Due to the minority of which Peshwa, the Maratha state was looked after by a council of 12 members called ‘Bara Bhai’ (Twelve Brothers)? G
After the assassination of Narayan Rao, his infant son Madhavrao Narayan (Sawai Madhavrao) was named Peshwa. Because he was a minor, a regency council known as the “Barbhai Council,” led by Nana Fadnavis and Mahadaji Scindia, governed the empire. This council was crucial in resisting the British during the First Anglo-Maratha War and preventing the usurper Raghunath Rao from taking power. ANSWER: (D) Madhavrao Narayan (Sawai Madhavrao II)
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The Barbhai Council was a unique experiment in collective leadership within the Maratha Confederacy. Following the murder of Peshwa Narayan Rao in 1773, the council was formed to protect the rights of his posthumous son, Sawai Madhavrao. Led by the astute Nana Fadnavis, these twelve ministers and generals successfully managed state affairs, handled diplomatic crises and thwarted the ambitions of Raghunath Rao, who had defected to the British. The council’s unity was the primary reason the Marathas emerged victorious in their first major conflict with the British East India Company.