History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c41.312.2

v2.c41.312.2

They stayed till the 12th of December and then joined the English army under Leslie's successor Captain Goddard at Hoshangābād. Negotiations continued with Lieutenant Daniel Watherston, but ultimately failed. Mudhoji was wise enough not to join the English again, though they were in favour of his old patron Raghunāth Rāo Dādā Ṣāhib.¹ Rājarām Pandit was appointed *Subahdār* of Orissa in 1778.² The British side of the negotiations has been critically examined by Wills but the Maratha side of the story is still wanting. With the usual Maratha policy Mudhoji had only temporised and did not reject the British proposals totally. Beṇirām Pandit, the Nagpur envoy, started on the return journey to Calcutta in February 1779.³ Hastings wrote to Mudhoji about the same date but at that time Mudhoji had been drawn into a general Indian confederacy against the English. Nānā Faḍnis had combined the Peshwa with Mahādji Śinde, Ḥaidar ’Ali of Mysore, Niẓām-ul-mulk Niẓām ’Ali and Mudhoji Bhonsle against the East India Company. Mudhoji was to invest Bengal and Niẓām ’Ali the Northern *Sarkars*, while Ḥaidar Ali was to ravage the Karnatak. Mudhoji was half-hearted in his allegiance to the Peshwa and had turned traitor very early. He gave information about the confederacy to the English, but at the same time he despatched an army of 30,000 or 40,000 horse to invade Bengal under his son Chimnāji Bāpu.