New History of the Marathas v3.c37.s3.26

v3.c37.s3.26

Dhondji was descended from an old Pawar family owing allegiance to the Adilshahi rulers. During the latter part of the eighteenth century Dhondia served several masters in turn, the Patwardhans, the Raja of Kolhapur and the Desai of Lakshmeshvar, a small principality north of the Tungabhadra. His extraordinary resourcefulness, boldness and address were found highly useful by those whom he served. He, however, practised wanton plunder and depredation upon innocent populations on both sides of that river, now the boundary line between the Mysore and Maratha dominions. He was severely checked by Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan. The latter captured and converted him to Islam. After the British conquest of Mysore he once more took to his old activities of plunder and destruction. In June 1800 Arthur Wellesley attacked and drove him into the Maratha territories north of the Tungabhadra. He then became a curse both to the Patwardhans and the Raja of Kolhapur. Gokhale was then the guardian of the Peshwa’s fort of Dharwar, whom Dhondia molested, so that it became an urgent task both for the Peshwa at Poona and for Wellesley in Mysore to destroy this troublesome despoiler. Wellesley for this purpose made a pact with the Patwardhans for joint measures to put him down. This involved penetration by British forces into the Peshwa’s territories. The Governor General no stickler for political niceties, ordered his brother to lead his forces in pursuit of Wagh into the Maratha territory along with the Patwardhans.