Balaji Vishwanath

Balaji Vishwanath
Portrait of Balaji Vishwanath
6th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy
In office
November 16, 1713  April 12, 1720
MonarchShahu I
Preceded byParshuram Pant Pratinidhi
Succeeded byBaji Rao I
Personal details
Born
Balaji Vishwanath Bhat

(1662-01-01)1 January 1662
Shrivardhan, Bijapur Sultanate
(modern day Maharashtra, India)
Died12 April 1720(1720-04-12) (aged 58)
Saswad, Maratha Empire
(modern day Maharashtra, India)
SpouseRadhabai
ChildrenBajirao I
Chimaji Appa
Bhiubai Joshi
Anubai Ghorpade
Bhikaji
Ranoji
Parents
  • Vishwanath Pant Bhat (Visaji) (father)
  • Unknown (mother)

Balaji Vishwanath Bhat (1 January 1662 – 12 April 1720) was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Bhat family who gained effective control of the Maratha Confederacy and other Mughal vassals during the early 18th century. Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha king Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistently intruded on by the Mughals under Aurangzeb.