Madhavrao became Peshwa of the Maratha Empire under very difficult circumstances. The Marathas had been defeated at Panipat and there was tremendous internal strife. The previous Peshwa — Balaji Bajirao — passed away after the Panipat debacle and the responsibility had fallen on the shoulders of his 18-year-old son Madhavrao. To everyone’s surprise, the boy showed an intellect and maturity beyond his years and scored brilliant military victories all over, the most memorable being one over the Nizam of Hyderabad at Rakshasbhuvan (1765). In fact, according to the British historian Grant Duff, “the fields of Panipat were not more fatal to the Marathas than the death of this excellent prince”. Although his life was beset with political intrigue and military struggles, Madhavrao took care to better the administration of the capital Pune. One of the activities in this direction was the establishment of a Kotwali or police department. Pune’s police department can hence claim a history going back more than 250 years!

The Poona Kotwali was established in the year 1765. Balaji Narayan Ketkar was the first ‘Chief Kotwal’ (Commissioner of Police in modern language). He reported directly to the Peshwa, but his role went much beyond that of merely maintaining law and order. He could, within his jurisdiction, settle petty disputes and mete out punishments. The kotwal was also responsible for some activities related to public works. He could also fix the prices of goods available in the market. He was to put his seal on weights and measures adopted at the market. Many roles rolled into one made the kotwal a rather important post. He was consequently well paid, around Rs 300 per year, which doubled 20 years later. As the city expanded, so did the staff under the kotwal and hence, the ‘Kotwal Chavdis’ or ‘police stations’. The original ones were at Budhwar Peth, Somwar Peth, Ravivar Peth and Vetal Peth. Later on, Ghashiram Kotwal added Narayan Peth and Shaniwar Peth to it. Night patrol guards were appointed as well. The salary of the kotwal himself can be gauged from the fact that it was five times that of the night guards! The lowest rung of the police department was paid even less — around Rs 20 a year. Those being the days when nobody had heard of electricity or the light bulb, torch bearers or “divates” were also included in the police department. One of these would be with the kotwal, while the other would accompany the night patrols.

Like today, fines were collected for various offenses and properties confiscated if the need arose. The money thus collected was to reach the government, but not all of it always did. Even in the two square miles which made up the entire city, enough crime was committed (and more importantly detected) to enable the police department to collect around Rs 15,000 annually in fines. Other sources of money included fees and taxes on housing and property. The kotwal thus performed some revenue duties as well. He was also responsible at times to make public announcements in the city (davandi petavne in Marathi). A sanad issued to a newly appointed kotwal in 1768 enumerates his duties in great detail.

The police department established, was as per contemporary records, quite a well-functioning body. Montstuart Elphinstone has stated that murders or robberies involving violence were rare. At the same time, there was little to no threat to people and their properties from being attacked. Other British officers have also gone on record to say that the Kotwali founded by Madhavrao Peshwa did its work well after the demise of the prince.

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At the same time, the Kotwali was not entirely free of some of the vices that continue to plague even its modern version today! The kotwals were not entirely free of corruption. Also, the sweeping powers granted to them resulted in some rather high-handed behaviour. Towards the close of the 18th century, as the city under the Peshwa Bajirao II declined, so did the office of the kotwal.

The rather curious practice of auctioning the kotwal’s post started during this regime, says Parasnis’ Poona in Bygone Days. A certain Vithoji Naik Gaikwad became kotwal in 1800 after payment of some Rs 1 lakh! Interestingly, the police department in 1811 had around 1,700 men employed to police a population of around one and a half lakh. The Kotwal also had no jurisdiction over the soldiers of the Maratha army.

There are some interesting anecdotes related to this department from the late 18th century. The law at the time required all residents to be indoors after 11 pm (the Bombay Gazetteer of 1885 states 9 pm as the deadline) up to 4 am. A cannon, situated at Bhamburda, was fired for signalling the night and morning deadline hours. Anyone wishing to step out outside of these times was required to be accompanied by one of the kotwal’s men! Bhamburda roughly corresponds to today’s Shivajinagar area, at the time well outside city limits. It was the flouting of this law that led to the arrests of a few people, and their subsequent flogging and death in 1791 under Ghashiram Kotwal. His is perhaps the most known names of Poona’s Kotwals; also, thanks to a Marathi play, but it would be quite beyond this essay to delve deeper into the topic.

Another interesting point is how seriously alcohol prohibition was imposed. One incidence recorded is that of Sardar Potnis, whose servant was caught bringing liquor from Mahad to Poona. A steep fine was imposed on him for this transgression. Eventually, with the establishment of British rule, the system as devised by Madhavrao Peshwa was done away with and a new one was established in its place.