New History of the Marathas v3.c37.102

v3.c37.102

This dreadful event at Poona at once incited the enemies of the Maratha State all over India to rise against its power and take advantage of the confusion at home. A wave of sensation ran through the country causing immediate danger to Maratha rule in all quarters. Fortunately no one undertook a direct attack upon Poona itself. The Peshwa’s mother at Nasik felt utterly wretched at the death of her son. She had borne three good sons; the eldest Vishvasrao lost his life at the age of 19 on the field of Panipat; Madhavrao after a brilliant career succumbed to a fatal disease at the early age of 28, and now came this murder of her only surviving son. She felt so stricken with grief that in a frenzy she gave up all comforts of life and took up a half coconut shell as a bowl begging alms from door to door. This practice she continued for over a year and she recovered her normal peace of mind only at the importunities of the ministers after they had succeeded in driving away the murderer from Poona, and when happily a new heir was born to Narayanrao’s wife Gangabai.