An able but hard to control general, whose initial impetuosity was tamed by bAji-rAv. He served under several successive peshvas - right up to mAdhavrAv - and was the major arm of the marATha-s in north India.
An encounter with mAdhavrAv:
Just as he prepared to charge, Malharrao Holkar came up fleeing from the battle. He tried to dissuade Madhavrao and urged him to seek in Poona safety and a throne. The young prince turned on him on like a wounded tiger. “Then it is true” he said, “that you left Sadashivrao to die at Panipat?” Malharrao, stung to the quick, could but join his prince, and as the Mogol army advanced in the disorder of success, Madhavrao’s cavalry burst on them stabbing, sabring, trampling down all resistance. Few troops then in India could have stood that furious onset and the Mogol army, that but a moment before had had victory in their grasp, were hurled headlong into the Godavari. Twenty-one guns and 15 elephants were captured on the field of battle, and Naldurg fort and territory yielding 82 lakhs of rupees were paid by the Nizam as the price of peace. - Tale of the Tulsi Plant and Other Studies By C.A. Kincaid
Taming malharrAv
During the Delhi campaign (1719), it was ordered that farms in a village will not be touched. However, his men entered the field, cut the corn and gave it to their horses. The matter reached the Peshwa. Baji rao was sent to attend to the matter and he beat one of the culprits with a stick. Malhar was sitting outside his tent twining a rope. From there, he abused Baji rao and threw a lump of wet mud on him. ‘Are you giving us pay that you are beating us with a stick?’ he demanded of Baji rao. The next day hearing that the Peshwa had plans to castigate him, he left all his horses in the camp, burnt his tents, applied ash on the body and with his men went and sat atop a hill. Balaji Vishwanath then collected the horses, called his men back and gave them clothes.
On the way back from Delhi, Baji rao was sitting by a stream. Having bathed, he was sitting in the shade having his food. Malharji appeared with five hundred troopers from the forest. Sitting on his horse, he placed his lance on Baji Rao’s chest. “The other day I threw a lump of mud at you. Now should I pass this lance through your body? Is there anybody here who can save you?” Baji rao rose, brought Holkar down from his horse and praised his swordsmanship. ‘In each battle,’ said Baji rao, ‘I saw your flashing sword. Come join me for lunch’. Holkar said, ‘Your mind is not clear about me, how can sit for a meal with you?’ Then Baji rao said, ‘I take an oath on this food,’ an touched the food; the next time we campaign, you will have a command of five thousand horse.’
In a letter seeking employment with the Peshwa in 1721 Malharji says, wherever the master keeps me I will stay without protest. (But) the master who employs the servant must treat him with respect? In the years to come, Malharji proved a dependable aide for Baji rao and served the Maratha state for over four decades. - Uday Kulkarni’s Bajirao book