New History of the Marathas v2.c31.8

v2.c31.8

At this time the selfish Raghunathrao, who then guided the affairs on behalf of the minor Peshwa, showed undeserved mercy and closed with Nizam Ali’s offer “to surrender territory worth forty lacs.” The Peshwa wrote to his mother on 5 January 1762, “We had humbled Nizam Ali and completely overwhelmed him, when he made overtures for peace through his brother and Ramchandra Jadhav, who had already joined us.” The precipitate conclusion of peace by Raghunathrao was highly resented by most of the prominent leaders assembled on the occasion, such as Gopalrao Patwardhan, Trimbakrao Pethe, Babuji Naik, Janoji Bhosle and others, who considered it a splendid opportunity of humbling the troublesome Nizam Ali. The atmosphere in the Maratha camp became surcharged with suspicion and completely destroyed whatever cordiality had at first existed between the Peshwa and his uncle. Raghunathrao was openly accused of harbouring illwill towards his nephew and of securing the good will of Nizam Ali, as a potential ally in a future contest for the Peshwaship, which the uncle was then secretly planning to secure. Gopikabai and the Patwardhans openly accused R’rao’s Diwan Sakharam Bapu, as the author of a secret understanding between Nizam Ali and Raghunathrao.