Mastani
Encyclopedia
Mastani was the wife
of Peshwa
Baji Rao I
(1699–1740), an India
n general and prime minister to the fourth Maratha
Chhatrapati
(Emperor) Shahuji
. She is said to have been a beautiful and brave woman.
(1649–1731), of Bundelkhand
province, and was borne by his Persian Moslem wife. When a Mughal
chief from Allahabad
, Mohammad Khan Bangash, invaded Chhattrasal’s kingdom during 1727-28 and imprisoned him and his family, Chhattrasal sent a secret message, seeking help, to Baji Rao, who happened to be on a military campaign in the vicinity of Bundelkhand. Bajirao came to the rescue of Chhatrasal, defeated Bangash's army, and restored Chhatrasal to his throne. In gratitude, Chattrasal gave Bajirao his daughter Mastani, and also a third of his kingdom, including Jhansi
, Sagar and Kalpi
. He also gave 33 lakh gold coins to Bajirao.
However sources vary on this context. According to the second view she was daughter of Nizam of Hyderbad, Maratha who have defeated Nizam in 1734 was advised by his wife to marry his daughter to Peshwa to foster friendly relations with the Marathas who had become the most dominant power in India and in the Indian Subcontinent.. The third origin of Mastani is said to be that she was a dancer in Nizam Court and after Nizam accepted the defeated during the meeting of Peshwa with Nizam he fell in love with Mastani and married her which was condemned by Brahmins and other Hindus as Baji Rao was an upper caste Brahmin.. However the most accepted version is that she was daughter of Chatrasal with his Persian Moslem wife.
Mastani is often referred to as Bajirao's concubine or mistress. However, she was his lawfully wedded wife.
Mastani gave the Peshwa two sons, on whom their father bestowed the jagir of Banda
. The two brothers fought on the side of the Marathas in the third Battle of Panipat in a.d. 1761 between Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas and one of them is said to have been killed in the battle.
Mastani was a skilled horse-rider, and she accompanied Baji Rao on his military campaigns. According to legends, she was skilled in spear-throwing and swordsmanship. She was also a talented dancer and singer. Both Mastani and Baji Rao's wife, Kashibai, bore sons to Baji Rao within a few months of each other. Kashibai's child died at an early age. Mastani's child was named Shamsher Bahadur.
However, Baji Rao's love for his half-Moslem wife Mastani, and neglect of Kashibai angered his mother, Radhabai. In deference to Radhabai, Baji Rao's brother, Chimnaji Appa, tried to send Mastani into exile. Baji Rao's son, Balaji, also tried to coerce Mastani into leaving his father, but she refused. Enraged by her growing influence on Baji Rao, and Baji Rao's neglect of Kashibai, Balaji had Mastani placed under house arrest
for a time, while Baji Rao was on military campaign.
Mastani lived for some time with Baji Rao at his palace of Shaniwar Wada
in the city of Pune
. The palace's north-east corner held Mastani Mahal and had its own external doorway called Mastani darwaza. Because of his family's intolerance of Mastani, Baji Rao later built a separate residence for Mastani at Kothrud
in 1734, some distance away from Shaniwar Wada. The site still exists at the Mrutyunjay temple on Karve road. Court records (Bakhars) during Bajirao's regime specifically never included any reference to her. Historians have determined that the paintings of Mastani in both Raja Kelkar museum and Wai
museum are not authentic.
. Mastani died at Pabal Village near Pune, soon afterwards.
. No documentation is available to confirm the actual cause. However it is accepted that she did not live long after Bajirao's demise and died in 1740.
Kashibai took Mastani's six-year-old son Shamsher Bahadur (also named as Krushnarao) into her household and raised him as one of her own. Shamsher grew up into a formidable warrior and fought in the Third Battle of Panipat in 14/1/1761 against Ahmed Shah Abdali. Durani, alongside his half-cousin Sadashivrao Bhau
and his half-nephew Vishwasrao, Nanasaheb's son. Shamsher Bahadur, barely 27 at the time, lost his life along with Sadashivrao Bhau and Vishwasrao in that battle. Shamsher Bahadur's son, Ali Bahadur, ruled over Baji Rao's lands in Bundelkhand, and founded the state of Banda
, Uttar Pradesh.
announced in 2003 that he wanted to make a film titled "Bajirao Mastani", but he has indefinitely postponed the project. A Marathi serial, "Rau", was produced in the 1990s, based on a Marathi book of the same name by historical novelist N. S. Inamdar about the life story of Baji Rao and Mastani. Currently a daily serial is being broadcast on ETV Marathi
by the name, Shrimant Peshwa Bajirao Mastani.
Local lore in Pune believes that while in Pune, Mastani used to go for her bath to a lake (created by Bajirao specially for Mastani on Pune - Saswad Road) with her entourage. That lake still exists there.
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
of Peshwa
Peshwa
A Peshwa is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emporer Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army...
Baji Rao I
Baji Rao I
Shrimant Baji Rao Balaji Bhatt , also known as Baji Rao I, was a noted general who served as Peshwa to the fourth Maratha Chhatrapati Shahu from 1719 until Baji Rao's death. He is also known as Thorale Baji Rao...
(1699–1740), an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n general and prime minister to the fourth Maratha
Maratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
Chhatrapati
Chhatrapati
Chhatrapati is the Indian honorific title equivalent to the European Emperor. It is more formally written as Kshetrapati, from the Sanskrit kshetra- and -pati...
(Emperor) Shahuji
Shahuji
Shahu Sambhaji Raje Bhosale Chhatrapati Maharaj was the fourth ruler of the Maratha Empire created by his grandfather, Chhatrapati Shivaji, and was officially the Raja of Satara...
. She is said to have been a beautiful and brave woman.
Biography
Mastani was a daughter of a Hindu, Maharaja ChhatrasalMaharaja Chhatrasal
Budelkhand Kesri Maharaja Chhatrasal , was a Bundeli warrior who chose to turn against the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and seek to establish his own kingdom in Bundelkhand....
(1649–1731), of Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom is a geographic region of central India...
province, and was borne by his Persian Moslem wife. When a Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
chief from Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, Mohammad Khan Bangash, invaded Chhattrasal’s kingdom during 1727-28 and imprisoned him and his family, Chhattrasal sent a secret message, seeking help, to Baji Rao, who happened to be on a military campaign in the vicinity of Bundelkhand. Bajirao came to the rescue of Chhatrasal, defeated Bangash's army, and restored Chhatrasal to his throne. In gratitude, Chattrasal gave Bajirao his daughter Mastani, and also a third of his kingdom, including Jhansi
Jhansi
Jhansi Hindi:झाँसी, , Marathi: झाशी, is a historical city of India. Jhansi is the administrative headquarters of Jhansi District and Jhansi Division. The original walled city grew up around its stone fort, which crowns a neighboring rock. This district is on the bank of river Betwa.The National...
, Sagar and Kalpi
Kalpi
Kalpi is a city and a municipal board in Jalaun district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is on the right bank of the Yamuna.-History:...
. He also gave 33 lakh gold coins to Bajirao.
However sources vary on this context. According to the second view she was daughter of Nizam of Hyderbad, Maratha who have defeated Nizam in 1734 was advised by his wife to marry his daughter to Peshwa to foster friendly relations with the Marathas who had become the most dominant power in India and in the Indian Subcontinent.. The third origin of Mastani is said to be that she was a dancer in Nizam Court and after Nizam accepted the defeated during the meeting of Peshwa with Nizam he fell in love with Mastani and married her which was condemned by Brahmins and other Hindus as Baji Rao was an upper caste Brahmin.. However the most accepted version is that she was daughter of Chatrasal with his Persian Moslem wife.
Mastani is often referred to as Bajirao's concubine or mistress. However, she was his lawfully wedded wife.
Mastani gave the Peshwa two sons, on whom their father bestowed the jagir of Banda
Banda
-People:*Banda people, an ethnic group of the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Sudan*Rupiah Banda, President of Zambia*Hastings Banda, former President of Malawi...
. The two brothers fought on the side of the Marathas in the third Battle of Panipat in a.d. 1761 between Ahmed Shah Abdali and the Marathas and one of them is said to have been killed in the battle.
Mastani was a skilled horse-rider, and she accompanied Baji Rao on his military campaigns. According to legends, she was skilled in spear-throwing and swordsmanship. She was also a talented dancer and singer. Both Mastani and Baji Rao's wife, Kashibai, bore sons to Baji Rao within a few months of each other. Kashibai's child died at an early age. Mastani's child was named Shamsher Bahadur.
However, Baji Rao's love for his half-Moslem wife Mastani, and neglect of Kashibai angered his mother, Radhabai. In deference to Radhabai, Baji Rao's brother, Chimnaji Appa, tried to send Mastani into exile. Baji Rao's son, Balaji, also tried to coerce Mastani into leaving his father, but she refused. Enraged by her growing influence on Baji Rao, and Baji Rao's neglect of Kashibai, Balaji had Mastani placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
for a time, while Baji Rao was on military campaign.
Mastani lived for some time with Baji Rao at his palace of Shaniwar Wada
Shaniwar Wada
Shaniwarwada is a palace fort in the city of Pune in Maharashtra, India. Built in 1736, it was the seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire until 1818 when the Peshwas surrendered to the British...
in the city of Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
. The palace's north-east corner held Mastani Mahal and had its own external doorway called Mastani darwaza. Because of his family's intolerance of Mastani, Baji Rao later built a separate residence for Mastani at Kothrud
Kothrud
Kothrud, known Kothrud Baug in the era of the Peshwas, is a suburb in the south west of the city of Pune, Maharashtra in India. Situated relatively near the center of an industrializing city, it has seen rapid growth in housing, making it one of the fastest developing suburbs in Asia...
in 1734, some distance away from Shaniwar Wada. The site still exists at the Mrutyunjay temple on Karve road. Court records (Bakhars) during Bajirao's regime specifically never included any reference to her. Historians have determined that the paintings of Mastani in both Raja Kelkar museum and Wai
Wai, Maharashtra
Wāi is a town in Sātārā District in Mahārāshtra, India.Wai has the epithetic name Dakshin Kāshi...
museum are not authentic.
Death
In April 1740, while Baji Rao was inspecting his lands at Khargon, he suddenly became ill and died. Baji Rao's wife Kashibai, his brother Chimnaji Appa, his son Balaji (Nanasaheb), and Mastani came to Khargon. Bajirao's mortal remains were consigned to flames on 28 April 1740, at Raver Khed on the banks of the Narmada RiverNarmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
. Mastani died at Pabal Village near Pune, soon afterwards.
Cause of death
According to popular folklore, Mastani committed suicide after hearing about Bajirao's death, by drinking poison from a ring which she was wearing. Others say that she jumped into the funeral pyre of her husband and committed satiSati
Sati may refer to:*An alternative name for Hindu goddess Dakshayani, Shiva's first wife*Sati , an ancient Indian tradition of the immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre, now illegal*Mindfulness...
. No documentation is available to confirm the actual cause. However it is accepted that she did not live long after Bajirao's demise and died in 1740.
Mastani's grave
Her grave is in Pabal. It is called Mastani's Samadhi and is maintained by Mr. Inamdar.Kashibai took Mastani's six-year-old son Shamsher Bahadur (also named as Krushnarao) into her household and raised him as one of her own. Shamsher grew up into a formidable warrior and fought in the Third Battle of Panipat in 14/1/1761 against Ahmed Shah Abdali. Durani, alongside his half-cousin Sadashivrao Bhau
Sadashivrao Bhau
Sadashivrao Bhau was son of Chimaji Appa and Rakhmabai and nephew of Peshwa Baji Rao I and served as the commander of the Maratha army.-Birth and early years:...
and his half-nephew Vishwasrao, Nanasaheb's son. Shamsher Bahadur, barely 27 at the time, lost his life along with Sadashivrao Bhau and Vishwasrao in that battle. Shamsher Bahadur's son, Ali Bahadur, ruled over Baji Rao's lands in Bundelkhand, and founded the state of Banda
Banda District
Banda district is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of India, and Banda is the district headquarters. It is a part of Chitrakoot Division.Banda is famous for its Shajar stone, used for making jewellery, and the historically and architecturally significant sites Khajuraho and Kalinjar. Khajuraho is...
, Uttar Pradesh.
Mastani in popular culture
The story of Baji Rao and Mastani was made into a motion picture, Mastani, directed by Dhirubhai Desai, and released in 1955. Sanjay Leela BhansaliSanjay Leela Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian film director. He is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India...
announced in 2003 that he wanted to make a film titled "Bajirao Mastani", but he has indefinitely postponed the project. A Marathi serial, "Rau", was produced in the 1990s, based on a Marathi book of the same name by historical novelist N. S. Inamdar about the life story of Baji Rao and Mastani. Currently a daily serial is being broadcast on ETV Marathi
ETV Marathi
ETV Marathi is an Indian television channel that primarily broadcasts Marathi entertainment based in Mumbai.The Channel gained popularity with its Longest running Daily Soap Char Diwas Sasuche that has completed 5 years & more than 1200 episodes...
by the name, Shrimant Peshwa Bajirao Mastani.
Local lore in Pune believes that while in Pune, Mastani used to go for her bath to a lake (created by Bajirao specially for Mastani on Pune - Saswad Road) with her entourage. That lake still exists there.
Further reading
- Godse, D. G. Mastānī, Pôpyulara Prakāśana, 1989 (MarathiMarathi languageMarathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
) - Anne Feldhaus. Images of women in Maharashtrian society. SUNY Press (1998), p. 70.
- Stewart Gordon. The New Cambridge History of India vol. 2 part 4: The Marathas 1600-1818. Cambridge University Press (1993),p. 130.