New History of the Marathas v2.c32.26

v2.c32.26

6. Babuji Naik humbled.—Babuji Naik Joshi of Baramati was an old hereditary servant who had looked upon the rise of the Peshwas with a jealous eye. He was an eye-sore to the late Peshwa. During recent days he sided with Gopikabai’s party and served Madhavrao pretty loyally. But he was often whimsical and extremely fickle minded. During the Peshwa’s expedition into the Karnatak the year before, he was discovered to have conducted an intrigue with Haidar Ali. The matter was investigated and the Naik was exposed. But he did not repent and continued to offer pinpricks to the Peshwa often opposing his commands. He possessed two strong forts, Sholapur and Wandan, where he fortified himself and stored his valuables. The Peshwa could not trust his loyalty and ordered that the two forts be taken out of his possession. The Naik resisted the Peshwa’s demand and refused to surrender the forts. Ramchandra Ganesh the Peshwa’s captain attacked the forts and took them away forcibly (1766 March). The Naik remained sulking in his jagir at Baramati, but dared no longer stand in opposition to the Peshwa. Babuji was in many ways a singular personality bound in relationship with the Peshwa’s house. He witnessed the regimes of six consecutive rulers.