Peshwa Madhav Rao I ascended the throne at a time when the Maratha state was on the verge of collapse following 1761. Through sheer determination and administrative genius, he disciplined the unruly sardars and replenished the treasury. He led successful campaigns in the south against Hyder Ali of Mysore and re-established Maratha authority in the north. Historian Grant Duff noted that his early death from tuberculosis was the most fatal blow to the empire. His leadership proved that the Marathas could still function as a unified, disciplined power, a quality that largely vanished after his passing.