[Solved] Balaji Vishwanath: Second Founder of Maratha State

Balaji Vishwanath: Second Founder of Maratha State

Balaji Vishwanath, the first hereditary Peshwa, is credited with streamlining the Maratha administration after the period of Sambhaji. He consolidated power for Chhatrapati Shahu and is known as the 'Second Founder' of the Maratha state.

Primary Reference: NCERT Class VII: Our Pasts - II

Archived: 2000

Updated: 24 Aug 2025

Who among the following streamlined the Maratha administration after Shambhaji?

[UPSC CSE Pre 2000]

Detailed Solution & Historical Context

Concept

After the execution of Sambhaji, the Maratha state faced an existential crisis due to internal civil wars and Mughal pressure. The administrative and political stability that followed was largely the work of the first hereditary Peshwa.

Authentic Source Evidence

Balaji Vishwanath, the 6th Peshwa, is often called the 'Second Founder of the Maratha State.' He helped Chhatrapati Shahu win the civil war against Tarabai and streamlined the administration by creating a powerful confederacy and securing the right to collect Chauth and Sardeshmukhi from Mughal territories.

Analytical Breakdown

Logic 1: While Rajaram and Tarabai led the resistance against Aurangzeb, it was Balaji Vishwanath who institutionalized the power of the Peshwa to bring long-term order to the administration.

Logic 2: He shifted the Maratha focus from mere survival to imperial expansion, setting the stage for the era of Maratha dominance across India.

Conceptual Deep Dive & Logic

"Why is Balaji Vishwanath called the 'Second Founder'?"

Because he rescued the state from internal division and established the financial and administrative structures that allowed the Marathas to expand into an empire.

Examiner's Mindset & Pro-Tip

"The rise of Balaji Vishwanath marked the shift from the 'King's Rule' to the 'Peshwa's Rule' in Maratha history."

Topic Clusters (click to see related topic questions)

Maratha Confederacy 2

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