A History of the Mahrattas v1.c22.82.1

v1.c22.82.1

undertaken without regular sanction, were highly resented by Bajee Rao. He marched from Poona for the purpose of punishing his misconduct, and sent forward Awjee Kowray to plunder in Berar. But that unfortunate officer¹ was attacked and defeated by Rughoojee in the end of February. Bajee Rao was preparing to avenge his loss, when news reached him of the arrival of Nadir Shah, the defeat of the Moghuls, the death of Khan Dowran, the capture of Sadut Khan; and finally, that the victorious Persian was dictating the terms of ransom at the gates of Delhi. These accounts exceedingly alarmed Bajee Rao, but the subsequent intelligence which he received at Nusseerabad informed him of the imprisonment of the Emperor, the plunder of Delhi, the dreadful massacre of many of its inhabitants,² and seemed for a time to overwhelm him. ‘Our domestic quarrel with Rughoojee Bhonslay is now insignificant,’ says the Peishwa, ‘the war with the Portuguese is as nought; there is now but one enemy in Hindoostan.’ He appears to have conceived that Nadir Shah would establish himself as Emperor, but he was not dismayed when he heard reports that a hundred thousand Persians were advancing to the southward.