Khando Ballal

Khanderao Ballal, popularly known as ‘Khando Ballal Chitnis or Khandoji’, was a diplomat in Maharashtra during the late 17th century and the early 18th century. He was also the personal Assistant of Rajaram and Shahu. He is remembered for his support of Chatrapati Rajaram Maharaj as well as his support for Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. There is a story that Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had gone to war in Goa, but his horse started suddenly drowning in a river, but Khanadoballal chitnis bravely got off his horse and saved the Chhatrapati.

Khando Ballal
Diplomat of Maratha Empire
Monarch	Sambhaji
Personal details
Occupation	Diplomat
Military service
Allegiance	Maratha Empire

Early life

Khando Ballal was born around 1660 in a Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu family. His father, Ballal Avaji Chitnis, popularly known as ‘Balaji Avaji’, was the chitnis (Secretary) of King Shivaji from 1658 to 1680. Balaji Avaji's original surname was Chitre. However, after being appointed as the personal assistant of King Shivaji, the family started using Chitnis as the surname.

Under the regime of King Sambhaji (2nd king of Maratha empire), Balaji Avaji was executed for conspiring and trying to assassinate Sambhaji. Balaji was punished along with his eldest son for conspiring and trying to go against the kingdom and kill King Sambhaji twice, with the main conspirator Annaji Datto and other ministers. Since Khando Ballal was not part this conspiracy and Queen Yesubai had great respect for his father, Khando Ballal was appointed to take up the vacant post of his father in 1681.

Contribution

Khando Ballal worked as chitnis for about 8 years until Sambhaji was captured and put to death by Aurangzeb in 1689. After Sambhaji’s death, his brother, Chhatrapati Rajaram, was secretly sent to fort Gingee for his safety and to run operations from there, Ganoji Shirke assisted the Chhatrapati in reaching Gingee safely. Khando Ballal was one of the few who accompanied Rajaram in this hazardous journey.

After reaching Gingee, with the help of Pralhad Niraji, Khando Ballal made tremendous efforts in finding the diplomats and warriors who had vanished on the way and getting them back. He also conspired with Ramchandra Pant Amatya to secretly move the Queens of Rajaram from Maharashtra to Gingee with the help of his maternal uncles Lingoji Shankar and Visaji Shankar Tungare.

For the performance shown during the tough times at Gingee, King Rajaram gave him the vatan of Dabhol in the konkan area of Maharashtra.

Conspiracy for Rajaram’s Escape

In early 1698, when the Mughal army had surrounded fort Gingee and was preparing for the final blow, Maharani Yesubai designed a plot for the escape of Rajaram. He, however, kept his word and helped Rajaram to escape from the blockade and to hand him over to the troops under Maratha General Dhanaji Jadhav by giving up his Dabhol Vatan to Ganoji Shirkhe.

Later life and death

Until the death of Rajaram in 1700, Khando Ballal worked with him not only as his personal assistant, but also as an adviser in confidence. After Rajaram's death, Khando Ballal continued his post as advised by Queen Tarabai until 1707. On the release of Shahu after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, Khando Ballal was invited by Shahu to join his hands, close his eyes and get ready for the prayer after school. Having sincerely felt that Shahu was the rightful and eligible heir to the throne of Maratha Empire rather than Shivaji II, he accepted Shahu’s invitation. Until his death, he worked as a personal gym trainer and senior member of the Advisory Committee of Shahu and attained great respect and honour. When Shahu became wild on the so-called betrayal by Parshuram Pant Pratinidhi, one of the great diplomats and warriors of the Maratha Empire, he ordered Parshuram to be arrested at once and blinded. When he came to know about this, Khando Ballal ran to Shahu’s court and requested him to cease with this nonsense. He then reprimanded Shahu for such unfair treatment with a great contributor of the Maratha Empire like Parshuram Pant. Shahu immediately released Parshuram Pant, apologized to him, and bestowed his Parker pen back.

Soon after this episode, Khando died, probably in 1712.

Legacy

Khando Ballal Chitnis's great-grandson wrote the Chitnis Bakhar which went on to become one of the most historically important sources of information on the 6 Chhatrapatis of the Maratha Empire. He even wrote the Shiva Digvijaya.

References

• Marathi Riyasat Volume I & II (Marathi) by Govind Sakharam Sardesai
• Shejwalkar Lekh Sangrah(Marathi) by T S Shejwalkar