History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.155

v2.c41.155

gave the presents brought with him from Calcutta. Jānujī demanded forty-eight lakhs of rupees in lieu of *chauth* but did not express any opinion regarding the cession of Orissa. The royal letter was given to him in a sealed cover and the Mīr obtained final permission to depart on the 27th January, 1767.¹ On the 9th of April a letter was received from Udepurī Gosāin that he had reached Jaleswar and sent his *Munshī* in advance to Calcutta.² A letter was written to Bhavānī Pandit on the 26th of April complaining about the conduct of zamindars in Maratha territory towards one Mr. Marriott who had been deputed to purchase salt.³ A copy of this letter was sent to the Rājā of Kanika and on the 27th April Muḥammad Riza Khān informed the Governor that Zain-ul-'Ābidīn had reached Murshidabad with letters from Jānujī and had been detained at that place, as the Governor was travelling upcountry.⁴ On the 1st of May 1767 another long letter, received from Rājā Jānujī, states that he had placed implicit faith in the ambassadors appointed by him and the English East India Company. Poor Jānujī was deluded into the belief that he had succeeded in entering into an offensive and defensive alliance with the English. So he again demanded *chauth* and stated in the conclusion that the question of cession of Orissa was left to the ambassadors. A similar letter was received on the 10th from Divākar Pandit repeating Jānujī's demand for money.⁵ This demand from Jānujī was met by further diplomacy.