New History of the Marathas v1.c16.65

Language: English

v1.c16.65.1

I have made arrangements for a cavalry regiment being cantoned at Chiplun, as it cannot possibly return to the up country at this advanced season. Owing to the stay of this regiment at Chiplun, all the grain and other necessaries that were stored for the rainy season in the Subha of Dabhol, have been almost exhausted, entailing hardship and no end of distress upon the people of the district by the grain, forage and every other article having been appropriated for the use of the army. There are yet twenty days of the hot Vaishakh month to pass.¹¹ The severity of the season now prevents any change in encampment. As provisions are are urgently required, I have ordered the officers to collect whatever grain could be had from the various forts and thus provide for men and horses. Now you will ask for any amount of rations of grain and grass, feed recklessly while the supplies are available, and when these are exhausted during the height of the rainy season, you will get nothing. Hence the present supplies must be made to last till the end of the rainy season. You must, therefore, without complaint accept whatever rations the Karkuns will daily give you and nothing more should be asked; so that all will get tolerably enough to keep men and horses from starving. You must not, therefore, grumble and quarrel with the officers or trouble them for every trifling requirement. No one should enter the store-rooms and make free use of the provisions kept therein.

v1.c16.65.2

Men and horses must continue to accept whatever is given them and make things going. Some will make fires for cooking purposes in places where there are stacks of hay. Some will take live-coal for smoking pipes and carelessly set fire to the stacks lying about. When one shed takes fire, it will soon extend to the whole encampment and cause incalculable damage. Should a mishap of the kind occur, no amount of punishment of officers and cultivators will replace the loss; not a piece of timber would then be available to construct the sheds and no shed could be constructed at a moment's notice. You must all take note of this situation, keep a watch in the camp and see that nothing untoward happens, while men are cooking food or burning grass. If you keep lights burning at night, mice might carry away the lighted wick and cause mischief. All such accidents must be scrupulously guarded against. You must be particularly careful about fires breaking out. Every precaution should be taken to save the grass and the sheds. Then only can the horses live through the long rainy season. If you fail, there is an end to all horses and stables and food. Then you will begin to rob the people; some will take away the grain of the poor cultivators, some will take away their bread, others grass and wood, some carry away their vegetables and other provisions. When you behave that way, the poor peasants will find life impossible and run away. Some will starve.

v1.c16.65.3

Then they will think you are worse than the Mughals, who overrun the countryside. Thus all the curses of the peasants and the horses will descend on you. Know this well, whether you are *sipahi* or a foot-soldier and behave yourselves. Some of you may be staying in different villages in government stables or otherwise. You have no business to trouble the rayats in any way, no business to stray outside your place. The Sarkar has given you your share from the treasury. Whatever one wants, whether grain, grass for cattle or fuel or vegetables, you should duly buy it, if it comes round for sale; or you should go to the open bazaar and buy it. You must not force anybody or quarrel with anybody. The supplies that have been assigned to the government stables must last for the whole rainy season. The Karkuns are instructed to give rations with an eye to economy. You must take what you are given, so that you will never be reduced to starvation. You will have some food every-day and the horses will gain strength. You must not lose temper with the Karkuns or enter the store-rooms violently and seize the articles. The men attached to the stables will make fires, some will make their hearths and cook at wrong places, some will light their smoking pipes without noticing that the hay is lying about. Thus there will suddenly occur an accident. When one room catches fire, the whole place will be burnt down. Therefore, let due warning be given to all.

v1.c16.65.4

Officers should always be going about to see that everything is safe. Therefore it is, that I write to you in such detail. All the Jumledars, Havaldars and Karkuns should hear this letter being read to them and act up to it. We shall keep ourselves informed frequently, nay every day, and punish those who disobey. Whosoever behaves in contravention of this order will be severely punished and dishonoured.”¹²