A History of the Mahrattas v1.c19.44

v1.c19.44

Chunder Seyn Jadow, who had been appointed Senaputtee on the demise of his father, was sent off from Satara with a considerable army, and directed to levy the Chouth, Surdeshmookhee and Ghasdana from the Moghul districts. He was attended on this occasion by his father’s Carcoon, Ballajee Wishwanath, who was now charged with collecting and appropriating a share of the revenue for the Raja, a situation of control which under no circumstances was likely to be favourably viewed by the Senaputtee. The jealousy formerly entertained was increased tenfold, and on a very slight cause, arising from a dispute about a deer run down by one of Ballajee’s horsemen, the suppressed enmity burst out in attempted violence; and Ballajee was obliged to flee for his life, first to Sassoor, where the Suchew’s agent in Poorundhur did not think it prudent to protect him, although he begged hard to be permitted to enter that fort. The horsemen, his pursuers, were in sight; but the commander of the fort was obdurate. With a few followers, amongst whom were his sons Bajeerao and Chimnajee, Ballajee Wishwanath attempted to cross over to Pandoogurh, a fort in the opposite valley, but Jadow’s horsemen were already in his route and searching for him in every quarter. In this dangerous extremity he contrived to conceal himself for a few days, until two Mahrattas, the one named Peelajee Jadow¹ and the other surnamed Dhoomal, then common Sillidars in his service, collected by their influence with their relations a small troop of horse, and promised to sacrifice their lives, or carry him and his sons that night to the Machee² of Pandoogurh.