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.