A History of the Mahrattas v1.c25.69

v1.c25.69

¹ [Sir Thomas Munro (Gleig, Life, ii. 14) wrote: ‘The Mahratta Government, from its foundation, has been one of the destructive that ever existed in India. It never relinquished the predatory spirit of its founder, Sewajee. That spirit grew with its power; and when its empire extended from the Ganges to the Cavery, this nation was little better than a horde of imperial thieves. All other Hindoo states took a pride in the improvement of the country, and in the construction of pagodas, tanks, canals and other public works. The Mahrattas have done nothing of this kind; their work has been chiefly desolation. They did not seek their revenue in the improvement of the country, but in the exactions of the established chout from their neighbours, and in predatory incursions to levy more.’ This and other evidence is given in O.H.I., pp. 637, 638, q.v. See also J. Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times, 1919, pp. 479–90.]