New History of the Marathas v2.c24.94

v2.c24.94

The main object of both the Emperor and the Saiyads was to put down the rising Maratha power in the Deccan and to oust them entirely from Malwa, where they had been acquiring a foot-hold. Malwa being the main highway between the north and the south, its possession had always been considered essential for the security of the Empire. Aurangzeb himself was watchful about Malwa and as early as February 1704 had inflicted a crushing defeat through his trusted general Ghaziuddin upon several Maratha chiefs such as Nemaji Sinde, Parsoji Bhosle, Keshopant Pingle and others near Dipalpur and Ujjain. Later on the Marathas, by no means entirely checked, had continued their depredations so persistently that in 1713 Farrukhsiyar appointed Jaya Sinh Sawai to the government of Malwa, which the Rajput was ambitious to annex to his own patrimony of Jaipur. Khanderao Dabhade and Kanhoji Bhosle entered Malwa in the early months of 1715, burnt and plundered Ujjain and the regions round about ; Jaya Sinh was ready to meet them and inflicted upon them a crushing defeat on 10th May and recovered all the goods and property that had been plundered. But Jaya Sinh’s success proved temporary and when he was recalled soon after, the Marathas renewed their aggression with impunity.