A History of the Mahrattas v1.c19.111

v1.c19.111

A.D. 1718.—The Emperor, however, refused to ratify the treaty which had been exchanged, and an unworthy favourite having given him great encouragement in his intrigues for the destruction of the Syuds, he became less guarded in his measures, and an open rupture seemed inevitable. Hoossein Ally Khan, therefore, prepared to march for the capital, and solicited aid from Shao.² Such an opportunity was not neglected. Ballajee Wishwanath and Khundee Rao Dhabaray proceeded to join the viceroy with a large body of troops, for which he agreed to pay them a certain sum daily, from the date of their crossing the Nerbuddah until their return; and Hoossein Ally Khan further promised that the treaty should be ratified, and the family of Shao released and delivered to his officers.³ Ballajee Wishwanath was instructed by Shao, on his departure, to endeavour, if possible, to obtain the cession of the forts of Doulutabad and Chandah, and an authority for levying the tribute, which had been for some time imposed by the Mahrattas, in Guzerat and Malwa. The plea on which these extraordinary pretensions to tribute were made, was that the chiefs who had already levied contributions in those provinces would break in and plunder, unless Shao could receive such an authority as must oblige the chiefs in question to look to him only for what they termed their established contributions, and that he would under these circumstances be responsible for the protection and improvement of the territories.