A History of the Mahrattas v1.c24.91

v1.c24.91

and ambition of her family, on becoming acquainted with this declaration on the part of Tara Bye, which deprived her of all chance of the power she expected, by seeing a minor placed on the throne under her own care, immediately opened a communication with Sumbhajee, inciting him to oppose the pretensions of the alleged grandson of Tara Bye, whom she declared an impostor. She promised to aid Sumbhajee with her utmost means; she engaged Yemmajee Sewdeo in her cause, and Jug Jeewun, the younger brother of Sreeput Rao, who had been appointed Pritee Needhee on the death of the latter in 1747, also promised her all the support in his power. Dummajee Gaekwar gave his assent to the proposal, and emissaries were dispatched into the Ghaut Mahta and Concan, a tract ever prone to insurrection, to raise men and be prepared for her purpose. Ballajee Bajee Rao repaired to Satara with an army of thirty-five thousand men; but so cautious was he of committing any act which might outrage the Mahratta feeling, already jealous of Bramin power, that he did not attempt to separate Suckwar Bye from her husband, or to impose any restraint likely to arouse the active enmity of her relations. But although he knew the extent of her plots, and was also aware that Suckwar Bye had a plan to assassinate him, he was at the same time suspicious of Tara Bye; and the known enmity of the latter to Ballajee Bajee Rao is indeed the principal evidence of the truth of her extraordinary story. The pregnancy of Bhowanee Bye, the wife of the second Sivajee, was strongly suspected by Rajis Bye, the younger wife of Raja Ram, at the time of Sivajee’s death, and it required all the care and circumspection of Tara Bye to preserve the infant from destruction. She, however, found means to convey the child from the fort of Panalla, and having given him in charge to the sister of Bhowanee Bye, he was carried to Tooljapoor and thence to Barsee, where he was reared in obscurity.