Bālājī Bājī Rāo

Balaji Baji Rao was the peshwa, or chief minister, of the Maratha confederacy in India from 1740 to 1761. He was the son of Baji Rao I, who had secured hereditary succession to the peshwa-ship. During Balaji Baji Rao's tenure, the peshwa became the virtual ruler of Maharashtra. He aimed to succeed the Mughals in Delhi, but his army suffered a significant defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. Following this defeat, Balaji Baji Rao became the head of a confederacy of himself and four northern chiefs. Succession disputes weakened the peshwa's authority, and eventually, Baji Rao II sought British protection through the Treaty of Bassein in 1802.123