- Harbhatji
- Govind Hari
- Gopalrao
- Vamanrao, Pandurangrao and Gangadharrao
- Trimbak Hari
- Neellkanthrao
- Ramachandra Hari
- Parshuram Bhau
- Krishnabhat
- Purushottam Daji
- 3 others
- Govind Hari
The saga of the ‘southern jagirdars’ as they were labelled by the British has largely been neglected by mainstream narratives of Maratha and Indian History. This large family performed in the Deccan what the Scindias and Holkars achieved in the north.
harbhaTji
The story of the Patwardhans is similar to so many Brahmins who migrated in the 18th century from the impoverished coastal Konkan strip to the more prosperous Deccan plateau. The family hailed from the small village of Kotavade, not far from the Ganesh temple at Ganpatipule, in Ratnagiri district. Here, Harbhatji, the son of Balbhat, of a priestly family, found it hard to make ends meet in the meagre income earned of their priestly duties. Harbhatji therefore left home and decided he would devote his life in service to the Ganpati at Pule. Here, in the course of his stay, he married Laxmi bai, the daughter of Shende. With a family to support, he decided to migrate up the ghats to the Desh plateau of the Deccan.
Harbhatji was born around 1655 CE and when he came up the ghats he was nearly forty years old. He had seven sons, of which Govind Hari, Trimbak Hari and Ramachandra Hari attained considerable fame. Harbhatji was considered a holy man and people often visited him to ask for a boon. At this time, the valiant Naro pant Ghorpade +++(a brAhmaNa)+++ was adopted as a son by the great Santaji Ghorpade, and given the principality of Ichalkaranji. As he grew older and had no offsring, he aspired for an heir. The couple approached Haribhatji who advised them to pray to Venkoba of Giri in north Karnataka. Soon after, the couple were blessed with a son who they named Vyankatrao after the deity. The happy couple also invited Harbhat to come and live in their estate thereafter.
Harbhatji soon began to manage most affairs of Ichalkaranji as Naro pant was away on campaigns.+++(5)+++ Vyankatrao’s wedding to Anubai, the daughter of Balaji Vishwanath Peshwa was also arranged by Harbhatji. The association with the Peshwa grew with time, and Harbhatji’s three sons – Govind Hari, Trimbak Hari and Ramachandra Hari - joined the military forces under the Peshwa and his two sons Bajirao and Chimaji Appa. Govind Hari accompanied Bajirao in many of his campaigns across the north and was with him in all his battles. Ramachandra Hari fought under Chimaji against the Siddi of Janjira.
rAmachandra hari
At this time, Sambhaji, the ruler of Kolhapur, without any provocation, attacked the adjacent town of Ichalkaranji. Vyankatrao was with Bajirao in the north and could not defend his estate. Bajirao at first sought the help of Chhatrapati Shahu, but when this did not stop the attack, he asked Ramachandra Hari to rush to defend Ichalkaranji. Ramachandra Hari quickly reached the place and defeated the army of Kolhapur. Sambhaji complained to Shahu who called them both before him and patched up a peace.
In the 1730s, the war with Janjira was followed by the war on the Portuguese occupied north Konkan where religious persecution against the local population created a situation where the Marathas had to intervene. Chimaji Appa took the lead and the war began in 1737 with all major Maratha chiefs participating in it. Salsette was liberated in 1737.
During this, Ramachandra Hari actively participated in the capture of the fort of Thana and the campaign of Kelwe Mahim was also carried out successfully, although Ramachandra Hari sustained a bullet wound at the time. Chimaji Appa led the Maratha forces to a final victory over the Portuguese in May 1739. Ramachandra Hari as well as Govind Hari took part in this battle. It is said the honour of raising the Maratha flag at Vasai was given to Ramachandra Hari.+++(4)+++
Ramachandra Hari’s military exploits had by then became the stuff of legends. It is mentioned that on one occasion he singlehandedly subdued an elephant in rage.+++(4)+++ There is another mention of a duel with an expert swordsman in an expedition to the north, where he emerged victorious.+++(5)+++
Ramachandra Hari had no child till fairly late and for a while he took his brother Krishnabhat’s son Purushottam Daji to accompany him on his campaigns and manage his armies. Purushottam Daji thus received his military training under Ramachandra Hari. Later, a son was born to Ramachandra Hari who was named as Parshuram Bhau, and he served the Maratha state in the field until the end of the eighteenth century. Ramachandra Hari died in the 1740s, although the precise year is not known. His estate and his army was managed by Purushottam Daji on behalf of Parshuram Bhau who was still a minor.
Turmoil after rAmachandra’s death
Govind Hari Patwardhan, son of Harbhat Baba, founder of Patwardhan family.
On Ramachandra Hari’s death, his brother Govind Hari, who had served in campaigns with Bajirao, managed to convince the Peshwa to hand over his brother’s estates to their family, and he asked Purushottam Daji and his son Gopalrao to manage them for Parshuram Bhau. Govind Hari and Trimbak Hari continued to serve in the Peshwa’s armies. Nanasaheb Peshwa went on a campaign to the north four times between 1741 and 1749, and was accompanied by both brothers.
On the death of Shahu in December 1749, a civil war in the Maratha state divided the chiefs into those who favoured the Peshwa and those who favoured the elderly Tarabai. In support of Tarabai, the armies of Damaji Gaekwad attacked the Peshwa’s territories and even reached Satara, the capital of the Marathas. Nanasaheb was away battling the Nizam at this time. The small army of Nana Purandare could not stop Damaji.
An anecdote of the time mentions that somebody taunted the widow of Ramachandra Hari about their army being a feeble one. Stung by the barb, she dispatched Purushottam Daji who swore he would not show his face until Gaekwad had been defeated. A letter from Purushottam Daji and Gopalrao about this battle says, ‘Ramachandra pant is no more. But we five or seven of us have taken his place. We may get killed, but we will not turn our backs on the enemy.’
Southern campaigns for the peshvA
The Peshwa’s armies with Trimbak mama Pethe, Purushottam Daji and Gopalrao Patwardhan finally defeated Gaekwad and reaffirmed the Peshwa’s trust in their abilities. Eventually, Damaji Gaekwad was arrested and brought before the Peshwa by Gopalrao Patwardhan.
The Patwardhans by this time emerged as the principal supporters of the Peshwa’s army in the Deccan.
The Peshwa’s cousin Sadashiv rao Bhau led many campaigns in the south between 1746 and 1759. The campaign against the Nawab of Savanur was a difficult one as he was supported by a strong artillery. The Peshwa was assisted by Balwantrao Mehendale, Malharji Holkar, Gopalrao and Purushottam Daji Patwardhan. In the forefront of the battle guiding the siege of the fort of Savanur, Purushottam Daji was injured by an arrow and fainted on his horse. The Peshwa saw this from his elephant and ordered a palanquin be brought to take Purushottam Daji to the camp. By then, he had been lifted on a bed of lances. When the palanquin arrived, Purushottam Daji had recovered and said he would stay on the bed of lances, as befitted a soldier. However, Nanasaheb Peshwa sent a message that in recognition of his valour, he had been given the honour of riding in a palanquin.
The Peshwa’s campaign against Srirangapatnam in 1757, had all the Patwardhans in the Maratha army. This time, the Peshwa gave the town of Ambe near Mangalvedha as an inam to Purushottam Daji and his brother Narayan. This was also the first time the future hero Parshuram Bhau led an army into battle. The campaign ended successfully and a tribute was obtained from Mysore.
Gopalrao and Hyder
However, after the Peshwa returned, Hyder Ali drove a hard bargain and suddenly attacked Gopalrao’s camp, forcing him to release nearly fourteen parganas captured from Mysore and accepting a tribute of 32 lakh rupees instead. Nanasaheb disapproved this treaty and wrote to Gopalrao that ‘Hyder has taken your ‘swarup’ or dignity’. Gopalrao strongly remonstrated that he gave the territory due to just one surprise attack and called his action a practical approach to obtain ready funds.
Note that the nidus+++(=nest)+++ of the Patwardhan – Hyder Ali rivalry can be traced from this event - as we shall see. The Patwardhans were later given the task of defending the territory north of the river Tungabhadra.
The Maratha power was now at its peak.
In 1757, the victory over the Nizam was followed by the capture of Delhi by Raghunath rao and Malharji Holkar. The armies then swept into the Punjab and captured the city of Lahore from Taimur Shah Durrani, the son of Ahmed Shah. The armies further reached Multan, Attock and Peshawar. In the south, the French General Bussy left the Nizam’s service to defend Puducherry from the British. The Maratha forces took advantage of this by attacking the Nizam Salabat Jung.
The Peshwa’s cousin Sadashiv rao Bhau’s refrain was to ‘clear the Deccan’ and the Nizam’s rule was the only obstacle in this objective. The Nizam’s diwan Salabat Khan at this juncture was estranged from the Nawab and holed up in the fort of Daulatabad. From here, he sought the help of the Peshwa. The Peshwa led his army and defeated the Nizam, obtaining territory yielding revenue of nearly twenty five lakh rupees.
In 1759, Ibrahim Khan Gardi was recruited by the Peshwa with his trained French artillery. The ensuing battle at Udgir against the Nizam was decisive. The Patwardhans took part in this battle with all their contingents. On his defeat, the Nizam begged for terms and had to hand over territory worth sixty-two lakhs to the Marathas. The important cities of Daulatabad, Bijapur, Aurangabad were to be handed over to the Marathas. Gopalrao was sent to take charge of the fort of Daulatabad.
At Daulatabad, Gopalrao attempted to take the fort bloodlessly by negotiating with the fort’s killedar. However, this made matters more difficult. Nanasaheb then wrote to Gopalrao, ‘if you indulge in politics, the matter gets spoilt. Attack and take the fort.’ Gopalrao accordingly attacked the fort vigorously forcing the Nizam’s army to submit. The original letters written by both of them at this time make interesting reading.
Soon after the grand victory at Udgir, it seemed there was nothing that could stop the Marathas from becoming the masters of the entire Indian sub-continent.
pAnIpat
However, matters in the north went wrong for the Marathas. Ahmed Shah Abdali attacked with a huge army defeating Holkar and killing Dattaji Scindia. He was aided by all the Rohillas, Shuja of Awadh and even the Rajput princes of Jodhpur and Jaipur. The catastrophic defeat of Scindia and Holkar, and the loss of Delhi, was a huge loss of prestige for the Marathas. Moreover, all the gains of the previous two decades were lost. At the same time, in the south the Wodeyar ruler of Mysore was deposed and power was wrested by the new entrant Hyder Ali. He began invading Maratha territory to the south. A multi front war was to erupt shortly even before the Nizam was completely subdued. The Peshwa himself was in poor health. The crisis in the Empire was further accentuated by a shortage of funds as the gains at Udgir had not yet been realised.
Nanasaheb Peshwa therefore had to divide his armies. He sent a large contingent north with Sadashivrao Bhau, while his brother Raghunathrao was entrusted with keeping the Nizam at bay. Another army led by Visaji Krishna, Trimbak mama Pethe and the Patwardhans was sent south and a fourth army was held in reserve under his own command. The Bhonsles of Nagpur were feuding over their own succession and did not take part in these battles until it was too late. When there was no news from Panipat, the Peshwa started for north with an army of thirty thousand men, taking Gopal rao with him. However, he heard of the Maratha defeat at Panipat on his way and stopped near Jhansi.
The battle of Panipat was fought on 14 January 1761 and the Marathas were defeated. The defeat emboldened all their enemies and they began to march on Maratha territories from all directions. The battle of Panipat is therefore an important event in Maratha history, however, it was also the time when the rise of the Patwardhans began. The story of the next four decades of the eighteenth century were truly a time when the Patwardhan families helped the Maratha power emerge from its lowest point.
GOPALRAO PATWARDHAN – FIRST RAO OF THE PESHWAI
Gopalrao under nAnAsAheb
An extremely complex period of history begins from 1760, due to wars with the Nizam, Hyder Ali, the reverse at Panipat and mainly, the schism in the Peshwa family after Nanasaheb Peshwa’s death. The Patwardhans went through a turbulent period and emerged from the crisis to serve the Maratha state for the next few decades.
Govind Hari’s four sons - Gopalrao, Vamanrao, Pandurangrao and Gangadharrao – along with Govind Hari’s brother Trimbak Hari’s son Neellkanthrao as well as Ramchandra Hari’s son Parshuram Bhau and their eldest brother Krishnabhat’s son Purushottam Daji - were all active in the military field. Of these, Gopalrao was born around 1721 and with his brothers, this generation participated in most battles in the Deccan in the second half of the eighteenth century. Of these, Gopalrao played a leading role in the times of Madhavrao Peshwa. It is to part of this story that we now turn.
The battle of Udgir against the Nizam was fought in early 1760 and Nanasaheb Peshwa sent Gopalrao to capture the strong fort of Daulatabad. Gopalrao tried to lure the garrison by a promise of money. Nanasaheb Peshwa chided him in private and asked him to attack instead of indulging in politics, he then captured the base of the fort and blockaded the garrison, forcing it to submit. A small jagir was promised to the killedar of the fort. Calling Gopalrao a ‘stern soldier’, the Peshwa then sent him a letter of approbation.
Changes in the empire
After Udgir, the Nizam ceded Ahmednagar, Bijapur, Daulatabad and Burhanpur – four principal Mughal capitals of the Deccan to the Marathas, pushing the Nizam into a corner. However, before he could be chastised and his territory taken over, there was a call of arms to the north. The Maratha reverse at Panipat happened in January 1761, changing power equations all over the country.
The dust had not yet settled on the defeat at Panipat when Nanasaheb Peshwa passed away on 23 June 1761 at Pune. Until his death, the prestige of the Peshwa held off his enemies; notably the Nizam and the rising chief Hyder Ali of Mysore. His death was followed by the appointment of his 16-year-old son Madhav rao as the next Peshwa with his uncle Raghunath rao as the Regent. Matters between the uncle and the nephew rapidly reached a new low, as Madhav rao was too strong a person to be led, and Raghunath rao too ambitious to let go. The enemies of the Maratha state were waiting for just such an opportunity and once the monsoon months were over, they began their moves.
Gopalrao with Madhavrao
In the midst of this civil strife, the Patwardhans led by Govind Hari and his son Gopalrao became partisans of Madhavrao. The divide in the top echelons of the Maratha power was not to remain hidden for long. Madhavrao’s mother Gopikabai had a natural aversion for Raghunathrao, who she felt dominated her son, and she did not hesitate to influence the young Peshwa’s mind. Although the Patwardhan clan supported Madhavrao, we shall see, in the years to come they had to fight a war against the Maratha raj itself.
Before Nanasaheb’s death, Raghunathrao had been sent there to check the Nizam, however he returned to Pune. In the south, Visaji Krishna Biniwale was facing Hyder Ali. The news of Panipat reached him and he hurriedly patched up a treaty taking an indemnity of just three lakhs from a pleasantly surprised Hyder and returned to Pune. After Panipat, Hyder Ali too came forward to take back the lost territories in the Carnatic. To compensate for this void in the south, the saranjams+++(??)+++ of the Patwardhan were increased and they were sent to defend the southern borders of the Maratha power.
The fort of Miraj had hitherto been with Madhavrao’s father in law Shivaji Ballal, however, the Peshwa did not let this come in the way of compensating for the losses sustained by the Patwardhans in the war with the Nizam and handed the fort to them. By 1762, the Patwardhans were firmly in charge of the fort of Miraj, and Govind Hari made this his base.
Govind Hari was nearly sixty-five by then, he was devoted to the deity of Pandharpur and he indulged in charity in the pilgrim town. Relations between Raghunathrao and Madhavrao progressively deteriorated and the split spread through the chiefs and ministers. Gopalrao had once refused to serve under Raghunathrao largely owing to the presence of his advisor Sakharam Bapu – who the Patwardhans did not trust. Gopalrao, therefore became the Peshwa’s natural ally against his uncle.
In the midst of this, the Nizam came with his army and destroyed the temples at Kaigaon Toka south of Aurangabad and began his march on Pune. The Marathas fought using their traditional methods and resisted the Mughal. Gradually, the Nizam reached Urali, not far from Pune. Here, the Nizam’s officer Ramchandra Jadhav, annoyed at the iconoclasm at Toka, came over to the Marathas.+++(5)+++ At Uruli, not far from Pune, the Nizam was blockaded, his army surrounded and starved of provisions. Gopalrao, Bapuji Naik and others felt this was the time to extract the maximum advantage from the Nizam. However, the negotiating team led by Raghunathrao and Sakharam Bapu, his advisor, gave the Nizam territory of 27 lakhs and signed a treaty. The outcome disgusted Bapuji Naik who left the army and walked away to his saranjam.
Seeing the discontent against his administration, Raghunathrao angrily retired from the administration. Sakharam Bapu was also removed as the Diwan and Madhavrao appointed Trimbak mama Pethe in his place. There were strong undercurrents at this time of a caste divide between the Kokanastha (led by Trimbak rao, Baburao Phadnis and the Patwardhans) and Deshastha Brahmins (led by Sakharam Bapu, with Aba Purandare, Vithal Shivdeo and Chinto Vithal).+++(5)+++ It was assumed that Raghunathrao gave the Nizam this territory to make use of him in future, in the event of a battle between Madhavrao and Raghunathrao.
In Pune, Raghunathrao asked Madhavrao for a personal jagir of 10 lakh rupees and said he would retire from the administration. The Peshwa refused and Raghunathrao left Pune for the nearby village of Vadgaon. A large train of chiefs including the Peshwa, Holkar and Gopalrao went to assuage him. Govind Hari scolded his son, ‘it is not your business to enter this field of mediation. Maintain an army and do your duty to your master’, he wrote. Raghunathrao however, went on to Ahmednagar and began gathering an army. Many Deshastha chiefs such as Sakharam Bapu, Aba Purandare and Vithal Shivdeo joined him. The Peshwa also gathered his army.
The two armies met at a distance from Pune on the banks of the river Ghod. Trimbak mama Pethe, Malharrao Holkar, Gopalrao Patwardhan and Raste were the chiefs the Peshwa trusted. As expected, Raghunathrao called the Nizam for help and his diwan Vithal Sundar joined with his army. Two battles were fought, the first at Ghodnadi and the second at Alegaon. The smaller army of the Peshwa was afflicted with many defections and defeat stared them in the face. ‘Gopalrao fought valiantly’, Madhavrao wrote to his mother Gopikabai, however with defections, they could not win the battle. Of the Patwardhans, Neelkanthrao was injured with a bullet on his forearm, and two other brothers – Narayanrao and Bhaskarpant - were also injured.
To prevent further bloodshed among his own people, Madhavrao personally went to Raghunathrao’s camp and submitted to him. However, his lieutenants were unwilling to serve Raghunathrao. Baburao Phadnis left the army as did Trimbak mama - who went to Sinhagad, while Gopalrao moved towards Miraj. Raghunathrao promptly confiscated their jagirs and distributed them among his own adherents. He also appointed his infant son Bhaskar as the Pratinidhi in place of Bhavanrao, who was aggrieved and went and joined the Nizam. In this manner, the fissures in the Maratha fold began to deepen.
Defence of mIraj
Gopalrao’s departure from the battlefield at Alegaon was only after seeking permission from Madhavrao Peshwa, who asked him to go anywhere and protect himself from the actions of Raghunathrao. Raghunathrao and Sakharam Bapu were now in full control and confiscated the saranjams of Phadnis and Rastes. Govind Hari was asked to hand over Miraj and an army was sent to take over the fort from him. Govind Hari however, refused and said he would hand it over only after the debts incurred in his service were paid by the Government.
Miraj Fort Banka Darwaza. Door was pulled down a few years ago by Miraj municipality for road widening.
A campaign against Hyder was planned and Raghunathrao planned to take over the fort at Miraj on his way south. Taking Madhavrao along, he placed the fort under a siege. When the fort was not handed over for a week, the attack commenced. Gopalrao who was on his way to Miraj was also attacked by a large army of ten thousand men led by Aba Purandare and in a battle further south at Jamkhindi, Gopalrao’s smaller army was defeated. Escaping capture and riding for several days at a stretch, Gopalrao reached the Nizam’s territory asking for help to save Miraj. Govind Hari’s brother Trimbak Hari went to the stronghold at Bankapur. Govind Hari with his nephews Purushottam Daji and Bhaskarrao decided to face the attack on Miraj fort.
Raghunathrao personally led the siege. There were just over fifteen hundred men in the fort to face Raghunathrao’s army of fifty thousand. Eight days into the siege the first attack by the gardis was returned owing to the valour of Purushottam Daji. The defenders then burnt the bridge over the moat and went inside the fort. A continuous fire with rockets and arrows began from the Maratha army on the fort’s walls and occupants. However, Govind Hari did not lose heart and continued to defend the fort. Night sorties were sent to cut down the attackers on the moat. Parts of the walls of the fort that were damaged were repaired promptly. Madhavrao, with no real powers now, was present in the besieging army.
After nearly a month of the siege, Raghunathrao on an elephant led an attack on the gate but it was returned by the defenders in the fort. The siege had begun on 28 December 1762. Within the fort however, there began a gradual trend of people defecting and joining Raghunathrao’s stronger army. Gopalrao’s efforts to get help from the Nizam came to naught. With no help, and defections inside the fort, Govind Hari began negotiations with Raghunathrao. It was agreed that his debt would be taken care of and Kurundwad, Kagwad and Mangalvedha would remain with the Patwardhans. On 3rd February 1763, Miraj fort was thus handed over to Raghunathrao after a defence of over a month. This was Govind Hari’s last battle. He was sixty-five years old and retired from active warfare after this.
Gopalrao under nizAm
Raghunathrao then proceeded to the south to face the threat of Hyder Ali. The Nizam saw an opening and began fresh moves to attack the Peshwa’s territory. Gopalrao and many other Maratha chiefs such as Gamaji Yamaji and Bhavanrao Pratinidhi were also with the Nizam. However, Gamaji – who was related to the Nizam’s diwan Vithal Sundar - went a step further by personally going to Nagpur and getting Janoji Bhonsle to join the Nizam in exchange for rewards later on. Janoji had hopes of being crowned the Chhatrapati at Satara – and this led to his joining this coalition. In this manner, the Peshwa’s army and territory were under threat from the large number of disaffected chiefs who had joined the Nizam.
The stage was set for a grand showdown. Madhavrao Peshwa was still a nominal prisoner in Raghunathrao’s camp. The Nizam’s force numbered a hundred thousand. Madhavrao summoned Holkar for help, and after being given a fresh jagir worth ten lakh rupees he joined the fray. Holkar decided on a guerrilla war and began by ravaging the territory of Janoji Bhonsle. As the Nizam could not chase the rapidly moving Marathas, he decided to attack the Peshwa’s territory and marched towards Pune.
Gopalrao at this time sent letters to Pune asking the citizens to take away all their valuables to the nearby hill forts. He protected some temples and tried to limit the damage to the Peshwa’s territory.+++(5)+++ The Nizam’s army burnt nearly half the dwellings of Pune, Nashik and Junnar. Seeing the Nizam’s acts, the Maratha army burnt all the Nizam’s territory right up to Hyderabad. These mutual acts of damage did not help either of the forces. Raghunathrao was furious at the attack on Pune and eager to come to grips with the Nizam. He abused Sakharam Bapu and pledged to take the fight to the Nizam. To Bapu and Holkar he said, ‘you are the people who abandoned Bhausaheb at Panipat’.+++(4)+++
Holkar then began negotiations with Janoji Bhonsle. Mahadji Scindia – not yet appointed as the head of the Scindias – was summoned from Ujjain. Janoji’s brother Mudhoji joined the Peshwa and Janoji realised his folly of helping the Nizam. Raghunathrao’s infant son Bhaskar had died and Bhavanrao Pratinidhi was given back his post, so he switched his allegiance back to the Peshwa. Gopalrao was promised the fort of Miraj and he stayed aloof from the Nizam. The Nizam’s army was weakened when the monsoons of 1763 began. Many of the Maratha chiefs left the Nizam’s army and promised to return after the festival of Dassera.
The Nizam too decided to return to Aurangabad. In August, his army reached Rakshasbhuvan near Paithan, where the flooded river Godavari could be crossed. The Maratha army raced to intercept the enemy, but by then the Nizam himself had crossed over with part of his army. Raghunathrao ordered an attack on the remaining Mughal army led by Vithal Sundar. By then, Janoji had quit the Nizam’s army. Here, Vithal Sundar and another of the Nizam’s ministers were killed. Madhavrao was credited with directing his own guards at a critical stage of the battle when Raghunathrao’s elephant was surrounded by the Nizam’s army. Eighty-two lakh of territory was taken from the Nizam at this time and he was reduced to a secondary status by this battle.
Return to peshvA
Thereafter, there was no attempt by the Nizam to upset the status quo for over thirty years. Madhavrao by his own valour became his own master once again while Raghunathrao with his coterie was pushed to the background.
The Peshwa received Gopalrao back with honours along with all other dissidents. Gopalrao’s joining the Nizam at this critical time brought his reputation under a cloud for a while. However, his motives were to safeguard his own estate and not submit to the wrongs of Raghunathrao. At the first opportunity he returned to the Peshwa. During his time in the Nizam’s army he tried to minimise the damage done to the Maratha territory. His mettle was amply tested came in the years after Rakshasbhuvan, when he had to fight the battles that marked him out as a hero in the Maratha fold.
The Patwardhan families had settled at the southern frontier of the Maratha Empire and the task of keeping a check on Hyder Ali quite naturally devolved on them. Gopalrao’s valour in the coming years earned him the epithet of ‘the first Rao’ – or warrior – of the Peshwai.
Background repetition
Having served the Maratha state from the time of Bajirao Peshwa in 1720, the Patwardhans had established their reputation of being warriors. The divide in the Peshwa family after Panipat - between 1761 and 1763, when Raghunathrao held the reins of state - led to Govind Hari defending the fort of Miraj against his attack and Gopalrao had to take shelter with the Nizam.
Encouraged by the defections and to avenge the loss at Udgir in 1760, Nizam Ali, with his ambitious Diwan Vithal Sundar, attacked Pune itself. This led to a reconciliation of sorts with Peshwa Madhavrao’s quiet diplomacy weaning away most of the Maratha chiefs from the Nizam and inflicting a decisive defeat on the Nizam at Rakshasbhuvan in August 1763. Gopalrao Patwardhan rejoined Madhavrao Peshwa after this and for the next nine years, this Peshwa led the Maratha recovery to its pre-Panipat state. Principals in aiding this recovery in the south were the Patwardhans who were the Peshwa’s right arm.
The main change in 1764 for the Patwardhans was the grant of a separate saranjam in the name of Govind Hari to cater for the expenses of his army. After this, Govind Hari was required to maintain a cavalry of 4600 men, Parshuram Bhau was to have 2400 men and Trimbak Hari 1000 horsemen ready at all times. Together, an army was 8000 was maintained by the family. In 1764, Gopalrao was the chief of the combined armies along with Parshuram Bhau and Nilkanthrao – the son of Trimbak Hari.
haidar
In the year 1760, Hyder Ali had become the strong man of Mysore and taken all power in his hands from the Wodeyars and Nanjraj, the kingdom’s Dalwai. Hyder’s great grandfather had migrated to the Deccan from the north and his father Fateh Muhammad had joined the army of the Nawab of Sira. Hyder was born in 1722. When Fateh Muhammad died, the Nawab drove out the family which went to their maternal uncle Ibrahim in Bengaluru. Mysore’s ruler was a young boy and his two chiefs Devraj and Nandraj managed all affairs of state. Nandraj was first impressed by the young Hyder in the siege of Devanaahalli fort and awarded him his first command of 50 men. Around 1750, Hyder participated in the Carnatic wars and observed the trained French infantry, prompting him to train 500 men in similar fashion. At this time, he also obtained considerable loot which helped him build a small army. A pleased Nandraj appointed Hyder as the faujdar of the fort of Dindigul.
The Marathas came into contact with Hyder in 1759, when they came sweeping down and took fourteen parganas of Mysore and the fort of Chennapatnam just east of Srirangapatnam. (see part 1). Hyder stoutly fought back and the Marathas released these districts for an indemnity of 32 lakh rupees, for which Gopalrao Patwardhan earned Nanasaheb Peshwa’s displeasure. Events from then until 1763, left the Marathas little time to visit the south, except for Visaji Krishna’s campaign against Mysore in 1760 that was cut short by the battle of Panipat. In 1764, with Madhavrao firmly in power as the Peshwa and the Nizam subdued at Rakshasbhuvan the previous year, it was time to deal with Hyder Ali. Madhavrao himself decided to take the lead in this campaign.
From 1761 to 1763, taking advantage of Maratha absence in the Carnatic, Hyder captured Sira, took many posts of the Maratha chief of Gutti Murar rao Ghorpade, before proceeding north and claiming the Maratha protected states of Chitradurg and Raidurg. He then attacked and occupied the small state of Bednur in the hills and marched on Sondha in 1763 on the border of Portuguese controlled Goa. All these states used to pay chauth to the Peshwa, who was obliged to protect them. Hyder also attacked the territory of the Patwardhans. He crossed the Tungabhadra and defeated the Nawab of Savanur, who was dependent on the Peshwa, as well as captured Bankapur fort. In Dharwad, Meghsham rao Patwardhan defending the region was defeated by Hyder’s commander Mir Faizullah, and was captured and sent to Hyder Ali.
mAdhav rAv’s campaign
Immediately after Rakshasbhuvan, Madhavrao Peshwa gathered an army to campaign in the Carnatic. He first came to Bijapur and bypassing Dharwad fort reached Hubli. Gopalrao, Parshuram Bhau, Nilkanthrao, Konher rao and Vamanrao Patwardhan accompanied him with 7000 troops. Gopalrao captured Hubli and his army moved to Shirhatti. The Peshwa came via Mulgund and camped opposite Savanur. The Nawab greeted the Peshwa and sought protection from Hyder who was in the forests of the region. The Peshwa therefore left Gopalrao with 1500 men to protect Savanur and moved on to Chitradurg.
Hyder now moved out to the edge of the forest of Anavatti near Masur and came to Rattehalli. Here, he attacked the armies of the Patwardhans and Vithal Shivdeo Vinchurkar. Gopalrao sent messages to the Peshwa who rapidly came there and over a thousand of Hyder’s gardis were killed forcing him to withdraw to the thick forest of Anavatti. Meanwhile, his chief Lal Miya who was at Bankapur – a place very close to Savanur – was threatening the Nawab there. The Peshwa therefore asked Gopalrao to return to Savanur. Hyder moved closer to Savanur and camped at Hangal. Aiming to surprise Gopalrao, in the dead of the night, Hyder moved from Hangal to Bankapur and with his guns took position in a canal near the Maratha camp, ready to attack at dawn. The alert Marathas sent an advance guard but did not cross the canal. The armies stood before each other with some cannonade, but Hyder could not attack due to the vigilance of the Maratha camp nor could he draw them out after him. Nilkanthrao wrote in his letter to his father, ‘a disappointed Hyder did not have dinner that night’.
The Peshwa then began assembling his forces at Savanur. Vithal Shivdeo defeated Mir Faizulla at Haveri and Hyder once again withdrew to the forests of Anvatti where the Maratha cavalry could not operate. The Peshwa then attacked Dharwad and the fort was soon captured. The Maratha army then decided to attack Hyder at Anvatti. They first captured Hangal and commenced a massive cannonade on Hyder’s camp killing over a thousand of his men. Hyder Ali was wounded in his forearm by a bullet, and seeing the determined Peshwa before him, Hyder decided to quit Anavatti and made a dash for Bednur, further south. The Marathas chased him, killing a thousand of his men. The Peshwa then took tribute from Chitradurg, Harpanhalli, Bellary and Raipur. His army reached the thickly forested state of Bednur. Another army was also dispatched towards Srirangapatnam.
This complete encirclement forced Hyder Ali to seek terms. A sum of thirty-two lakhs was taken as indemnity from him. The entire north Carnatic was released, Savanur and Murar rao Ghorpade’s territory taken back. Meghshamrao Patwardhan was released from Hyder Ali’s prison. This treaty is called the treaty of Anantpur. The Peshwa then returned to Pune and Gopalrao stayed back to ensure the completion of all the terms of the treaty before returning to Miraj. Madhavrao Peshwa’s first campaign against Hyder Ali thus ended in 1764 with achieving all aims of the campaign. However, the fort of Bednur remained with Hyder and he renamed it as Hyder-nagar. Today, it is called Nagar and is located north of Sringeri.+++(5)+++
Second campaign
The peace did not hold for long. In 1766, Hyder once again began to demand tribute from Chitradurg and placed Bellary under siege. After Dassera, Madhavrao Peshwa directed Gopalrao to lead an army south while he left from Pune. Hyder lifted the siege of Bellary and retreated southwards. Nilkanthrao Patwardhan joined him and both of them went towards Talikote collecting tributes from many places. At Talikote the Patwardhans joined Madhavrao’s main army. Hyder began empty negotiations that did not bear fruit. The Peshwa made a direct attack on Sira which Hyder had occupied and left his brother in law Mir Reza to look after. The Peshwa’s force defeated him and forced him to surrender the fort. Gopalrao went ahead and took Chikbalapur before rejoining the Peshwa. The combined army then took Devanhalli, Kolar and Hoskote near Bengaluru, threatening Hyder’s main strongholds.
As the year 1767 dawned, Hyder realised he could not face the Maratha army in the open nor retrieve lost ground. He agreed to pay a tribute of 37 lakh rupees and return all territory under Maratha control as held during Nanasaheb Peshwa’s time. For a couple of years after this Hyder Ali did not venture to invade Maratha territory again.
At this time, Gopalrao had planned a bold attack on Srirangapatnam, planning to free the Wodeyar ruler in order to re-establish him on the throne of Mysore. He sent a message to the Peshwa seeking his permission. However, at this time, with Raghunathrao still at large and Janoji yet to be subdued, Madhavrao felt the time was not right. A fresh development saw Murar rao sign a truce with Hyder Ali. Murar rao Ghorpade was now an old man and unable to face Hyder on his own, he agreed to meet him. Hyder received him honourably and had an independent treaty with him thereby hoping to neutralise his opposition in the Carnatic. Murar rao agreed to pay a sum of 50000 rupees to Hyder in exchange for being left alone. It was time therefore for yet another campaign in the Carnatic and after the monsoons of 1769, the Peshwa sent Gopalrao ahead and he followed him.
raghunAtharAv’s dissent
Meanwhile, the Peshwa’s uncle Raghunathrao, who returned from Malwa in 1766 after his chief supporter Malharji Holkar’s death, began asking for an annuity to take care of his expenses. Gopalrao joined Madhavrao in negotiations with Raghunathrao, with the Peshwa giving his uncle a few forts and an annual assured income. Gopalrao then went back to the Carnatic and obtained annual tributes from the states there. However, by then, Raghunathrao had once again begun collecting an army at the fort of Dhodap near Nashik. His aides comprised Gangoba Tatya Chandrachud. Once again the Peshwa took an army to Dhodap and forced his uncle to surrender. Gangoba was also punished and his jagir taken away. This time however, Raghunathrao was kept a prisoner in the Shaniwar wada under a strong guard.
Janoji Bhonsle of Nagpur had helped Nizam Ali in the months before Rakshasbhuvan. He also aided Raghunathrao against the Peshwa. Madhavrao therefore decided to bring him to heel. With a large army taking Gopalrao with him, he began towards Nagpur. The Peshwa captured the fort of Amalner and Chanda, while Gopalrao took Bhandara. Janoji escaped to Mahur with Gopalrao and Ramachandra Ganesh Kanade closely following him. A chase began and Janoji’s original intention to head for Pune failed. The two chiefs followed Janoji with an army of nearly 25000 men. Seeing that he could not shake off these two, Bhonsle finally agreed to accept terms.
Bastion of Miraj Fort. Pic courtesy author.
Another southern campaign
Having thus consolidated the Maratha chiefs under his fold, Madhavrao now sent a large army north to regain the losses after Panipat, while he himself headed for his third campaign in the Carnatic, once again with the Patwardhans. The reason was that in the year 1767 and 1768 Hyder Ali had begun harassing Murar rao Ghorpade and the ruler of Chitradurg. Murar rao lost all his holdings to Hyder except the fort of Gooty.
In the year 1769, the Peshwa gathered an army of 75000 and began for the south. Gopalrao camped on the Tungabhadra, where the Peshwa joined him. It was decided that Gopalrao will face Hyder at his forest camp at Anavatti and follow him wherever he goes, while the Peshwa will head for Srirangapatnam. Seeing this, Hyder began for his capital with Gopalrao close behind him. Madhavrao captured ChikBalapur, Kolar and the district of Gurramkonda. The forts that he could not protect, the Peshwa destroyed entirely. Hyder was severely restricted in his movements with Gopalrao blocking his progress towards any of the places he wished to take back.
Hyder’s trap
Hyder therefore decided to lay a trap for Gopalrao, whom he considered his most formidable opponent. Hyder pretended to move towards his capital Srirangapatnam. Then, secretly he backtracked towards the Maratha camp. On 24 February 1770, he left Kadur with a few thousand gardis and travelling day and night reached near the Maratha camp. The previous day Nilkanthrao and Parshuram Bhau had even received false intelligence that Hyder was in Srirangapatnam, and the Marathas did not expect an attack at this time. Now within a few miles of Gopalrao’s camp, Hyder prepared his guns and his army for a sudden attack.
Just then one of Hyder’s gardi sepoys – who had served Nanasaheb Peshwa earlier – ran to the Maratha camp and warned them about Hyder’s oncoming attack. The Maratha guards refused to believe him but finally took him to Gopalrao. The gardi sepoy finally convinced Gopalrao of the seriousness of the intelligence, and he began to get his army in order. Just then, the first rockets and cannons fell on the Maratha camp. Gopalrao himself stood at the gate with his naubat beating the war drums. His cousins all assembled near him, and Hyder, hearing the naubat was aware that his element of surprise was lost. He concentrated his fire on the Maratha army that stood fast. Gopalrao’s entire camp was slowly moved to another place, even as the army stood their post. Madhav Krishna Patwardhan was injured – and died a few days later - while Parshuram Bhau’s horse was shot under him.
nijagal
As summer began, food and fodder were not available, there was no water, and the Maratha army suffered. Gopalrao wrote that if need be, he might have to raid some of the Peshwa’s own territory to obtain necessities. He was asked to take the fort of Nijgal where the fire from the defenders was fierce. One of the bullets from the fort hit Narayanrao, the Peshwa’s brother who was taken to a safer place.
A chronicle of the Patwardhans named Harivanshachi bakhar mentions an anecdote of this time. In the midst of the fire however, the Peshwa was said to be playing chess with Murar rao’s brother Daulat rao.+++(5)+++ Nobody dared to tell the Peshwa to leave. Finally, Murar rao went there and shouted at his brother, asking him to leave and told the Peshwa to look after his brother. The Peshwa said, ‘the fort is not being won’. Hearing this, Murar rao took some soldiers and placing ladders on the walls began an escalade, being the first to climb the ladder. Looking back, he was stunned to find the Peshwa right behind him. The Maratha army fought whole heartedly and the fort was captured that day.
Nearly a crore rupees worth of Hyder’s territory had been devastated and innumerable forts taken and destroyed. The monsoon months were near, and there were innumerable matters pending in Pune regarding the campaign in north India. The Peshwa therefore left for Pune. Gopalrao expected that the command of the forces would then be given to him. However, the Peshwa chose Trimbak mama Pethe as the commander of his forces in the Carnatic.
Moat Miraj Fort. Pic courtesy author.
Under tryambaka
Incessant warfare had taken a toll on the Patwardhan armies by this time. There were loans to be paid and the army was in the field for the third straight year. Fed up with the singular responsibility he had to bear, Gopalrao wrote to Govind Hari that he will retire to Pandharpur. Govind Hari wrote back that he could not choose that option as his brother Vamanrao was not keeping good health and could not relieve him. In the twenty years that Gopalrao had spent in the Carnatic, he knew the territory extremely well. He also knew his adversary. Hyder Ali recognised his ability and would not stand against him in an open war. Inspite of all his achievements, the appointment of Trimbak mama as his superior was therefore more than Gopalrao could tolerate.
Just then, Hyder sent an army to take ChikBalapur. Gopalrao and Trimbak mama rushed to the spot and completely defeated them, looting their entire camp. Pethe then attacked Gurramkonda fort while Gopalrao took Hangal. There was a fierce battle between the Maratha army led by the three Patwardhan brothers – Gopalrao, Parshuram Bhau and Nilkanth rao - and Hyder’s army which was attacking Maratha posts in the Carnatic. Once again, the enemy was repelled and their camp looted. Considerable amounts of war supplies were obtained by the Patwardhans.
Gopalrao’s Death
Just as the monsoon months of 1770 began, Madhavrao Peshwa began preparations for the fourth campaign in the Carnatic. Gopalrao, now in Carnatic for three years under arms, was financially in a stringent position. In extreme difficulty, he raided on Basalat Jung at Adoni and obtained pending dues from the Nawab. This was reported by Pethe to the Peshwa as a case of insubordination. Gopalrao last campaign took him to the fort of Kanakgiri, and here, his health collapsed. Seeing that his end was near, he sought permission to return home to see his parents. His brother Vamanrao suffered from asthma, but left Miraj to take charge from Gopalrao. In January 1771, Gopalrao, now severely breathless, reached Miraj. He met his parents but succumbed to his illness on the third day of his arrival there.
Gopalrao lived to an age of fifty years and spent nearly three decades in the field. He was recognised for his valour and is respected as the ‘first Rao’ of the Peshwa period. His life consisted of incessant warfare at the front of the army. As the chief defender against Hyder Ali’s invasion and a loyal supporter of Madhavrao Peshwa, his death was deeply lamented, and his absence as a warrior acutely felt. His brothers took over the responsibility of leading the army thereafter with distinction.
But that is another story.
vAmanrAv
On Gopalrao Patwardhan’s death, his brother Vamanrao, afflicted by a chest ailment, assumed the responsibility of leading the Patwardhans into battle against Hyder Ali. He reached the camp at Kanakgiri and was summoned to Devdurg by Trimbak mama Pethe the Maratha commander in the south. On reaching there, Devdurg was quickly captured and Hyder Ali’s army that was in Magadi area began to flee. Perforce, Hyder had to plan on withdrawing to Srirangapatnam. He had a large army with many guns, a large gardi infantry and cavalry.
As he began his move, Pethe sent Vamanrao to block his path while he followed close behind. Hyder Ali’s army formed into a defensive Square but the Patwardhan army stormed the defences of the Mysore chief. Sakharam Hari Gupte, at this time, cut off all the supplies coming to Hyder from his capital. Seeing this, Hyder took refuge among hills near a lake called Moti talao, now known as Tonnur kere, near Chinkurli. He climbed the hill with five to seven thousand men. His army was completely demolished. This battle barely ten miles north of Srirangapatnam is called after Moti Talav or Chinkurli. Pethe’s army completely defeated Hyder Aliand was fought on 8 March 1771.
moti-tAlAb
A letter from Trimbak mama Pethe to the Peshwa said,
‘All chiefs charged the enemy army. Our flag almost reached Hyder Khan. Hyder went atop a hill with about 7 or 8000 men. His army was defeated. There was a big battle. We captured forty cannons, about 25 elephants, seven to eight thousand horses, plenty of treasure. The entire ‘saltanat’ was looted. About two thousand of his men were killed. Hyder tried to come down the hill but we charged him and he fled to the top of the hill. We reached the base of the hill. In the intervening period Hyder disguised himself and either on foot or a single horse ran away to Srirangapatnam. The remaining troops on the hill surrendered. His eminent chiefs such as Lal miyan, Mir Reza, Lal Bakshi were all captured. His troops pleaded for mercy and were let off. This has been a great victory for the swami. I had a bullet injury to my right ear. The bullet went through the ear. Neelkanthrao Trimbak (cousin of Gopalrao) and Antoji Mane were killed. We suffered losses too with our horses and elephants perishing in the battle. However, the battle was won.’
A letter from Vasudeo Patwardhan gives more details,
‘The battle was unprecedented. Neelkanthrao, (Parshuram) Bhau all fought bravely. However, Neelkanthrao died and that caused grief.’
This remarkable unpublished letter gives the ‘casualty report’ of the battle of Moti talao and mentions that Neelkanthrao Patwardhan ‘khasa’ was killed in battle. Letter is courtesy Shri Bhalchandra rao Patwardhan, Rajasaheb of Kurundwad.
Vamanrao Patwardhan wrote,
‘Cannons and elephants fell into our hands. The entire enemy camp was looted. 8-9000 troops were looted and we obtained 2000 horses.’
Another letter says that ‘25000 gardis, 12000 strong army and 50 cannons were destroyed in a short time.’
Along with Hyder was his son Tipu, who escaped at Moti Talav with his father, both disguised as beggars. The death of Neelkanthrao Patwardhan was a major jolt to the Patwardhans. He was hit on his chest by a musket ball. The Marathas naturally turned to Srirangapatnam and invaded the Mysore capital. Hyder still did not come to negotiate as he knew Madhavrao Peshwa was unwell and not present. He now possessed just his capital, Bengaluru and Bednur – renamed Hyder Nagar – in the deep forests north of Sringeri. The rest of his kingdom had been taken by the Maratha army.
Return
The Peshwa wrote to Pethe asking him to get what he could and return. Sira, Hoskote, Balapur, Kolar was retained by the Marathas. A tribute of fifty lakh rupees and a compensation of ten lakh was promised by Hyder to the Peshwa. Of this, Hyder gave 32 lakh rupees in cash and provided guarantors for 28 lakh rupees. This was the most successful campaign against Hyder and the Maratha army returned to their home base before the monsoon months, without completely exterminating their enemy. In two and a half years, Gopalrao, Madhavrao Krishna and Neelkanthrao Patwardhan either died or were killed in battle. Raghunath Dada, the son of Neelkanthrao now took charge of his father’s contingent. He was to serve the Maratha state for another twenty-five years.
The four campaigns of Madhavrao Peshwa against Hyder Ali and his victories in all of them over a seven-year period showed a key Maratha strategy. Like the Nizam, they did not exterminate Hyder Ali. The weakness of the strategy was seen later when the Marathas had to face a civil war, however, the strength of having other Indian powers as allies was seen when the Nizam and Hyder Ali combined with the Marathas against the British in 1780 to fight the last part of the Anglo-Maratha war that ended in 1782.+++(5)+++
Arkot campaign
In another development the Nawab of Arcot at this time attacked Thanjavur. Raja Tuljaaji of Thanjvaur sought help from Trimbak mama Pethe who decided to save that Maratha kingdom. He deputed Vamanrao to protect the mountain passes and descended to the plains towards Thanjavur. Seeing this, the Nawab of Arcot Muhammad Ali withdrew from Thanjavur.
Hyder tried to grab the opportunity to block Pethe in the passes but was countered by Vamanrao, and had to return to Srirangapatnam discomfited. Pethe then sent an army to Cuddappa whose Nawab paid a tribute to the Marathas and sent an army to Coimbatore under Krishnarao Mehendale and Sakharam Hari. Here, Tipu came out to face them, but on 13 January 1772 was defeated near Salem. In June 1772, Hyder Ali submitted and agreed to pay the dues and hand over the territories demanded by Pethe. In turn, the Marathas agreed not to attack him again.
raghunAthrAv’s rebellion
The last of the great rulers of Maratha history - Madhavrao Peshwa - died in November 1772 at Theur at the young age of twenty-eight, and his brother Narayanrao became the next Peshwa. In his nine-month rule, Narayanrao, just 17 years old – created powerful enemies including his uncle Raghunathrao. This led to the first assassination in the annals of Maratha history when the Peshwa was murdered in his own palace by the gardis. Raghunathrao was implicated in the deed, and soon after, a civil war ensued that the English entered by opportunistically occupying the Maratha possession of the island of Salsette near Mumbai. With Hyder Ali also using the opportunity to attack the Marathas, and a retreat of Maratha forces from the north, a siege like situation persisted in the corridors of power in Pune.
With a strong resistance to Raghunathrao building up, the Pune ministers decided to bring him to justice. An army led by Trimbak mama and Hari pant Phadke was sent to confront him At Kasegaon, Raghunathrao surprised Trimbakrao Pethe’s small army and captured him injured. Trimbak mama died a few days later dealing a major blow to the Marathas. Haripant Phadke, once a clerk in Nana Phadnis’s administration, became the new chief of Maratha forces.
Hyder Ali, in the short administration of Raghunathrao, had been given territory between Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers for an annual contribution of merely 6 lakh rupees. In this manner, Raghunathrao ensured Hyder would support him as the next Peshwa. Hyder Ali cashed in on the opportunity and captured most Maratha posts south of the Tungabhadra. He imprisoned the old Murar rao Ghorpade, who also later died in his prison.
Nana Phadnis, Sakharam Bapu, Haripant Phadke formed the nucleus of those who opposed Raghunathrao. Holkar and Scindia did not openly take any sides and although Raghunathrao was in their custody for a while, they did not take steps to bring him to justice. The result was that Raghunathrao escaped and joined the British at Surat, and a fresh war was inflicted on the western coast. The British claimed Raghunathrao was the true heir to the Peshwa’s musnad.
Pandurangrao
Meanwhile, in 1775, Vamanrao Patwardhan died of poor health. His younger brother Pandurangrao was not a warrior. However, the primacy Govind Hari dictated that a member of his family take over the command. Pandurangrao therefore remained the nominal chief and the overall military leadership moved from the house of Govind Hari to Parshuram bhau Patwardhan who became the most active member of the family along with Raghunath dada.
In 1775, Hyder Ali presented a major challenge in the south. Pandurangrao, the third son of Govind Hari, with Konher rao Patwardhan, led an army against Hyder Ali. Pandurangrao had never led an army and Konherrao, Neelkanthrao’s younger brother had not done so either. After heading for Dharwad in January 1777, they found Hyder Ali had sent a strong army under an able chief named Muhammad Ali Kumdan to oppose them. Pandurangrao decided to attack the enemy at a place called Savshi. However, he walked into a trap. Konher rao Patwardhan was killed while an injured Pandurangrao was captured by Hyder Ali. Pandurangrao had three major injuries and was sent prisoner to Srirangapatnam where he died in November 1777 of a fever. Parshuram bhau thereafter formally became the chief of the Patwardhans.
The decade from 1770 had seen Gopalrao, Vamanrao, Pandurangrao – three sons of Govind Hari die of illness or in Hyder Ali’s prison, while Neelkanthrao Trimbak, Meghshyamrao and Konher rao Patardhan were killed in battle. The debacle was a severe one for the family.
Parashuram bhAu
When the Maratha civil war began, the raja of Kolhapur had begun attacking the Peshwa’s territories as well as those of the Ichalkaranji Ghorpades. Parshuram bhau and Raghunath dada were then sent to tackle these challenges. Kolhapur was sacked, a few suburbs burnt and the lost territories reclaimed from the Kolhapur rulers. Yesaji Shinde, one of their chiefs tried to take the battle to the Peshwa’s forces, but was defeated.
Hyder Ali had send Muhammad Kumdan to face Parshuram bhau’s army in the north Carnatic. From Kolhapur, Parshuram bhau now moved towards Dharwad to oppose Kumdan. He was also the acknowledged head of the Patwardhan family at this time. Kumdan had a larger army than Bhau, and it was more of a defensive action that Parshuram bhau had to plan from a place called Manoli. However, a shortage of provisions forced his hand and his men began to approach Kumdan’s forces and loot the region around it. Seeing this Kumdan withdrew to Hubli.
Meanwhile Hyder sent some help to the raja of Kolhapur who began ravaging the Patwardhan jagirs. The Pune ministers sent an army to help fight the Kolhapur army of Yesaji Shinde. This allowed Bhau to move towards Hubli. Kumdan now moved further back to Bankapur. A guerrilla war between these two forces ensued.
At Kolhapur, the Pune army under Ramachandra Ganesh Kanade defeated Yesaji Shinde in May 1777. Mahadji Scindia was also ordered to head towards Kolhapur. To tackle Hyder, the Pune darbar took the help of the Nizam who dispatched Ibrahim Dhausa towards Kurnool to help the Marathas. Haripant Phadke started from Pune and joined Bhau near the Tungabhadra at this time.
However, Hyder sent a large army under Mir Reza and Tipu to fight Dhausa who then asked Haripant for help, forcing him to head for Kurnool! Hyder then recalled Kumdan and opened the way for Parshuram bhau to move south into the territories lost to Hyder. The rulers of Chitradurg, Harpanhalli, Kurnool pledged their help to the Marathas. Haripant was already running short of money to pay his troops. Parshuram Bhau raised loans of 4 lakh rupees, and another 2 lakh rupees came from Pune to ensure the army stays in Karnataka in the monsoons. During these monsoon months, Bhau took Shirhatti and Laxmeshwar – which was part of his jagir – and then headed for Savshi with Anandrao Raste’s army. Haripant headed for Savanur. The battle was thus one of changing frontiers and front lines.
Meanwhile Hyder came back and extracted a hefty tribute from Chitradurg for helping the Marathas. Phadke and Bhau had to cross the Tungabhadra and head for Chitradurg. However, despite a strong force at their disposal, Hyder kept hovering around their camp. Suspecting defections in their ranks, the Marathas withdrew north of the Tungabhadra. Here, an enquiry revealed that Manaji Phakde had distributed 4 lakh rupees from Hyder to the Maratha troops. Manaji was a loyalist of Raghunath rao – who was allied to Hyder Ali.+++(5)+++ The Marathas then found Manaji’s confederate named Yashwant rao Mane in their camp to be guilty and blasted him from a cannon, while another gardi chiefs was put to death. Two more chiefs were imprisoned and sent to Pune. Then they joined Dhausa and began to move south only to find that this officer of the Nizam had also been bribed by Hyder Ali.
The method of spending money to win battles was not unique for the 18th century. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb’s Generals had mastered the art of winning Maratha forts in this manner, only to see them lost as soon as the Emperor moved to the next fort. Cross loyalties and the lure of money plagued battles at the time, and the few chiefs who rendered loyal service to their ruler had to be on watch against such defections in their ranks.
The 1777-78 season was thus a tough one and Hyder Ali could not be controlled due to a variety of reasons. By mid-1778 a giant conspiracy to place Raghunath rao on the Peshwa’s musnad began in Pune with many of the nobles including Moroba Phadnis, Chinto Vithal Rairikar, Bajaba Purandare, Sakharam Bapu, Tukoji Holkar involved in overthrowing Nana Phadnis and Sawai Madhavrao Peshwa. The Pune administration therefore asked Bhau and Phadke to rush back to Pune. They also summoned Mahadji Scindia to help them. British envoy Thomas Mostyn and a spy named William Lewis were instrumental in working against Nana Phadnis in Pune itself. Mostyn precipitately left for Mumbai and soon the British sent their army over the Bor ghat to attack Pune.
British
During the first Anglo Maratha war, the 1778-79 British invasion of Pune failed abysmally. The British debacle in Talegaon en route to Pune is well documented. A humiliating treaty at Wadgaon forced the British to eat humble pie. No sooner had Raghunathrao been handed over to Mahadji Scindia and the English allowed to withdraw to Mumbai, came news that Raghunathrao had escaped and rejoined the British, leading to yet another war.
In 1780, Nana Phadnis and the Nizam with Hyder Ali formed an anti-English alliance at this time forcing Warren Hastings to sue for peace in 1782. Here, against Nana’s wishes, Mahadji Scindia forged a treaty with the British, thereby leaving Hyder Ali all alone to fight against them. To live up to his promise, Nana Phadnis at Pune did not ratify this treaty until Hyder was alive, but soon after his death it was ratified. It earned the Marathas the enmity of Tipu Sultan, the son of Hyder Ali.
The Patwardhans took part in all these battles against the British forces and later formed the frontline against aggression by Tipu. In 1786, the Maratha forces under Parshuram bhau Patwardhan were engaged in a struggle with Tipu Sultan at the fort of Badami. The fort was captured and a description by the British resident Charles Malet, who travelled there to present his credentials to Nana Phadnis, is available to researchers even today.
By 1790, Bhau along with his cousin Raghunath rao and Hari pant Phadke were the leading Maratha Generals in the Deccan while Holkar and Scindia, who were also rivals, dominated north India. The alliance with the British in 1790 against Tipu Sultan –who could not be controlled by the Marathas or the British alone – was signed at Pune and a large army under Parshuram Bhau, Raghunath dada and Hari pant Phadke left for the south, while a British force led by Lord Cornwallis began for Tipu’s territory from Chennai.
Bhau had many assignments on the way and one finds the English letter writers complaining about his late arrival at the campaign. A tragic attack by some Pindaris and lamans from the Maratha van under Raghunath rao at this time went to Sringeri and attacked the math there for wealth hidden there by the rich chiefs in the area. Unknown to the Patwardhans, many atrocities were committed by the Pindari troops for which a long correspondence between the Patwardhans and Nana Phadnis ensued to bring them to justice and please the Sringeri swami* (a separate article on this under the heading ‘What exactly happened at Sringeri in April 1791’ is published here).
The British force hovered around Srirangapatnam running short of supplies, food and water, forcing them to withdraw towards Bangalore. At this time, Parshuram bhau’s army with its large bazar reached there and succoured the withdrawing British troops. The two armies together then attacked Srirangapatnam. Tipu Sultan was defeated and came to terms in 1792, however, his survival was due to Phadke stating he should not be completely destroyed and allowed to rule with diminished powers. This was a wise move because the removal of Tipu would give the British a clear path in the south, as happened later in 1799.+++(5)+++ A large part of territory that had earlier been captured by Madhavrao Peshwa was annexed to the Maratha Empire. Tipu was thereafter much reduced in power and could hardly trouble the Marathas. A few years of peace prevailed in the Maratha territories.
Nizam
In 1795, long pending dues of the Nizam were demanded by Nana Phadnis. The Nizam’s minister Azim ul umara in his arrogance precipitated a war with the Peshwa after three decades of peace between them. The entire Maratha army under various chiefs came together under the overall command of Parshuram bhau Patwardhan. The battle of Kharda was won in March 1795. However, just when the Maratha Empire seemed at the zenith of its power, in October 1795 Sawai Madhavrao died of a fall from his terrace and a fresh civil war erupted in the Maratha ranks.
Death of parashurAma
Samadhi of Parshuram bhau Patwardha is at Pattankudi in north Karnataka. It was built at the spot where he was killed in 1799.
Parshuram bhau, who had initially allied with Nana, fell out with him over the choice of the next Peshwa. These turbulent times led to many side plots that weakened the Maratha power from within. Bhau’s territory was once again attacked by the raja of Kolhapur and the old enmity flared up. In late 1799, the Kolhapur forces pounced on Bhau’s army when it was much smaller in number and he was captured injured. He was cruelly treated and killed while he was a captive. This ignominious end of a person who served the Maratha state for four decades was a set back to the entire Empire.
The end of the Maratha power was not far when the rivalry between Holkar and Scindia reached Pune, forcing the Peshwa (who was supported by Daulatrao Scindia) to abandon his capital and seek British help. The year 1803 saw the second Anglo Maratha war and the end of the Peshwa’s independent authority. Bajirao II’s relations with the Patwardhans were vitiated due to the old enmity that prevailed between his father Raghunathrao and the Patwardhans. The tragic sequence of events in the next decade led to a gradually increasing stranglehold of the British on the Maratha power. By 1818, the Peshwa was defeated in the third Anglo Maratha war and pensioned to Bithoor thereby formally signalling the end of the Maratha Empire.
By the early part of the nineteenth century, the large Patwardhan family was divided into several branches such as at Miraj, Sangli, Tasgaon, Jamkhindi, Kurundwad and so on. They continued to govern their states in the British raj and some of them proved to be benevolent rulers who ensured the welfare of their subjects well into the twentieth century.