A History of the Mahrattas v1.c25.23

Language: English

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Tara Bye, when the Peishwa departed to Aurungabad, sounded Ram Raja in regard to his assuming the control usurped by his servant Ballajee Bajee Rao, but not finding him fit for her purpose, she pretended to have had no serious intentions in the proposal, but dispatched messengers to Dummajee Gaekwar, representing the unprotected state of the country and recommending his immediate march to Satara, to rescue the Raja and the Mahratta state from the power of the Bramins. This request was immediately acceded to, and Tara Bye, as soon as certain accounts were received of Gaekwar’s approach, invited the Raja into the fort of Satara and made him prisoner. She then reproached him with his want of spirit; regretted that ‘she had ever rescued him from a life of obscurity, for which only he could have been destined; declared that he could not be her grandson or the descendant of the great Sivajee; that he was neither a Bhonslay nor a Mohitey, but a base born Gonedulee,¹ changed in the house where he had been first conveyed; that she would make atonement on the banks of the holy Kistna for ever having acknowledged him.’ She ordered the havildar to fire upon his attendants, most of whom, unconscious of what had happened, remained near the gate of the fort; and she directed the guns to be pointed at the houses in the town below, belonging to the partisans of the Concanee Bramins.

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Trimbuck Punt, commonly called Nana Poorundhuree, Govind Rao Chitnees and the officers in the Peishwa’s interests at Satara, were at first disposed to ridicule this attempt as that of a mad old woman, but on hearing of the approach of Dummajee Gaekwar from Sonegurh, they quitted the town and assembled troops at the village of Arla on the banks of the Kistna. On the advance of Gaekwar by the Salpee Ghaut, although they had twenty thousand and their opponent only fifteen thousand men, they made an irresolute attack and retired to Neemb; where they were next day followed up, attacked, and defeated by the Guzerat troops. Dummajee Gaekwar immediately went to pay his respects to Tara Bye; and several forts in the neighbourhood were given up to her. Satara was well stored with provisions, and the Pritee Needhee promised to aid her cause. It was the intelligence of these proceedings which recalled the Peishwa; but before he returned, Nana Poorundhuree had redeemed his lost credit by attacking and compelling the army of Dummajee Gaekwar to retire to Jore Khora, where they expected to be joined by the Pritee Needhee from Kurar and by troops from Guzerat. In this hope, however, they were disappointed;

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and as Shunkrajee Punt, Soobehdar of the Concan, was assembling troops in their rear, whilst the Peishwa’s army, which had marched nearly four hundred miles in thirteen days, was close upon them, Dummajee sent a messenger to treat with Ballajee, who solemnly agreed to abide by the terms proposed, and enticed him to encamp in his neighbourhood; where, as soon as he got him into his power, he demanded the payment of all the arrears due from Guzerat and the cession of a large portion of his territory. Dummajee represented that he was but the Mootaliq of Dhabaray, the Senaputtee, and had no authority for complying with what was required. On this reply, the Peishwa sent private orders to seize some of the family of Gaekwar and of Dhabaray, residing at Tullygaom, and imprison them in the hill fort of Loghur; whilst at a set time he treacherously surrounded, attacked, and plundered the camp of Dummajee Gaekwar, and sent him into confinement in the city of Poona.¹ The Peishwa next tried to induce Tara Bye to give up the fort and the Raja, but having assembled her garrison, she required an oath from every man that she would stand by her to the last; such of them, however, as chose, were allowed the option of quitting the fort or joining in the solemn asseveration.

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Some of the Peishwa’s troops became impressed with an idea that she was a Deo (or good spirit), and others, that she was a Dyt (or evil spirit), but all the Mahrattas were so strongly of opinion that Tara Bye was the rightful regent, that Ballajee found there was more to be apprehended from proceeding to extremities than leaving her unmolested; although her party, to become formidable, only required a leader of reputation. Perplexing as the affair was in the meantime, the conduct of Tara Bye proved in the end advantageous to the Peishwa, as it took from him the odium of being the first to confine the Raja to the fort of Satara. Tara Bye did not merely confine him to the fort; his prison, which still exists, was a damp, stone dungeon, and his food was of the coarsest grain.