New History of the Marathas v2.c24.52

v2.c24.52

5. Shahu and Bahadur Shah.—Shahu’s fortunes during these early years of his kingship were severely controlled by the Emperor Bahadur Shah, a clever and conciliatory ruler, who had gained long and varied experience of war and government under his exacting father, so that to all appearances he gave promise of a long and prosperous reign avoiding the extremes which had ruined his father and fully controlling the disruptive forces that had set in. His early death was a blow to the Empire. But during his five years rule Shahu had to reckon with this Emperor’s policy in controlling the Marathas.