The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c10.257

Language: English

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In 1816 Trimbakji, who had been imprisoned at Thána in the Konkan for the murder of Gangádhar Shástri, escaped and wandered about the hilly country of Khándesh Báglán Násik and Sangamner, rousing the wild tribes, and making preparations for war in concert with his master. The Pendháris who had not hitherto ravaged Khándesh or the Dakhan also began to make inroads. In A.D. 1817 Godáji Dengle, Trimbakji's brother, rose in Khándesh: his force was dispersed by Lieutenant Davies with some of the Nizám's cavalry, but they re-assembled and took a fort. The British armies were now collecting to crush the Pendháris, and in October 1817 General Smith, who was in command at Sirur, marched to guard the Chándod passes; but early in November, hearing that affairs were threatening at Poona, he concentrated his troops at Puntámba on the Godávari. On the 5th of November Bájiráo's power was overthrown at Kirki. While General Smith marched on Poona, Báji Ráo fled north, past Junnar to Bráhmanváda in the hills south of Akola. General Smith then marched to Ahmadnagar, which had surrendered, and thence over the Nimbdhera pass to Sangamner; the Peshwa hearing of his movements fled south, and was followed by the British army over the Vashira pass and south towards Poona. After a long pursuit the Peshwa was overtaken in February 1818 at Ashti in Sholápur. A skirmish ensued, and in March 1818 he again fled to Kopargaon, his old home on the Godávari.

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After a time he went on to Chándod, but hearing that a British force was approaching from the north, he returned to Kopargaon, and thence fled east, and finally surrendered in May at Dholkot near Asirgad. In the meantime Holkar and the Pendháris had been defeated, and by the treaty of Mandesar in January 1818, Holkar surrendered to the English all his possessions south of the Sátpudás. Sir T. Hislop marched into Khándesh and summoned the fort of Thálner belonging to Holkar. The commandant at first refused to surrender, but, as the troops were preparing to storm the place, he came out and gave himself up; a few of the troops entered, when some mistake arose, and the Arab garrison cut them down and with them two officers; the fort was at once stormed, the garrison put to the sword, and the commandant hanged. This example told, and the other forts were rapidly surrendered. At the end of A.D. 1817, a Bráhman named Dáji Gopál collected a few followers and drove the mámlatdár out of the fort of Betávad, south of the Tápti; he held the place and levied contributions till he heard of the fall of Thálner, when he evacuated the fort. The strongholds in the Ahmadnagar hills were reduced by Major Eldridge and those in the Chándod range by Lieut.-Colonel McDowall.

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The Arab mercenaries of the Peshwa collected in the strong fort of Málegaon, built fifty years before by Náro Shankar Rája Bahádur, to make a last stand, and defended themselves with such obstinacy that the place was not taken till the 13th of June 1818. With the fall of Asirgad on the 9th of April 1819 the war ended. The whole of the Peshwa's dominions and those of Holkar in the Dakhan were taken by the British Government. In Khándesh Sindia held the districts of Ráver, Varangaon, Edlábád, and Páchora, and in Ahmadnagar half of Shevgaon and the Shrigonda pargana. Ráver and Páchora were finally made over to the English Government in 1843-4, and the other districts were taken in exchange in 1860 for territory given to Sindia. The greater part of the Korti district was under Ráo Rambha Nimbálkar till 1821, when it was given over to the English. Khándesh was placed under Captain Briggs, and Ahmadnagar with the country between the Chándod hills and the Bhima under Captain Pottinger. Little difficulty was experienced in restoring order in Ahmadnagar; the country was exhausted and the people willingly obeyed any power that could protect them; the Peshwa's disbanded soldiers settled in their villages; the hill forts were dismantled, and their garrisons gradually reduced. Near the Sahyadris the country was in the hands of the Koli Náiks;

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they and the Bhíl Náiks were sent for, and the allowances and villages which they already held were confirmed to them on the understanding that they should keep the adjoining country quiet. In a short time the Ahmadnagar districts enjoyed a peace to which they had long been strangers.