Question: which maratha leader has been rightly described as the second founder of maratha empire
Answer: Balaji Vishwanath ( Bhat ) ( 1662 -- 1720 ) , better known as Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath , was the sixth Peshwa and the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas ( Marathi for Prime Minister ) hailing from the Chitpavan Kokanastha Brahmin Hindu family who gained effective control of the Maratha Empire during the 18th century .