Chapter: I i The Backgrounds The Council of Ministers and the office of Peshwa_éu: the Royal Period of History: (1630 - 1707 AsDe ) Part iis Shivaji Maharaj and his council of Ministerss Part 3 Is Sambhaji Maharaj and his Council of Ministers: Part 3 III 3 Rajaram and the Decentralisation of Powers Part i 1% 3 Maharani Tarabai's strong Regency.13 PARE among the achievements of Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of fhe ‘Maratha swarajya' the establishment of the Council of Bight Ministers or the ‘Ashta Pradhan Mandal’ can be considered as the most noteworthy. This practice of dividing the aduinistrative work of the state in different departments, and assigning each department to different ministers was based on the Aryan theory of the state, Shivaji's Right minister Council 1s believed to be based on the model suggested by the author of shukranitisar in his alternate List of pradhanas. The second or alternate list included the follow ing eight ministers s Sumanta, Pandit, Mantri, Pradhan, Sachiv? But Shivaji emulated the model judiciously by considering his needs and dropped the ‘Pratinidhi from the list and instead substituted ‘the ‘Senapati'. Shivaji appointed « Maratha Senapati and included him in his council. Although shivaji's Council of ministers was based on the model provided by the author of Shukranitisar, the designation of his ministers was borrowed from the Persian titles used by the Mohamedan rulers of the Bahmani, Wizamshahi and Adilshai @ynasties of the south. Mis ministers in the council were designated as + Peshwa, Majumdar, Waqia-navis, shuru-navis, Dabir, Sar-i-naubat, Sadar and Muhtasib (Marathi Pandit Rao and Danadhysksha) and Oadi- ul-Qusat or Myayadhish. Shivaji gave Sanskrit names to his ministers in 1676 on the occasion of his coronation at Raigad. The following Were the eight ministers who took part in the Abhishek Ceremony or Ceremonial ablution and poured holy water of different places from gold jars and vessels over Shivaji and stood by the eight pkllars at the coronation ceremony +s14 1. Moropant, son of Trimbak Pant : Peshwa- Mukhya Pradhan. 2, Maro Nilkanth and Ramchandra Nilkanth Majumdar s Their new designation was Amaty: 3. Ravji was Panditrao. His son was given the title of Rayjirac. 4. Hambir Rao Mohite, senapati. 5S. pattaji and Nirajipant were Waknavis; their new title was Mantri. 6. Trimbak Sondev Dabir's son Ramchandra Pant Sumant. J. Annaji Pant Surnisy his new designation was 8. To Miraji Ravji was given the Nyayadhishship. The _Peshwas of Shivaji + ‘The designation 'Peshwa' was borrowed by Shivaji from the administrative designations used by the Bahamani, Nisamshahi and Adilshai rulers. The officer occupying the office of Peshva Aischarged all the functions of a first minister under the Nizamshai at Ahmednagar. The Peshwa is mentioned once during the minority of Ibrahim Adilshah II when Afdal Khan was appointed Peshwa on the recommendation of Chand Bibi? In the Marathi sources, the Peshwa is first mentioned by shivaji's biographer Krishnaji Anant Sabhasad in his Bakhar while refering to the four ministers appoint~ ed by Shahaji Maharaj, Shivaji's father at Bengrul and sent to Poona alongwith Shivaji and Dadaji Konddev in 1640-41 A.p.* these officers were shamrao Nilkanth Ranzekar, Peshwa, Balkrishna Pant (cousin of Naro Pant Dikshit) as Majumdar, Sono Pant as Dabir and Raghunath Ballal as sabnis. 1s Shamraj wilkanth Ransekar Peshwa s Shivaji's first Peshwa was Shamraj ilkanth Rangekar appointed for him by shahaji Maharaj 4n 1640-41. He continued in that post upto the month of May 1662