History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.269

v2.c41.269

Henceforth till the British conquest of Orissa, Raghuji II remained the undisputed master of that province. His father Mudhoji died on the 19th May 1788 and the chief power fell to Raghuji's brothers, Chimnā Bāpu and Manyā Bāpu. Immediately after the fall of Sābājī, Mādhavji Hari was removed from the governorship of Orissa. Bābuji Nāyak was restored for a short time in 1775 but he was finally removed in the same year by Mudhoji and Mādhavji Hari sent a second time and confirmed. The records of the British Imperial Record Office, as far as they have been published in Volume IV of the Calendar, contain very few references to the negotiations with Warren Hastings for a coalition of the Bhonsle State with the English East India Company for the overthrow of the Peshwa. Mādhavji Hari writes to the Governor on the 29th December, 1773, that Beṇīrām Pandit will wait upon him. Beṇīrām was sent by Sābājī to conduct negotiations with the British.¹ Beṇīrām is mentioned by Hastings and the negotiations came to an end with the death of Sābājī.² The English Governor sent a complimentary letter to Sābājī Bhonsle on the 6th January, 1774.³ On the 8th February a letter was written to Mādhavji Hari at Katak in which the Governor requested him to help Mr. Marriott to realise his dues from the local people.⁴ On the same date, one Rājārām Bhaṭ was sent with five elephants and costly clothes worth Rs. 5000 for one Mahadi Hari Durkumājī Jāchak, Commandant of Barabati Qila’. Evidently this name is composed of two different names: Mādhavji Hari the Ṣūbahdār of Orissa and Darkumājī Jāchak, the Commandant of Barabati fort. The name Durkumājī cannot be restored to its original Marathi form on account of its mutilation in the Persian records. A letter was written to Mādhavji Hari on the 26th February, 1774, in which the Governor acknowledges receipt of a letter intimating the dispatch of one Bisvambhar Pandit as his envoy to Calcutta after returning from a pilgrimage.⁵ A paper of intelligence received in the same month contains an account of the origin of the Bhonsle family of Satara. The last line states that Pārsojī was a nephew of Shājī, the father of Sivājī. This information was evidently obtained for negotiations to be conducted by Warren Hastings for an alliance with the Bhonsles of Nagpur against the Peshwas described below.¹ Letters were written to Mādhavjī Hari and Sītārām Rāj of Vizianagram on the 13th May requesting them to order the *Chaukīs* of their countries to pass free of *Rāhdārī* charges Mīrzā Abu’l Hasan Khān and his party, an envoy of Shuja’-ud-daulah of Oudh who was proceeding from Calcutta to Orissa, Masulipatan, Haidarābād (Deccan) and Surat.² Another letter was written to Mādhavjī Hari informing him of the arrival of Beṇīrām Pandit in Calcutta.³ A letter was received addressed to Sambhājī Gaṇesh, long after his removal from Orissa, instead of to Mādhavjī Hari, requesting him to help the family of Mahārāja Rājballabh who are going on a pilgrimage to Purushottama Kshetra.⁴ Similar letters were written to Mādhavjī Hari on the 10th of June in one of which he was requested to order his officers to pass Mr. Lyon who was going to Ganjam by land. In the second, a passport is granted to Gopāl Gosāin who was going on a pilgrimage to Puri.⁵ On the 18th of the same month a complaint was made to Mādhavjī Hari against Gopīrām Dev, Rājā of Kujang, who had detained This image is blank. There is no text to transcribe.