Ramshastri Prabhune Pant Nyayadish | |
---|---|
![]() Painting of Ramshastri prabhune in 1789 | |
![]() | |
In office 1759 [1] –October 1789 [2] | |
Monarch | Rajaram II Shahu II |
Personal details | |
Born | 1720 [2] Mahuli |
Died | October 1789 [3] |
Known for | conviction of Raghunathrao and Anandibai for the Assassination of Narayan Rao |
Ram Shastri Prabhune was the Chief Justice (Mukhya Nyayadhish or "Pantnyayadhish" ) in the apex court of the Maratha Empire in the latter half of the 18th century,during the heyday of that empire. He is best remembered for having passed strictures against the sitting Peshwa of the time for instigating murder. [4] Ram Shastri's integrity in public affairs is regarded as a model for all times.
Ramshastri Prabhune was born in Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin family in the small town of Kshetra Mahuli also called Sangam Mahuli,near Satara,not be confused with Mahuli. Little is known of his early life,with references to him being available only after he entered the service of the Peshwas. [5]
Ram Shastri held office under the Peshwas during the latter part of the 18th century. Known for his honesty and integrity,he even declined a royal gift made to his wife. He turned down the offer of an official mansion and continued to live in his humble ancestral home in the Brahmin quarter of Poona city on his modest income. It is said that his wife sold milk from their two cows and a buffalo in order to supplement his monthly income[ citation needed ]. This Brahminical frugality complemented his wide and eclectic scholarship:he was renowned for his knowledge of law (including British law),philosophy,and the theories of statecraft and political science[ citation needed ]. He was proficient in the Sanskrit,Marathi,Hindi,Urdu and English languages. As a young Brahmin student of Advaita vedanta,he had studied the Vedas,Upanishads and Puranas and was so well-versed in the Hindu scriptures,that he was considered as an authority in Pune in those times. He once debated for five days with Shri Varadendra Teertha,pontiff of the Madhva sect. [6] After the debate,as a mark of respect and tribute to the scholarship of the pontiff he gave up his house and the structure is surviving to this day as the Shri Varadendra Swamy Mutt on Laxmi Road in Pune. [7]
Ram Shastri's most famous act was passing the death sentence on the ruling Peshwa of the time, Raghunath Rao, for the murder of his own nephew, Peshwa Narayan Rao. In 1772, Peshwa Madhavrao I died, leaving his brother Narayan Rao, a minor, as heir. Madhavrao's paternal uncle, Peshwa Raghunath Rao, was appointed regent in the minority of his nephew. The following year, an act infamous in the history of the Maratha Empire was perpetrated when the young boy was murdered, at the behest either of the Regent or of his wife Anandibai, by Raghunath Rao's guardsmen. On the quiet winter night of 17 December 1772, the assassins entered his private quarters at Shaniwarwada in Pune; the boy-Peshwa ran for safety to the apartments of his uncle and aunt, knowing little about the true origin of the plot. [8] These guardsmen then committed the murder in the very presence of Raghunath Rao and Anandibai. While passing the statement, Ram Shashtri said that for this heinous act there is no other punishment than a death sentence. [4]
Narayan Rao's wife delivered a son shortly after the death of her husband. [9]
In 1944, the movie Ramshastri, with screenplay by K.B. Dhawle, was produced by Prabhat Film Company. [10]
Balaji Baji Rao, often referred to as Nana Saheb I, was the 8th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He was appointed as Peshwa in 1740 upon the death of his father, the Peshwa Bajirao I.
The First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) was the first of three Anglo-Maratha Wars fought between the British East India Company and Maratha Confederacy in India. The war began with the Treaty of Surat and ended with the Treaty of Salbai. The war, fought in between Surat and Poona, saw British defeat and restoration of positions of both the parties before the war. Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal decided not to attack Pune directly.
Madhavrao I was the son of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao and grandson of Peshwa Bajirao I who served as 9th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. During his tenure, the Maratha Confederacy recovered from the losses they suffered during the Third Battle of Panipat, an event known as Maratha Resurrection.
Narayanrao was the 10th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy from November 1772 until his assassination in August 1773. He married Gangabai Sathe who later gave birth to Sawai Madhavrao.
Baji Rao II was the 13th and the last Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He governed from 1795 to 1818. He was installed as a puppet ruler by the Maratha nobles, whose growing power prompted him to flee his capital Poona and sign the Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the British. This resulted in the Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805), in which the British emerged victorious and re-installed him as the titular Peshwa. In 1817, Baji Rao II joined the Third Anglo-Maratha War against the British, after they favoured the Gaekwad nobles in a revenue-sharing dispute. After suffering several battle defeats, the Peshwa surrendered to the British, and agreed to retire in return for an estate at Bithoor and an annual pension.
Raghunathrao Bhat, also known as Ragho Ballad or Raghoba Dada, was the younger son of Peshwa Bajirao I who served as the 11th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy for a brief period from 1773 to 1774.
Sri Jayatirtha, also known asTeekacharya, was a Hindu philosopher, dialectician, polemicist and the sixth pontiff of Madhvacharya Peetha from. He is considered to be one of the important seers in the history of Dvaita school of thought on account of his sound elucidations of the works of Madhvacharya. He structured the philosophical aspects of Dvaita and through his polemical works, elevating it to an equal footing with the contemporary schools of thought. Along with Madhva and Vyasatirtha, he is venerated as one of the three great spiritual sages, or munitraya of Dvaita. Jayatirtha is considered an incarnation of Indra with avesha of Adi Sesha in the Madhva Parampara.
Madhavrao II was the 12th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy, from his infancy. He was known as Sawai Madhav Rao or Madhav Rao Narayan. He was the posthumous son of Narayanrao Peshwa, murdered in 1773 on the orders of Raghunathrao. Madhavrao II was considered the legal heir, and was installed as Peshwa by the Treaty of Salbai in 1782 after First Anglo-Maratha War.
Gopikabai was Peshwin of Maratha Empire, as the wife of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao. She had a very orthodox religious upbringing and belief. After the death of Nanasaheb Peshwa, she tried to expand her power over the Peshwa and the administration. She influenced her son Madhavrao Peshwa, who by sidelining Raghunathrao at her urging, assumed control. However, after trying to interfere in administrative matters, namely to save her brother from punishment, she was confined to Nashik. In 1773 she was freed after the death of Madhavarao and went back to Pune. Afterwards, Gopikabai became part of the priestly class. She developed a rivalry with other women in the Peshwa's household. She was the mother of three successive Peshwas.
Visaji Krushna Chinchalkar, popularly known as Visaji Pant Biniwale, was one of the leading generals of Peshwas in Northern India during 1759 to 1772. Peshwa Madhavrao I mainly sought his assistance in his attempt to restore Maratha Empire in the North after the defeat in the Battle of Panipat (1761).
Anandibai was a Peshwa Queen and the wife of Raghunathrao, the 11th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. In August 1773, she successfully plotted the death of her nephew, the 17-year-old Peshwa Narayanrao. Her husband was acting regent at the time and next in line for the throne, at the time of Narayanrao's death.
The Uttaradi Math, is one of the main monasteries (matha) founded by Madhvacharya with Padmanabha Tirtha as its head to preserve and propagate Dvaita Vedanta (Tattvavada) outside Tulunadu region. Uttaradi Math is one of the three primary Dvaita monasteries or Mathatraya that descended from Madhvacharya in the lineage of Padmanabha Tirtha through Jayatirtha. After Jayatirtha and Vidyadhiraja Tirtha, Uttaradi Math continued in the lineage of Kavindra Tirtha and later in the lineage of Vidyanidhi Tirtha. The Moola Rama and Moola Sita idols worshipped in the Uttaradi Matha have a long history and are revered among adherents.
Ramabai (1750–1772) was the wife of Madhavrao Peshwa I. Her father's name was Shivaji Ballal Joshi from Solapur.
Bhor State was one of the 9-gun salute Maratha princely states of Deccan States Agency. It was the only state belonging to the Poona Agency under the Bombay Presidency, which became later part of the Deccan States Agency. Along with Akkalkot State, Aundh State, Phaltan State and Jath State, it was one of the Satara Jagirs. The state merged with the newly independent Indian union in 1948.
The Bhat Peshwa family earlier known as Bhat family is a prominent Indian Chitpavan Brahmin family who dominated India for around 100 years in the late 18th century and early 19th century. Most of the members in this family were the Peshwas in the Peshwa Era of the Maratha Empire, and Peshwa later became their family name. During their regime, most of the Indian subcontinent was under their control. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao II, was defeated by the British East India Company in the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818. The territory was annexed to the British East India Company's Bombay Presidency, and he was pensioned.
Madhva Brahmins, are Hindu Brahmin communities in India, who follow Sadh Vaishnavism and Dvaita philosophy propounded by Madhvacharya. They are found mostly in the Indian states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Satyadhyana Tirtha was an Indian Hindu philosopher, scholar, yogi, mystic, theologian and saint. He was the 38th pontiff of Uttaradi Math and served the pontificate from 1911-1942. He was considered most active and zealous pontiffs of 20th century. He was an untiring propagandist, the best debater of his days and almost a terror to his adversaries in philosophical polemics. It was at his initiative and inspiration that a splendid Marathi translation of Madhva's Brahmasutra Bhashya, with the Tatvaprakashika of Jayatirtha was published for the benefit of a large number of followers of Madhvacharya in Maharashtra. He made extensive tours all over India, held disputations and published polemical tracts and phamplets in many languages in North and South India for free distribution. He started, Sriman Madhva Siddhanta Abhivruddhikarini Sabha around 1905-06 and registered in 1930 to promote the study of Sanskrit literature and philosophy, particularly the study of Dvaita Philosophy, to hold meetings and conferences of Madhva scholars.
Satyabodha Tirtha was an Indian philosopher, scholar, yogi, mystic and saint. He was the 25th pontiff of Uttaradi Math and served the pontificate from March 1744 - 9 March 1783. Satyabodha Tirtha was a great yogi and was honoured by both Hindu and Muslim rulers of his time. Satyabodha Tirtha enjoyed a good fame as a miracle-man. Almost all the princes of the South India used to worship him and were his ardent disciples. Murari Rao of Gooty, Raghoji Bhosale and Fateh Singh Rao Gaekwad, were his great disciples. Satyabodha Tirtha Swamiji's mission of peace has played a prominent role during this time. He earned a reputation as the greatest of Madhva saints of his time for his un-rivaled scholarship, miraculous achievements and dynamism as the pontiff of the Uttaradi Math. So many were his achievements and so well was he liked, admired and respected by people of all castes and creeds, rich and poor, that the Uttaradi Math in Savanur got the name as Satyabodha Math after him. Satyabodha Tirtha is believed to be the incarnation of Markandeya.
The Assassination of Narayan Rao occurred on 30 August 1773, when the 18 year old Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy Narayan Rao, was assassinated. This plot was carried out During the Ganesh Chaturthi Festival that took place from 21 to 31 August. This was plotted by his uncle Raghunath Rao and his wife Anandibai. They used members of the Kalbelia tribe as assassins. Raghunath Rao was the next in line for the throne, at the time of Narayan Rao's death. Narayan Rao and his servant Chapaji Tilekar were both killed. A total of eleven people had been killed in the palace, seven of them were Brahmins, two servants, two maids. One cow was also killed.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty |title=
(help){{cite web}}
: External link in |website=
(help)