History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.147

v2.c41.147

Motte left Kusumgarh on the 21st of May and came to the banks of the Mahānadī. He reached Baudh on the next day, where he was overtaken by letters of Bhavānī Pandit in which he was informed of the chastisement of Mahārāja Jānujī Bhonsle at the hands of the Peshwa Mādhav Rāo I for having joined hands with Nizām 'Alī of Haidarabad. Bhavānī wrote that for the present Jānujī must give up all thoughts of an alliance with the English, and Motte gave up his original idea of going to Nagpur. On the 26th he passed from Baudh into Rairakhol, which he calls Landacole, but on the way his passage was opposed by the Qila'dar of Coogul, but Motte managed to frighten him and entered Sambalpur. At that time Sambalpur was in great confusion, because the Rājā Ajit Singh died in the beginning of May and the commander of the troops Akbar Khān was at open feud with his son Abhay Singh and his Dīwān Kishan Bar Mullick. The town became a scene of confusion and riot and on the 17th June Akbar captured the Rājā and put all adherents of the Dīwān to the sword. During this massacre two Germans employed in the artillery were killed but two Frenchmen of the same company escaped to Motte's camp. Motte went to the diamond mines with Akbar's son-in-law as his guide. His European companion and servant died and he returned to Orissa. On the way he passed through Sonpur (called Jonepoor by mistake). He distinctly mentions the chief as a dependant of Jānujī. His account of the 8th October shows that the chief of Baudh used to pay the regular tribute for the worship of Jagannātha even In 1766. He reached Katak on the 19th and found Bhavānī encamped three miles on the other side of the Mahānadi and on the point of proceeding against Śivarām Bhaṭṭa. He returned to Balasore on the 28th and states: "the opening of the diamond trade was prevented by the indolence of the inhabitants, and by their wretched dependence on the Mahraṭṭas. The alliance with Jannoojei was obstructed by the very critical situation of his affairs and by the distracted state of his family. The very severe illness Lord Clive laboured under prevented him from pursuing the plan for the cession of Orissa, though he entered on it with great alacrity."¹