August 14, 1947 – Akhand Bharat Diwas, and August 18, 1700 – the birth anniversary of Peshwa Baji Rao I These two events are deeply connected. Akhand Bharat Diwas is also known as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
Akhand Bharat refers to the ancient India that included present-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. Peshwa Baji Rao Ballal was firmly committed to this vision of a united India. He dedicated his life to the service of Bharat Mata in pursuit of this ideal. Even earlier, there existed geographical units like Madhyavarta and Aryavarta, collectively called Bharatvarsha. In truth, the original Bharat extended to regions that included Iran, Iraq, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma, and others.
Peshwa Baji Rao was a strong proponent of the Akhand Bharat concept, described in the scriptures as:
उत्तरं यत् समुद्रस्य हिमाद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम्।
वर्षं तद् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र सन्ततिः।।
“The land that lies to the north of the ocean and south of the Himalayas is called Bharat, and its people are known as Bharati.”
This verse is not a recent creation but comes from the Vishnu Purana, one of the 18 Puranas, composed by Rishi Parashara.
The date of August 14 is observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, marking the pain of India’s seventh partition. Looking at just the 100 years before independence, from 1857 to 1947, India suffered seven partitions in a short span. These were not mere political accidents but products of Britain’s cultural insecurity. The British feared that if India remained united in its civilizational form, neither their country nor other Western Christian nations would succeed in establishing Christianity as a dominant religion and culture. In reality, the aim of such expansionist powers and their religion was to plunder the wealth of other nations, impoverish them, and convert their populations.
We can also recall the idea of Akhand Bharat by comparing it to the Jewish experience. For 2,500 years, Jews had no homeland, but whenever two Jews met anywhere in the world, they would express the hope: “Next year in Jerusalem.” They passed this dream down for generations, and eventually, they reclaimed Jerusalem. Similarly, Indians must keep the dream of Akhand Bharat alive in their hearts, minds, writings, speeches, strategies, and visions. One day, we too shall achieve it. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s vision of Akhand Bharat is not a territorial or expansionist goal; it is a geo-cultural concept that must continually evolve in our national imagination.
Peshwa Baji Rao ascended the throne of the Peshwai at the young age of 20. He ruled for only 20 years but fought 42 fierce and challenging battles without a single defeat. His sense of duty was so firm that, even while eating, he would leave his meal, saying:
“If I am late in reaching, history will record that a Rajput asked for help and a Brahmin kept eating.”
It is also recorded in history that Baji Rao covered the distance to Delhi, normally a ten-day journey, in just two days with a cavalry of 500 horses, in order to attack the city. This remains the fastest land-based military assault in history. During this campaign, the young Baji Rao camped at the site of today’s Talkatora Stadium in Delhi, surrounding the Mughals. His war strategy was: “Attack with speed and do not give the enemy a chance to recover.” It was through this strategy that he extended Maratha power to Delhi.
Baji Rao is counted among the three great military generals in world history who were never defeated, the other two being Napoleon Bonaparte and Julius Caesar. His war strategy was so sharp and impenetrable that even the United States considers it exemplary. To this day, soldiers in America and other countries are taught the tactics he used in the Palkhed campaign.
In the world-famous Battle of Palkhed, Baji Rao humbled the Nizam so decisively that he was forced into the “Mughi Shivgaon” treaty with humiliating terms. In 1731, Baji Rao defeated the Nizam again, after which most of North India came under Maratha control.
During World War II, the celebrated British general Viscount Montgomery, who defeated Germany, was an admirer of Baji Rao and a follower of his military strategy. In his book A Concise History of Warfare, Montgomery wrote:
“The Palkhed Campaign of 1728 in which Baji Rao I out-generalled Nizam-ul-Mulk is a masterpiece of strategic mobility.”
A great warrior of the tradition of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Baji Rao successfully established Hindu Swaraaj from Attock to Cuttack and from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas, bringing nearly 80% of India’s land under Hindu rule.
On April 28, 1740, this undefeated warrior passed away due to illness at Raverkhedi on the banks of the Narmada in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
Baji Rao’s 1731 Malwa campaign is written in golden letters in history. In the 1737 Bundelkhand campaign, he saved Raja Chhatrasal, who in gratitude granted him territories like Jhansi, Kalpi, and Sagar. His 1737 Delhi campaign was a remarkable example of bravery, military strategy, organizational ability, and determination—marching from far-off Maharashtra, winning battles along the way, and entering Mughal-controlled Delhi.
Similarly, in the 1738 Battle of Bhopal, Baji Rao defeated the combined forces of the Mughals and the Nizam, forcing the Mughals to accept Maratha supremacy.
For the cause of Akhand Bharat and Hindu Swaraaj, Baji Rao not only waged military campaigns but also forged friendships, treaties, and interdependence between states, creating remarkable unity between Marathas and Rajputs.
Dr. Praveen Dataram Guganani, 9525902270
