New History of the Marathas v3.c37.96

v3.c37.96

During these Ganapati celebrations Tulya Pawar began his activities in right earnest. He approached the Gardi leaders and sounded them as to their attachment to the Peshwa and his uncle. Possessing a peculiar dash and an audacious desire to see his master placed in the highest position so as to avenge a real or fancied wrong he had suffered from Narayanrao and possibly from Madhavrao himself, Tulaji strained every nerve to put into a definite shape the vague and scattered bits of a plot that were in the air, select instruments for its execution and assign to them the parts that they were expected to play. Being a personal servant of long standing and familiarity in the palace, he could not have been abruptly dismissed, even if he had come to be suspected of some deep-laid plan. He had ready access to his master and could well arrange the details of the plot in consultation with R'rao and his wife Anandibai in the palace and the Gardi chiefs outside. The initial idea of the conspirators having been only to confine Narayanrao and put R'rao in his place, the latter cautiously fathomed Sakharam Bapu's attitude towards the intended project. Possibly Bapu honestly believed R'rao to be in no way inferior to his nephew : he was certainly not enthusiastic on behalf of Narayanrao and as no personal harm was intended to him, Sakharam Bapu took no active steps either to promote or prevent the project.