History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.112

v2.c41.112

This is the figure for the *Amlī* year 1167-1760 A. D. Śivarām Bhaṭṭa Sāthe is described by Stirling as the most energetic of the Maratha *sūbahdārs* of Orissa. He is said to have settled the revenues of the province nominally at 18,000,00 of Arcot rupees, out of which 14,00,000 were regular land revenue (*Bandobasti mulk*). The help which he gave to Vira Kiśora Deva I cost the latter the whole of his possessions between the river Dayā, the Chilka lake and the sea with the tribute of fourteen of the Garhjat Rājās to settle the demands of his allies. The violent expulsion of Śivarām Bhaṭṭa in *Amlī* 1171 is recorded by Stirling, who states that Śivarām was expelled from the government by a powerful faction countenanced by the Court of Nagpur. Chimnāji Sāhu and Udepurī Gosāin exercised the powers of government for some time until Bhavāni Kāluā Pandit arrived in the province with a *sanad* from the Court of Nagpur. Śivarām Bhaṭṭa formed a powerful party in the north-eastern Garhjats and for a length of time disturbed the administration of his successors. During the subsequent contest a number of districts were devastated.¹ J. Motte, who was sent by Clive to investigate about the diamond mines of Sambalpur in 1766, states that on October 19th he found the new *ṣūbahdār* Bhavāni Pandit encamped on the other side of the Mahānadī, having taken the field against Śivarām.² On the 2nd May 1764 the Governor of the East India Company in Bengal was informed by Chimnāji Sāhu that Śivarām Bhaṭṭa was a prisoner and his partizans, like Mukunda Pandit, had been defeated and that orders might be sent to the English officers at Balasore and Medinipur to prevent their coming that way. Therefore, on that date the Governor informed him that orders had been sent to Jaleswar and Medinipur regarding Mukunda Pandit and his friends and he was informed that the Nawāb's visit to Calcutta had been delayed by the invasion of Bihar by Mīr Qāsim 'Ali Khān and his allies.³