Sutradhara’s Tales: Many shades of Maratha Machivalli – Nana Phadnis
A man of delicate composition, serious disposition and averse to any sort of tomfoolery, Nana was always a man on mission.
Nana Phadnis was a character in Maratha history full of contrasts and yet managed to uphold loyalty and important values for sustenance of the Maratha state. A man of delicate composition, serious disposition and averse to any sort of tomfoolery, Nana was always a man on mission.
Nana was a devout, religious person in his personal life. He was well aware of his vices and material indulgences and made effort to control them through his daily worship and charitable deeds. He would regularly pray for his better health and birth of his progeny in the family.
Peshwa records are replete with his donations to various pilgrimage sites and charitable work undertaken. He renovated Jyotirlinga temples at Bhimashankar and Trambakeshwar. He built Kalbhairav temple at Velas, his hometown. Ghats, dharmashalas (sarai), Annachhatra, Panpoi (water dispensers), wadas at Kaygaon Toke, Kopergaon, Manavali were built by him. The ghats at Wai and Menavali, inspired from ghats at Varanasi, are one of the finest examples of Maratha architecture of those times. Nana commissioned paintings of these ghats with perforations, where a single lamp lit in background would give impression of a ghat decorated by multiple lamps. He was responsible for building formidable fortification to fort Lohagad, a military marvel in itself.
He supplemented the Katraj water canals installed by Nanasaheb Peshwa for Pune’s water supply, with one of his own built from village Narhe Ambegaon to Shaniwarwada.
His compassion and loyalty are visible through various acts of charities he undertook for safe male birth of young Peshwa, Sawai Madhavrao, when pregnant Gangabai, wife of Narayanrao, was kept on fort Purandar for safety. He made vows to a number of jagrut (living) deities and shrines, including Malhari Martand at Jejuri, Ganesha at Ganpatipule, Mayureshwar at Morgaon, Shiva at Bhimashankar and Trambakeshwar, Kasba Ganpati and Tambdi Jogeshwari of Pune, Aundha Nagnth at Hingoli and various deities at fort Purandar and others in his charge.
He annually repaired Malshej ghat, damaged due to heavy rains and made water and stay arrangements at Khambataki ghat for travellers. He undertook special efforts to entertain and train young Peshwa Sawai Madhavrao through expansion of Shikarkhana and procurement of wild animals and curious objects.
He was unable to visit Kashi Vishveshwar temple at Kashi during the Panipat campaign but longed for its darshan. As an alternative, he had installed an embroidered silk map of all the sacred places of Kashi and would pray to it every day.
He was fascinated by printing technology and persuaded efforts to print Hindu epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana through prints for mass reproduction and distribution. Though his activities show him as a staunch orthodox in personal life, he was well aware of the importance of science and innovation that emerging modern age had to offer.
As part of his charitable work, he had commissioned a bridge on river Karmanasha at Kashi, but the foundations could not be held. The person incharge, Bhaskarpant Kunte, asked Nana for permission to take religious vows for success of the work; however, Nana refused him saying it won’t work. He, then, sent a French engineer to the site for engineering consultation and paid him twenty thousand rupees in fees.
Nana always made his business to know everything and be aware of eminent events and dangers. His geographical knowledge was impeccable and had collected and commissioned various geographical maps of world cities and regions. He had records of various European colonies, location of important cities, their relative distances from Pune and rivers and mountains in the way. He kept close watch on the trade, important goods and transport between these cities. He sought help from foreign cartographers to make maps of Shrirangapatanam, Bangalore and Nandgad as he kept watch on Tipu Sultan’s and Haider Ali’s activities.
His daily routine included seeking information of daily prices in the markets of all sessional commodities and being informed of all important events in the city through network of personal informants. His wide network of spies was noteworthy and every midnight he would spend time to seek, discuss, respond and act upon important state and personal news from all over India.
He is known to maintain daily dairies of activities and had also written a small autobiographical account which reflects his values, philosophical bend of mind and frank thoughts.
He loved cleanliness, discipline, planning, meticulousness and was thrifty in his spending. Yet he was an avid lover of art, literature and music and spared time in his daily schedule for his hobbies. If he liked a certain poet, he would arrange religious poetic recitals at Vishnu temple of Belbaug in Pune.
He had planted saplings of various flowing and fruiting trees in gardens of Pune, procured from far-off places. He would make detailed notes about what type of climate is suitable for each plant. Visual and performing artists of Jaipur were in vogue during the late 18th century. Nana aimed for similar art scene to be developed in Pune. He had specially sought artist Bhojraj from Jodhpur to come to Pune and gifted him ₹200, but Bhojraj was prohibited by Jodhpur king to leave the city.
Nana Phadnis had an eye for art pieces, curios and collected various paintings from Indian as well as colonial sources. He encouraged James Wales, renowned painter at Poona residency under Charles Malet, to start an art school at Pune.
He patronised various singers, dancers and musicians from Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad by paying them handsome honorarium to come to Poona court and perform. He employed Maratha vakils at other Indian courts to fetch such eminent artists.
Hereditary title made sure that he was wealthy since childhood; he himself amassed great personal wealth through his financial endeavours. His own “Phadnishi” salary was well above a lakh per year. In addition, he was incharge of appointments of all Phadnavis administrative posts at various sardars’ office and forts. He would get commissions through these deals. He was awarded 1,500 cavalry soldiers’ upkeep through Peshwa treasury which amounted to ₹5 lakh rupees. He would get a share in various Najaranas (royal gifts) presented at Peshwa court. He saved good deal of state’s money through profitable deals which made him eligible for state awards. He received grants through various treaties of Marathas and also from other party, including Nawab and Siddis.
The annual revenue from his Inam villages was considerable. He had many jewels and cash in his collection which is reflected through amounts disbursed in his last letter of death will. This collective wealth earned him epithet ‘Navkot Nana’ (Nana of 9 crores)!
After his death, his youngest wife, Jiubai, was haunted by various sardars, including Peshwa Bajirao II for Nana’s wealth. She travelled with entourage of 400 Arabs from Pune to Panvel to Lohagad to ultimately settle at Manavali near Wai. Much of the wealth was stranded, so was the Menavali dafter, Nana’s personal daftar (archives) but the Inam and some property remained which is still looked after by his decedents.
His perseverance was revered, even, in enemies’ camps and can be summarised through Pune resident, Col Palmer’s quote on hearing Nana’s death on March 13, 1800, “With him, I fear, has departed all the wisdom and moderation in this Government.”
Last decades of Maratha Empire were truly made “Early Modern” through various innovative undertakings of the visionary Nana Phadnis!
Saili Palande-Datar is an indologist, environmentalist, history researcher and farmer. She can be reached @ sailikdatar@gmail.com