New History of the Marathas v3.c37.99

v3.c37.99

It was about one o'clock in the afternoon. The clerks and servants on duty harangued the mutineers saying that they must not raise a clamour and disturb their master's repose ; and that their grievances would be listened to in the office. At this the protesting clerks were cut down; when one of them took shelter behind a cow, that used to be kept on the premises always for fresh milk, the Gardis hewed down the animal and the man, closed the front gate and proceeded to the Peshwa's room upstairs with drawn swords and deafening shouts. The palace resounded with the cries of horror and grief raised by the inmates, but none could oppose the unruly attack. Narayanrao in fear of life and entirely unarmed, escaped through a backdoor of his room into his aunt Parvatibai's apartment. She directed him to go to his uncle and seek his protection. He then ran to the spot where R'rao was performing his worship and clasped him, begging to be saved and imploring him to become the Peshwa if his own life were spared. Sumersinh and the Gardis who in the meantime had closely followed the Peshwa there, pulled him away from his uncle. Tulya Pawar dragged him out violently and Sumersinh hacked him to pieces. Narayanrao's servant Chapaji Tilekar fell upon his master's body to save him along with some maid servants and they were all cruelly cut to pieces. A little later after this first rush, one Naroba Naik, an old and trusted man on palace duty, came forth and roundly censured R'rao for allowing such foul deeds to take place in his presence. The enraged Gardis thereupon slew that innocent man too. Thus within the short space of about half an hour eleven persons came to be murdered in cold blood in that famous palace, seven being Brahmans, two Maratha servants, two maids, besides one cow, no less sacred a life, all in the heart of a Brahman city. Forbes corroborates these details, saying, “The accounts of this catastrophe are variously related. The Peshwa family and a large part of the nation accused Raghoba of the murder ; some of the Maratha Chiefs and numerous partisans asserted his innocence. When we consider his ambitious character and his peculiar situation at the time, it is difficult to exculpate him.”