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Balaji Baji Rao (December 8, 1720 - June 23, 1761), also known as Nana Saheb, was a Peshwa (prime minister) of the Maratha Empire in India. During his tenure, the Chhatrapati (Maratha king) was reduced to a mere figurehead. At the same time, the Maratha empire started transforming into a confederacy, in which individual chiefs - such as the Holkars, the Scindias and the Bhonsles of Nagpur kingdom - became more powerful. During Balaji Rao’s tenure, the Maratha territory reached its zenith. A large part of this expansion, however, was led by the individual chiefs, whose acts of plundering alienated the masses. Marathas tried to save Mughal rule and also their power in the north. In the battle Nanasaheb’s cousin, Sadashivrao Bhau (the son of Chimaji Appa), and his eldest son, Vishwasrao, were killed. The early demise of his son and cousin was a severe shock for him. After that Nana Saheb also did not survive for a long period. His second son Madhavrao Peshwa succeeded to the throne after his death.