New History of the Marathas v2.c35.29

v2.c35.29

But the preeminent service of Madhavrao consisted not so much in his achievements and conquests, either in the south or in the north, as in the general improvement of the moral tone of the Maratha administration to which hardly any of his predecessors had attended. Corruption was severely rooted out, the revenue system was so reformed as to conduce to the welfare and prosperity of the people. The judiciary began to function efficiently under the management of the eminent judge Ram Shastri. Complaints came to be speedily noticed and wrong-doers rightly punished. Many vexatious taxes and imposts were removed. Definite rules and conditions of service were framed and promulgated for the jagirdars and their military equipment.⁴ The whole administrative staff of officials came to be purged of various evil practices that had become rampant. The system of *Veth* or exaction of forced labour from lower classes, was entirely abolished, and every kind of service came to be paid for in cash. The very name of this Peshwa came to be held in awe by the rulers and the ruled in and out of the Maratha State. Agencies were employed to gather secret news by which reports of evil practices reached him, so that even his immediate servants used to be in great fear of the Peshwa’s punishment. Quite a new generation of honest and efficient officials, clerks, accountants, supervisors, revenue collectors, military suppliers, came to be reared up. Leaders and commanders of military corps shed their proverbial lethargy and became alert and obedient. The want of efficient artillery was keenly observed by this Peshwa, and he organized a special branch for the manufacture of fire-arms and ammunition. Indeed, this was one of the most important subjects which the Peshwa personally supervised and continuously toiled to improve.