A History of the Mahrattas v2.c46.17

v2.c46.17

Nana’s own proceedings in the meantime deserve notice. When he quitted Poorundhur and repaired to Satara, he entertained some design of emancipating the Raja and restoring the old form of the government of Sivajee, as a plan calculated to avert the dissensions that had arisen, and which were likely to increase in the state; but a very few days convinced him of the futility of this scheme. The Raja, in consequence of the treatment he had experienced, had no confidence in him. The Raja’s name was sufficiently popular to have brought many of the most warlike Mahratta families to his standard and to have awakened a powerful interest amongst the descendants of the first followers of Sivajee, residing in the wilds of the Mawuls and Khoras. The Raja, though incapable of conducting state affairs himself, was a man of courage, and several of his relations were fit leaders for any desperate enterprise. But Nana’s object was to devise some means of establishing a controlling authority over the chiefs of the empire, not to stir up a power subversive of all order. After a few conferences he desisted and retired to Waee, a town in the neighbourhood; but his having entertained such a scheme was so far fortunate for the Raja, that he indulged in a little more liberty and was treated with greater kindness and consideration.