Jivbadada Kerkar

Jivbadada Kerkar (1740 – 6 January 1796), also known as Jivbadada Ganesh and Bakshi Bahadur Jivbadada Kerkar, was a prominent military administrator and diplomat who served the Maratha Empire under the Shinde dynasty. He is particularly noted for his service to Mahadji Shinde and played a crucial role in the Maratha politics of the late 18th century.

Early life Jivbadada was born in 1740 in the village of Keri, located in the Ponda taluka of Goa. He belonged to a family originally from Pedne. His grandfather was Vithal Shenvi Sanzgiri and his father was Ganesh. Jivbadada was the eldest of three brothers, the others being Balwant and Ramkrishna. Following the death of his father, he was raised by his uncle, Balwant. He spent his early childhood in Keri and received his primary education at home. At the age of sixteen, he moved to Kolhapur for further studies, where he learned Sanskrit and developed an interest in physical exercise.

Career Around 1761, Jivbadada moved to Pune and began working for the Barve family, who were sardars under the Peshwa. He was later appointed as the head of the Barve infantry. His military career saw significant action during the Peshwa campaigns. At the age of 21, he accompanied Sadashivrao Bhau during the northern campaigns and fought in the Third Battle of Panipat.