New History of the Marathas v2.c30.60

v2.c30.60

8. The Peshwa's last days.—In view of his ruined health it was decided that the Peshwa should return to Poona. He left Pachhor on 22nd March and after crossing the Narmada and the Tapti, performed his father's death anniversary rites at Toka on the Godavari on 16th May. At the Narmada he fainted and was luckily saved from drowning. Here he was weighed and found to be 4568 tolas or about 114 lbs., while six years before his weight was 178 lbs.¹⁴ As his son Narayanrao had an attack of small-pox, the boy with his mother was left behind and the Peshwa reached Poona about 5th June. Here Purushottamrao Patwardhan remained in attendance and managed to humour him. His once robust body had now become extremely emaciated; his memory faltered; his temper had become irritable so that his friends and advisers dreaded to appear before him and avoided all talk with him. He unwittingly gave out state secrets to those who came to see him. On 12th June he left the Shaniwar palace and took his lodgings in a house on the Parvati hill, where he expired in the early part of the night of Tuesday 23rd June. The funeral took place at the new wooden bridge.¹⁵ After the funeral rites were over, Madhavrao received the Peshwa's robes from the Chhatrapati at Satara on 17th July.