Hakeem Nafeesurrahman Thanvi at 06:42, 25 February 2026

2026-02-25T06:42:33Z

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{{Short description|Subahdar of Chhattisgarh from 1758 to 1787}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
|name = Bimbaji Bhonsle
|title = [[Subahdar]]<br>King of [[Ratanpur]]
|image = File:Idol_of_Bimbaji_Bhosale.jpg
|image_size =
|caption =
|succession = [[Chhattisgarh|Subahdar of Chhattisgarh]]
|reign = 1758–1787
|coronation =
|predecessor = [[Mohansingh (ruler)|Mohan Singh]]
|successor = Chimnaji (second son of [[Mudhoji Bhonsle]])<ref>{{cite book |title=The Nagpur State In The 18th Century |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.278288/page/n107/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Chhattisgarh}}</ref>
|spouses = Anandibai<ref name= "nepal"/>
|issue =
|full name =
|house = [[Bhonsles of Nagpur]]
|dynasty =
|father = [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]]
|mother =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date = 1787
|death_place =
|burial_date =
|burial_place =
}}

'''Bimbaji Bhonsle''' (died 1787) was the youngest son of [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]],<ref name="nepal">{{cite book |last1=Jha |first1=Makhan |title=India and Nepal: Sacred Centres and Anthropological Researches |date=1998 |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=978-81-7533-081-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Jk6oE4sh18C&dq=Bimbaji&pg=PA76 |language=en}}</ref> the [[Nagpur kingdom#Rulers of Nagpur kingdom|Maratha ruler of Nagpur]]. Bimbaji was the ruler of [[Chhattisgarh]] on behalf of the [[Nagpur kingdom#Rulers of Nagpur kingdom|Maharaja of Nagpur]]. However, he was only nominally subordinate to the [[Nagpur kingdom#Rulers of Nagpur kingdom|Maharaja of Nagpur]], as he had a separate army and court with ministers at his capital of [[Ratanpur, Chhattisgarh|Ratanpur]].<ref name="past">{{cite book |last1=Dube |first1=Saurabh |last2=Dube |first2=Professor of History Center for Asian and African Studies Saurabh |title=Untouchable Pasts: Religion, Identity, and Power among a Central Indian Community, 1780-1950 |date=1 January 1998 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-3687-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_fYPCm1EJeAC&dq=Bimbaji&pg=PA28 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="durg">{{cite book |last1=Pradesh (India) |first1=Madhya |title=Madhya Pradesh: Durg |date=1965 |publisher=Government Central Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CEVuAAAAMAAJ&q=Bimbaji |language=en}}</ref>

==Career==
Bimbaji was the youngest son of [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]],<ref name="nepal">{{cite book |last1=Jha |first1=Makhan |title=India and Nepal: Sacred Centres and Anthropological Researches |date=1998 |publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. |isbn=978-81-7533-081-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Jk6oE4sh18C&dq=Bimbaji&pg=PA76 |language=en}}</ref> the [[Nagpur kingdom#Rulers of Nagpur kingdom|Maratha ruler of Nagpur]]. Bimbaji married Anandibai, who continued to wield her influence in Chhattisgarh after her husband's death and caused small-scale unrest.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Provinces (India) |first1=Central |title=Raipur district |date=1909 |publisher=Printed at the Pioneer Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZA0mAQAAIAAJ&q=Bimbaji |language=en}}</ref> [[Janoji I Bhonsle]] appointed him as the governor of [[Chhattisgarh]] in 1758. When [[Mohansingh (ruler)|Mohan Singh]], the [[Haihaiyavanshi Kingdom|Haihayavanshi]] ruler of [[Chhattisgarh]] on behalf of Nagpur learnt about this, he prepared an army at [[Raipur]] to oppose Bimbaji but suddenly fell ill and died. Thus Bimbaji faced no opposition in assuming rule of the region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pradesh (India) |first1=Madhya |title=Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: West Nimar |date=1978 |publisher=Government Central Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3axhAAAAIAAJ&q=Bimbaji |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Nelson |first1=Sir Arthur Edward |title=Raipur District: Volume A, Descriptive |date=1909 |publisher=Printed at the British India Press, Byculla |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MVNRqTCIeYAC&q=Bimbaji |language=en}}</ref>

Bimbaji maintained order in Chhattisgarh through military oppression.<ref name= "d">{{cite book |title=Sevartham |date=1988 |publisher=St. Albert's College |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y9PYAAAAMAAJ&q=Bimbaji |language=en}}</ref> Bimbaji collected excess revenue in order to maintain the government, as well as to pay an annual tribute of 7,000 rupees to Nagpur. But this had disadvantageous effects as the revenue of the region dropped considerably from 8 lakhs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pradesh (India) |first1=Madhya |title=Madhya Pradesh: Durg |date=1965 |publisher=Government Central Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CEVuAAAAMAAJ&q=Bimbaji |language=en}}</ref>
Bimbaji was constantly quarrelling with his nominal overlord at Nagpur, [[Janoji I]], who was also his brother.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Institute |first1=Deccan College Post-graduate and Research |title=Monograph Series |date=1959 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lyYiAQAAIAAJ&q=Bimbaji |language=mr}}</ref> During the [[First Anglo-Maratha War]] a Khilat{{clarify|date=February 2026}} was sent by the Peshwa to [[Mudhoji Bhonsle]] to invade Bengal and conquer East India Company's capital of [[Kolkata|Calcutta]]. Despite having all required assistance, the Raja of Nagpur was reluctant to receive the khilat. However, when Bimbaji learnt about this, he expressed his desire to invade and burn Calcutta, but never received any khilat in his lifetime. He governed Chhattisgarh from 1758 to 1787.<ref name= "past"/><ref name="nepal"/> After his death, the ''subah'' system was adopted in the region.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gajrani |first1=S. |title=History, Religion and Culture of India |date=2004 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-8205-064-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T02CC0ihCmcC&dq=Bimbaji&pg=PA6 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:People from the Maratha Empire]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian monarchs]]

Bimbaji Bhonsle - Revision history

Hakeem Nafeesurrahman Thanvi at 06:42, 25 February 2026