New History of the Marathas v3.c37.68

v3.c37.68

In 1772 Narayanrao came to the Peshwa’s position as an immature fickle lad just turned of seventeen and he died only nine months later. Raghunathrao the next Peshwa, had to flee from Poona in less than three months after succeeding to the vacancy, and then followed a long regency which was ended only when Bajirao II after gaining the ancestral seat crushed Nana Phadnis. But even then he did not become the master of his own house in the sense that Bajirao I or Balajirao had been; that supremacy in internal affairs was gained by the head of the State only after his rebellious vassals had been scared away by the Treaty of Bassein (1802); but alas! the Jari-Patka was then flying at half-mast with the Union Jack proudly floating above it.