New History of the Marathas v3.c37.s2.12

v3.c37.s2.12

Ali Bahadur could not proceed to Bundelkhand immediately and roamed about for a long time from October 1790 to May 1791 in the region of Jaipur, trying to obtain funds for effecting his future designs. He was now a penniless beggar, utterly distrusted by all, and living only on the hollow promises which his new false friends the Gosavi brothers fed him with. After wasting nearly a year in useless marches, he piteously begged Tukoji Holkar for a loan; the latter although in no better position himself, pledged his personal credit and advanced three and a half lacs to Ali Bahadur, thus enabling him along with the Gosavis to proceed into Bundelkhand, where he arrived towards the end of 1791. Here he tried to obtain tributes from the former Bundella vassals with the help of the Gosavi contingent. But the old Maratha chiefs, such as the two sons of Govindpant of the Panipat days, openly opposed these fresh ambitions of Ali Bahadur. Mahadji too had his own stakes in Bundelkhand along with Gwalior and Gohad, which he had long ago reduced to obedience at great sacrifice. In order to safeguard his interests Mahadji was compelled to send his detachments into that region and here again a clash became imminent, so that Ali Bahadur found himself in the extremity of embarrassment, a consequence of his uncalled for opposition to Mahadji's measures. Maratha rule in Bundelkhand practically vanished on account of the anarchy thus set in, and Nana Phadnis in Poona had to bear the loss in helpless inaction.