A Peshwa (Marathi: पेशवे) is the titular equivalent of a modern Prime Minister. Emperor Shivaji created the Peshwa designation in order to more effectively delegate administrative duties during the growth of the Maratha Empire. The word Peshwa has roots in the Persian language meaning 'foremost'. The Peshwas were all Brahmin ministers who initially started as the chief executives to the king. Prior to 1749, Peshwas held office for 8-9 years and controlled the Maratha army. They later became the de facto hereditary administrators of the Maratha Empire from 1749 till its end in 1818.

Under Peshwa administration and with the support of several key generals and diplomats (listed below), the Maratha Empire reached its zenith, ruling most of the Indian subcontinent landmass. It was also under the Peshwas that the Maratha Empire came to its end through its formal annexation into the British Empire by the British East India Company in 1818.

After the coronation of Shivaji in 1674, he appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as the first Peshwa. Shivaji renamed this designation as Pantpradhan in 1674 but this term is less commonly used. Today, the surname "Peshwe" (alternatively "Peshave") is found both among Konkanastha Brahmins (tracing decent to the Bhat clan, notably Bajirao I) and Deshastha Brahmins (tracing decent to Moropant Pingle, Sonopant Dabir and a certain clan from Jejuri, Pune), as well as some Maratha (Kshatriya) families of Vidarbha (by titulary heritage).

Nanasaheb Peshwa (b.8 Dec. 1721, d. 23 Jun. 1761), also known as Balaji Baji Rao, was the son of Bajirao from his marriage with Kashibai and one of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire. He contributed heavily to the development of the city of Pune, India. He was appointed as Peshwa by Chattrapati Shahu himself. At time of his death in 1749, the issueless Shahu made the Peshwas the rulers of the Maratha Empire.

During his 20 year reign (1740 to 1761), Balaji Bajirao completely transformed Pune from a nagar into a vast city. He established many new neighbourhoods (called peths) like Nana Peth, etc. and developed few like Shaniwar Peth, Ravivar Peth, Somwar Peth, Budhwar Peth. He built the famous Parvati temple atop a hillock that overlooks the city and built the first permanent bridge across the river Mutha. (That bridge was made of wood, so the new concrete bridge that stands at the same location today is also called Lakdi Pool or 'the wooden bridge'). He also established a reservoir at the nearby town of Katraj to provide clean running water to the city. The 250 year old system is still functioning,

Mīrzā Ghulām Aḥmad (Arabic: ميرزا غلام أحمد; Urdu: مرزا غلام احمد; 13 February 1835 – 26 May 1908 CE, or Shawal 14, 1250 – Rabi' al-thani 24, 1326 AH) was a religious figure from India and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

He claimed to be the Mujaddid of the fourteenth Islamic century, the Promised Messiah (Second Coming of Christ), and the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the end days. He declared that Jesus (Isa) had in fact survived the crucifixion and later died a natural death after having migrated towards Kashmir, and that he had appeared in the spirit and power of Jesus.

He travelled extensively across the subcontinent of India preaching his religious ideas and ideals and won substantial following within his lifetime. He is known to have engaged in numerous debates and dialogues with the Muslim, Christian and Hindu priesthood and leadership. Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam on 23 March 1889. The mission of the movement, according to him, was the propagation of Islam in its pristine form.

Shaikh Ghulam Ahmad (23 May 1923 – 20 September 2003) was a Pakistan Air Force engineer officer, fighter pilot and military engineer who formed Resources Company Limited, a holding company that promotes resource development in Pakistan. He was Managing Director and former chairman of Pakistan Chrome Mines Ltd., the largest and oldest chrome mining company in Pakistan.

He wrote Unique and Everliving, a biography of prophet Muhammad. The book was written over a period of five years. The book is published by Ferozeson's Ltd., a book publisher in Pakistan.

He was born in the city of Poonch, in Poonch District of Kashmir, on 23 May 1923. He was educated in Poonch at a school where his father, Shaikh Ghulam Rasul, was the headmaster. He migrated to Pakistan, from Kashmir along with his family. Before partition of India, his father was Head Master of High School in Poonch, while his younger brother Ghulam Rabani graduated in law from Aligarh University. Shaikh Ghulam Rabani, migrated to Pakistan and was appointed as a district court Judge. Later Shaikh Ghulam Rabani joined the Pakistan Foreign Service and served as Pakistans' Ambassador to numerous countries in Asia and North Africa including, Tunisia, North Korea and Romania. He married to Jamila Begum at Rehara, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan on 11 May 1949. He had three sons and two daughters, he received a B.Sc (honours) degree in Physics and a Masters in Statistics from the University of Punjab in Lahore. He received a Postgraduate Diploma in Natural Resource Development ITC, Delft, Holland and completed postgraduate studies for a Ph. D in Civil Engineering at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.