History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.304

v2.c41.304

Gobardhan Bhaṭṭāchārji reported in May that he saw Rājā Gopināth Dev of Aul and demanded the release of Mr. Rogers but the Rājā flatly denied the charge.¹ Several English men were serving under him. Mādhavji Hari was still in office on the 31st May, 1775 and on that date a letter was received from him reporting his re-appointment. This letter proves that he held office from 1773 to 1775 and was replaced by Bābujī Nāyak for a short time only in 1775. This could have been for a month or so only during the ealier part of the year.² But a letter written to Bābujī Nāyak on the 21st June addressed him as *Ṣūbahdār* of Katak. It cannot be understood how he came to be so when Mādhavji Hari was re-appointed on the 31st May of the same year.³ On the 24th of September a letter was addressed to Bābu Jay Anant Saran as *Nāib* of Katak, we do not know who he was, about the wreck of the English ship *Somerset* and the confinement of its officers and passengers including two ladies by Rājā Gopināth Dev of Aul. The *Nāib* was requested to set them free. On the same date, another letter was addressed to Rājā Gopināth Dev demanding the immediate release of the people from the *Somerset*.⁴ Jay Anant Saran, spelt Babu Jay Anant, which may mean that he was Babuji Anant, wrote to Mr. Hastings that he had addressed Rājā Gopināth Dev about the *Somerset*. Rājā Gopināth Dev also replied on the same date stating that people of the wrecked ship had proceeded to their destination.¹ A letter was addressed to the *Ṣūbahdār* of Katak, where there is no name, about the wreck of an English ship from Madras which had been wrecked at Jamgoda and its cargo seized by the Zamindar.² A letter received from Beṇirām Pandit on the 23rd November states that Mudhoji Bhonsle intends to send him to Calcutta. Two renegade Marathas had deserted Mudhoji's service for that of Nawāb Aṣaf-ud-daulah of Oudh, and Devājipant, the minister of Mudhoji, now requests Mr. Hastings to have them expelled from the *Wazīr's* army.³ This is the last communication from the Nagpur State published in the fourth volume of the Calendar of Persian correspodence of the Imperial Records. These four volumes are replete with information which has to be accepted with caution, as they are full of mistakes of spelling and identification. The details given in these Calendars throw strong light on the condition and Maratha administration of Orissa from 1759 till 1775. After that period our information about the internal condition of the History of Orissa is very meagre.