Selections from the Peshwa Daftar 2.intro.5

2.intro.5

Muhammadan factions urging Nadirshah to come and save the Empire, and the rising power of the Marathas, who had been on terms at the gates of Delhi for over ten years. Raghoji Bhonsle by his repeated invasions stopped the annual flow of revenue from Bengal into the Imperial treasury. Scindia and Holker had planted themselves firmly in Malwa and Rajputana. At the beginning of 1747 Nadirshah thus writes to the Mughal Emperor (No. 1): “It is now eight or nine years since I returned from India. You have not utilised this interval in improving your administration. Your officers do not obey you. They behave like independent lords. This has given the Marathas a free hand. With a loyal supporter like myself to stand by you, you can easily put your house in order. If you do not do it now, when will you do it? Put aside your pleasures for a while and start at once at the head of your forces. I will send you 25,000 troops under two able commanders; with their help you can in two years’ time easily conquer the whole of the Deccan. If you need my presence too, I am quite ready to come. Do not delay.” This letter was couched in most ardent and affectionate terms. In the struggle for the gadi of Jaipur, Malharrao Holker fighting on the side of Ishwarsing, inflicted a crushing defeat on Madhosing. An important letter giving news of the suicide of Ishwarsing by poison and the subsequent atrocities inflicted on the Maratha forces by the Rajputs, supplies the missing link and explains how the Marathas and the Rajputs came to be so entirely estranged (No. 31).

3. *The Marathas enter the lists on behalf of Safdar-Jang*

The serious illness of Shahu and his eventual death at the end of 1749 called away Scindia and Holker to the south for a year. They returned with renewed vigour at the end of 1750 after receiving an urgent call from Vazir Safdar-Jang who had been paralysed by the activities of the insatiable Rohillas,—which are illustrated by numerous letters (Nos. 14, 19, 20-24).

Jayappa and Malharrao joined their forces in the beginning of 1751 and marched against the Rohillas. In their first encounter with them they inflicted a defeat on Sadulla Khan in March (No. 32). No paper detailing the further progress of this campaign has been so far discovered and there is a distinct gap for the next few years in our knowledge of the subject, although we know already that the Rohillas were completely routed near Farrukhabad.

4. *Raghunathrao and the Afgan menace*

The next important project undertaken by Scindia and Holker was to persuade Ghaziuddin, the eldest son of the Nizam, to proceed to the Deccan to claim his father’s dominion. Ghaziuddin was, however, murdered at Aurangabad and the project failed. The Peshwa soon after despatched his brother the young Raghunathrao to settle the affairs of the north, which were gradually taking a bad turn for the Marathas owing to serious differences between Jayappa Scindia and Malharrao Holker (No. 35). The various alternatives suggested for solution and the consequent orders are contained in No. 39. The next few papers (Nos. 46, 47) refer to the