A History of the Mahrattas v2.c49.25

v2.c49.25

Khassee Rao Holkar, according to the first declaration of the party who opposed him, was set aside from incapacity. Jeswunt Rao being illegitimate gave himself out as the subordinate agent of his nephew Khundee Rao, in custody at Poona, and invited all adherents of the house of Holkar to unite with him in upholding the name and rescuing the territories and family from the power of Doulut Rao Sindia. Proceeding to the banks of the Nerbuddah he levied contributions and plundered Sindia’s villages. A detachment of Khassee Rao’s regular infantry, sent against him by the Chevalier Dudrenec, was defeated, which greatly raised Jeswunt Rao’s reputation, and brought on a negotiation which ended in Dudrenec’s joining him with his battalions and guns, and in Jeswunt Rao’s being recognized and obeyed as the representative of his nephew, which shortly after enabled him to commence regular payments to his troops. But the predatory system being the mode of warfare he followed, the work of pillage and destruction went forward, and Sindia’s territory in Malwa was half ruined, before he had taken any steps to stop the formidable progress of Jeswunt Rao.²