New History of the Marathas v3.c37.97

v3.c37.97

Moroba Phadnis was also a member of the executive Government, but he shared the indifferent attitude of his senior colleague Bapu. Haripant Phadke too shared the apathetic spirit of his friend Nana. Thus if one bears in mind the divergent views of these several responsible councillors, one need not wonder why the murder was not prevented. Sumersinh was the Gardi officer appointed by Narayanrao to be in immediate charge of his confined uncle and as such the man had free access to him. He was won over by Tulaji to join the conspiracy along with Muhammad Yusuf, Kharagsinh and Bahadur Khan, so that the plan proved easy of execution. To confine Narayanrao appeared as the only means of easing the agonies of Raghunathrao. "You four chiefs have each a thousand men under you," urged Tulaji, "and you can easily execute this task." Sumersinh replied, "This is a venture in which our lives are at stake in case of failure. So we must obtain some substantial reward.” It was thereupon agreed that a cash reward of three lacs should be paid to the Gardi chiefs if they accomplished the object. A written order by R’rao was procured and delivered to these four chiefs, purporting that the Peshwa should be “seized”. This word came to be later scratched and replaced by the word ‘slain’ by Anandibai, says the *Peshwa-bakhar*. But who indeed made this change has ever remained an unsolved mystery. Anandibai all along averred that she had no hand in the affair. The *Nagpur bakhar* says that Lakshman Kashi delivered to the Gardi chiefs a written promise by R’rao offering them a reward of three lacs upon their placing N’rao in confinement. Thus the plot came to be arranged by R’rao with the Gardis through the instrumentality of Tulaji Pawar and Lakshman Kashi. Duff says that Ram Shastri made a full enquiry of the affair, when the paper with the word “seized” scratched and replaced by “slain”, was produced before him. That note is now nowhere to be traced. It seems that when the Gardi chiefs undertook the venture at the instance of R’rao, they discovered that in the process of the arrest it was quite possible that the Peshwa might come to be slain, if he on his part offered armed resistance. They, therefore, represented this difficulty through the mediators and were absolved by R’rao from any responsibility for murder, if the Peshwa came by his death in the course of the encounter. Hence came this change in the material word of the contract.