering attitude made the situation more difficult, as he failed to convince the regional kings to support him in the war. He even decided to arrest Raja Suraj Mal who was preparing to form an alliance with the Marathas. Suraj Mal returned to Balabhgarh Fort and refused further support.
Maharaja Suraj Mal
Bau even rejected the alliance proposal made by the Sikhs and therefore he did not get any supplies from the Punjab. The Maratha camp reached Delhi on August 1, 1760, but due to food shortages, they thereafter moved to Karnal, about 110 kilometers north of Delhi, and occupied Kunjpura on the west bank of the Yamuna River. Kunjpura) village where Bau killed an entire battalion of Afghans at Kunjpura Fort. Abdali had already crossed the east bank of the Yamuna, so he could not save his troops; when the Yamuna was flooded.
Paintings by Ahmed Shah Abdali
Abdul could not bear this setback and decided to cross the river at all costs. On October 17, 1760, he started from Shahdra with his army. A villager who was exchanging money pointed them to a road that crossed the Yamuna River at Baghpat (a small town on the east bank of the Yamuna River halfway between Delhi and Panipat). The Marathas failed to stop them and established a defensive force at Panipat.
Abdali managed to block the Maratha approach south to Delhi. At the end of November 1760, Abdul cut off almost all food supplies to the Maratha camp. On January 13, 1761, the Maratha chiefs begged Bhau to allow them to die in battle instead of starving to death. The next day the Marathas left the camp and marched towards the Afghan camp. On January 14, 1761, the Maratha and Afghan armies faced off.
Painting depicting the Third Battle of Panipat
Till the afternoon the Marathas almost won the battle but the whole situation changed when Vishwasrao (Bhau’s nephew) died on the battlefield. After seeing his nephew dead, Bawu walked towards the enemy army. The Afghans attacked him and he was killed on the battlefield by Abdali’s troops.
Map of India 1760
aftermath of battle
According to some sources, Bau’s headless body was found among the corpses three days after the war. His head was later found hidden by Afghan soldiers. His body was cremated according to Hindu rituals and his ashes were taken to Kashi Vishaljan.
And according to some other sources, perhaps Bau survived the battle and lived his life in secret elsewhere. Bhau’s wife Parvatibai refused to accept the fact that her husband was dead because his body was never found. She never lived the life of a Bau widow.
die
Bhau was killed on the battlefield of the “Third Battle of Panipat” in Panipat, Haryana, on January 14, 1761 (the festival of Makar Sakranti).
Facts/Trivia
- In 1770, someone claimed to be Sadashivrao, but he turned out to be an imposter.
- There is an area in Pune named “Sadashiv-Peth” in honor of Bhau.
- A memorial park has been built to commemorate the “Third Battle of Panipat” at Kala Ambu, Panipat, Haryana.
Monument to the Third Battle of Panipat
- In 2019, a Bollywood film was released on the “Third Battle of Panipat” titled “Panipat – The Great Betrayal”, in which Arjun Kapoor played the role of “Sadashivrao Bhau”, Sanjay Dutt plays ‘Ahmed Shah Abdali’.
Arjun Kapoor as Sadashivrao Bhau
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education