Later Mughals v2.c14.s20.8

v2.c14.s20.8

Soon there followed Nizam-ul-mulk's flight from Malwa, his successive defeats of Sayyid Dilawar Ali Khan and Alim Ali Khan, his appointment as Wazir, his final return to the Dakhin when he became in fact, if not in name, the independent ruler of the territories claimed by the Mughals. From this rapid summary it will be seen that up to 1670 the Mahrattas confined themselves to the western side of the Dakhin or roughly speaking to their own country of Maharashtra. The first exaction of one-fourth of the collections on a province immediately under the Mughals took place in 1670 during an excursion into Khandesh, the year in which Shivaji in person sacked Surat [for the second time]. As early as 1658 the Mahrattas seem to have employed a proportion of Muham-madans, but the superior commands were retained in the hands of Hindus. This seems to have been the case up to the end of their history as a conquering power. Their first incursion beyond or to the north of the Narmada (if we except a slight attack in 1720) did not occur until 1705, when Malwa and Gujarat were both overrun. These raids into Hindustan increased in frequency and extent as the years went on, until they became an annual infliction. We now purpose to give in somewhat more detail the course of events in the provinces of Gujarat, Bundelkhand and Malwa during the first half of Muhammad Shah's reign and their connection with the incursions of the Mahrattas. The persistent aggressions in the Mughal territories north of the Narmada, which now began, were continued until the rise of the British power, and were the outcome of a settled intention of over-running the Muhammadan dominions. The author of this far-reaching scheme was Baji Rao, who in the year 1720 succeeded his father, Balaji Wishwanath, in the office of Peshwa.