Nana Fadnavis and Maratha Diplomacy

Balaji Janardan Bhanu, known as Nana Fadnavis (1742–1800), was an administrator, financier, and statesman of the Maratha Empire during the Peshwa administration. Appointed to manage administrative and financial affairs under the Peshwa regime, Fadnavis held the hereditary title of Phadnavis (chief accountant and minister). Following the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, he emerged as a chief strategist in maintaining the territorial integrity of the Maratha Confederacy. European chroniclers described him as the “Maratha Machiavelli” due to his statecraft, diplomatic maneuvering, and intelligence networks.

Formation of the Barbhai Council

Following the assassination of Peshwa Narayanrao in 1773 by his uncle Raghunathrao, internal power struggles threatened the political stability of Pune. Raghunathrao proclaimed himself Peshwa, but his claim met strong opposition from senior ministers.

The Regency Alliance

• Establishment of the Council: Nana Fadnavis formed a 12-member regency council known as the Barbhai Council.
• Legitimacy of Sawai Madhavrao: When Narayanrao’s posthumous son, Sawai Madhavrao (Madhavrao II), was born, the Barbhai Council named him the legitimate Peshwa and governed on his behalf.
• Key Members: Prominent figures in the council included Nana Fadnavis, Mahadji Shinde (Scindia), Haripant Phadke, and Tukoji Holkar.
• Neutralization of Raghunathrao: The council stripped Raghunathrao of power, prompting him to flee and seek military aid from the British East India Company.

Diplomatic Role in the First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)

Raghunathrao signed the Treaty of Surat (1775) with the Bombay Council of the British East India Company, trading Salsette and Bassein in exchange for military support to seize the Peshwa throne. This alliance triggered the First Anglo-Maratha War.

Counter-Diplomacy and Strategic Alliances

• Treaty of Purandar (1776): Nana Fadnavis bypassed the Bombay Council by opening negotiations directly with Warren Hastings, Governor-General of Bengal. The resulting Treaty of Purandar invalidated the Treaty of Surat, stopped British support for Raghunathrao, and restored status quo.
• French Dimension: When the British Bombay Council resumed military hostilities in violation of the Purandar agreement, Fadnavis engaged with French envoy Chevalier de St. Lubin in 1777. He offered the French a port on the western coast to balance British naval dominance.
• Anti-British Coalition (1779–1780): Fadnavis formed an alliance consisting of the Marathas, the Nizam of Hyderabad, Hyder Ali of Mysore, and the Nawab of Arcot to fight the British East India Company simultaneously on multiple fronts.
• Convention of Wadgaon (1779): Combined Maratha forces under Mahadji Shinde and strategic direction from Fadnavis encircled British troops at the Battle of Wadgaon, forcing them to surrender.

Treaty of Salbai (1782)

The First Anglo-Maratha War concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Salbai in May 1782, negotiated principally by Mahadji Shinde and ratified by Nana Fadnavis.

Diplomatic Terms

• Recognition of Authority: The British recognized Sawai Madhavrao as the sole legitimate Peshwa, ending their backing of Raghunathrao, who was retired on a pension.
• Territorial Claims: The British retained Salsette, while all other lands seized during the war were returned to the Marathas.
• Strategic Non-Interference: The Marathas agreed not to support other European powers, while the British pledged non-interference in Maratha internal affairs.
• Peace Interval: The treaty maintained peace between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company for two decades, delaying British expansion in North and Western India until 1802.

Institutional and Governance Framework

Key Facts for Quick Reference

Nana Fadnavis was born as Balaji Janardan Bhanu on February 12, 1742, at Satara. His grandfather, Balaji Mahadaji Bhanu, received the hereditary title of Phadnavis from Chhatrapati Shahu for saving the first Peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath, from an assassination plot. Nana Fadnavis escaped the battlefield of the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, returning to Pune to build up the Maratha treasury and civil service. His administrative network relied on written dispatches (Kharitas) sent via speed couriers (Jasoods), providing real-time intelligence on troop movements across British, Nizam, and Mysorean territories. In 1795, Nana Fadnavis coordinated the Maratha victory against the Nizam of Hyderabad at the Battle of Kharda, bringing together the forces of Shinde, Holkar, Bhonsle, and Gaekwad under the central direction of Pune. Following the suicide of Peshwa Sawai Madhavrao in 1795, Nana Fadnavis managed internal rivalries to place Baji Rao II on the throne, retaining control over state affairs until his death. Nana Fadnavis died on March 13, 1800, at Pune. His death marked the decline of central administrative unity in the Maratha Empire, leading directly to the Treaty of Bassein (1802) and British dominance.