By Prajal Sakhardande
Jivbadada Kerkar is a fascinating historical figure, not only in Goa history but Maratha history too. An eminent son of Goa, Jivbadada Kerkar has been immortalised in Maratha war history.
Jivbadada Kerkar was a senapti (commander) in the Maratha army in the Peshwa era. My recent visit to the Jivbadada Kerkar’s palace in Keri-Pednem was an interesting and enriching experience. There are many interesting facets to this great son of Goa. He was a warrior par excellence - he excelled in the Third Battle of Panipat fought between the Marathas and the Afghan Ahmed Shah Abdali on 14th January 1761, which was truly a decisive and bloody battle in which both sides lost equally.
Jivbadada Kerkar’s ancestors were originally from the beautiful village of Morjim in the Pednem Mahal. He was born in the year 1740. His grandfather built a palatial mansion at Keri-Pednem and hence his family came to be known as the Kerkars. Their ancestral surname was originally Sanzgiri and his grandfather was the Kulkarni of the Morjim village of the Pednem taluka.
In the year 1756, at the age of 16, Jivbadada left his village of Keri for Kolhapur for further studies. In 1757 the young Jivbadada went to Poona, the centre of Maratha polity and the Peshwas.
The Peshwas had been the prime ministers of the Maratha kings since the days of Shivaji. The Peshwa then was Balaji Bajirao or Nanasaheb I the son of Bajirao I. The ambitious young lad began to live in the house of the Barves who were the sardars of the Peshwas in Poona. Jivbadada was appointed to the post of waqnis in the Peshwa Darbar. At the age of 21 Jivbadada was elevated to the position of heading a small contingent in the army of the Peshwa.
Jivbadada accompanied Sadashivraobhau, the cousin of the Peshwa, to the north. It was the era of the Maratha expansion to the north. Marathas, under the leadership of the Peshwa Balaji Bajirao, had built an all India empire. Maratha king, Shahu, the grandson of Shivaji, had passed away in 1749 and the Peshwas were dominating the Indian political scenario. The Mughal Empire had virtually crumbled and was crippled due to internal factions and intrigues.
Jivbadada had seen it all and he excelled in the Third Battle of Panipat. Later he also contributed to the revival of the Maratha power, which had declined following the Panipat debacle. He became a close aide of the great Maratha empire builder, Sardar Mahadji Shinde or Scindhia, the governor of Gwalior. Jivbadada became his chief commander or senapati and in the battles fought against the Rajputs, Jats, Tipu Sultan, and Rambhau Patwardhan he proved his mettle as a great commander and soldier.
When the Mughal subedar (governor) marched against the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam the emperor appealed to Mahadji Shinde for help. Mahadji Shinde entrusted the job to Jivbadada who once again proved his worth and won the battle for the Mughal emperor. Pleased with Jivbadada the emperor appointed Mahadji Shinde his Wazir and bestowed Jivbadada with the honorific of Bakshibahadur Fattejung. Since then Jivbadada Kerkar came to be addressed as Bakshibahadur Jivbadada Kerkar. Jivbadada Kerkar and Mahadji Shinde emerged virtually as the great powers at Delhi too.
Even the Mughal emperor recognised their power and authority. Jivbadada was successful in silencing the enemy of the Marathas, the Nizam. The Peshwa, in recognition of the meritorious services provided by Jivbadada to the Maratha Empire presented him with a jewel-studded sword and a diamond ring. In later years, Jivbadada tried to place Bajirao II on the ‘gaddi’ of the Peshwa. He was in Jambgao at that time. He fell ill here and passed away on January 6, 1796.
From 1761 to 1796, one of the senior descendants of the Kerkar family told me, Jivbadada fought 121 battles. With his death the Marathas lost a brilliant warrior and commander. The little children of the Kerkar family led by Nandan Kerkar took me around the palace. I was shown the sword and the dagger belonging to Jivbadada, the room he lived in, the armoury, and various other facets of Jivbadada’s time and life.It was an interesting experience for my History students and me.
