Mastani

Mastani

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Category: Royal

Mastani Profile

  • Name:
  • Mastani
  • Father:
  • Maharaja Chhatrasal
  • Spouse:
  • Bajirao I

Mastani Biography

Mastani was the second wife of Bajirao Ballal, also known as Bajirao I, the most important figure after Shivaji Maharaj in building the Maratha Empire. She was the daughter of Maharaja Chhatrasal of Panna and a Persian Muslim wife. This multi-talented and beautiful princess had mastery in horse riding and sword fighting, apart from dancing and singing. As she was a hal-Muslim, Bajirao’s family never accepted her as a family member and it even resulted in the drifts between Bajirao and his family members. Several attempts have been made by his family members to kill her. As per historians, she didn’t survive long after the death of Bajirao and both died in the year 1740, in their early 40s.

 

Mastani was born in 1699 to Bundela Rajput clan Maharaja Chhatrasal, the founder of Panna State in Bundelkhand province. Her mother was Persian-Muslim who was earlier a court dancer of the Nizam of Hyderabad. When Pathan Mohammad Khan Bangash, a Mughal officer invaded the kingdom in 1727, the king sought the help of Bajirao, who was into a military campaign in Bundelkhand. Yet Bajirao offered help to Maharaja Chhatrasal and defeated the Mughal officer. In gratitude Maharaja Chhatrasal offered him a third of his kingdom, including Jhansi, Sagar and Kalpi, apart from a huge treasure and his own daughter – Mastani.

 

Bajirao was already married to Kasibhai and had two sons. Though Mastani is often referred to as Bajirao's mistress, she was his lawfully wedded wife and gave birth to his third son - Shamsher Bahadur. Kasibhai gave birth to her second son a few months before Shamsher Bahadur’s birth. But he died at an early age. Shamsher Bahadur died in the third Battle of Panipat in 1761. Bajirao’s closeness to Mastani provoked his mother and the Brahmin community to which he belonged to. Though he wanted to give his son name Krishna and conduct "sacred thread or munj" ceremony, following the resistance from his community, he brought him up as a Muslim.

 

In 1734, he built a separate building for Mastani in Kothrud and named it as Mastani Mahal, which exists still now. Earlier she lived in his palace of Shaniwar Wada in the city of Pune. She was arrested by Bajirao’s son when he was on an expedition. Bajirao died on 28 April 1740, and Mastani too didn’t survive long after. There are several folklore stories connected with the death of Mastani. Her son was accepted by Kasibhai.

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Updated: September 24, 2017

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