Moropant Trimbak Pingle

Moropant Trimbak Pingale (1620–1683), was the first peshwa of the Maratha Empire, serving under Shivaji Maharaj as a member of Ashta Pradhan (Council of Eight Ministers).^[1]

Shrimant Peshwa Moropant Trimbak Pingale
1st Peshwa of the Marathas
In office 6 June 1674–1683
Monarchs	Shivaji, Sambhaji
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Moreshvar Pingale
Personal details
Born	c. 1620 Nimgaon
Died	1683 Raigad Fort, Raigad, Maratha Empire (present-day Maharashtra, India)
Children	Nilakanth Moreshvar Pingale (son) Bahiroji Pingale (son)
Parent	Trimbak Pingale (father)
House	Pingale
Military service
Battles/wars	Battle of Pratapgarh Battle of Salher

Early life

Moropant Trimbak Pingle was born to a Deshastha Brahmin family^[2] in 1620 Nimgaon. In 1647, he joined Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in establishing the Maratha Empire.

Military career

Further information: Battle of Pratapgarh and Battle of Salher

He was one of the warriors who participated in the successful 1659 battle of Shivaji Maharaj's forces against the forces of Bijapur's Adil Shah which immediately followed Adil Shah's general Afzalkhān's death at Jāwali. He also participated in the battles at Trimbakeshwar Fort and Wāni-Dindori against the Mughal Empire. He participated in Shivaji's invasion of Surat in 1664. He also participated in the Battle of Salher. Moropant surrounded and attacked the 25,000 strong Mughal infantry at Salher with his 20,000 infantry. Prominent Maratha Sardar and Shivaji's childhood friend Suryaji Kakde was killed by a Zamburak cannon in the battle. Chhatrapati Sambhaji son of Shivaji stayed with Moropant's relatives in Mathura after their escape from Agra.^{[citation needed]}. Moropant introduced sound revenue administration to Shivaji's regime, and played an important role in resource planning concerning defenses and maintenance of strategic forts. He was also responsible for the construction and administration of Pratapgad. At Chhatrapati Shivaji's death, Moropant Pingale was working as a supervisor of fort development activities in Nashik District for the Salher-Mulher forts.^{[citation needed]} Under Shivaji Maharaj's successor, Chhatrapati Sambhaji, he also participated in the battle of Burhanpur in 1681 which resulted in the sacking of the important Mughal trade centre of Burhanpur. He was killed during an ambush by Mughal forces in 1683.