Balaji Vishwanath
| Balaji Vishwanath | |
|---|---|
| Portrait of Balaji Vishwanath | |
| 6th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy | |
| In office November 16, 1713 – April 12, 1720 | |
| Monarch | Shahu I | 
| Preceded by | Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi | 
| Succeeded by | Baji Rao I | 
| Personal details | |
| Born | Balaji Vishwanath Bhat 1 January 1662 Shrivardhan, Bijapur Sultanate (modern day Maharashtra, India) | 
| Died | 12 April 1720 (aged 58) Saswad, Maratha Empire (modern day Maharashtra, India) | 
| Spouse | Radhabai | 
| Children | Bajirao I Chimaji Appa Bhiubai Joshi Anubai Ghorpade Bhikaji Ranoji | 
| Parents | 
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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.