Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c11.s2.23

v1.c11.s2.23

Matters having been thus settled in Mewār, Bāji Rāo advanced north towards Jaipur, making a pilgrimage to Nāthdwārā (25 miles north of Udaipur) on the way. Thence he marched to Jahājpur (25 miles north-west of Bundi.) Jai Singh had hastened southwards with all his forces to meet him on the way. Their interview took place at the village of Bhambholāo* near Kishangarh. Jai Singh had asked from the Peshwā equality of honour with the Mahārānā, but Bāji Rāo told him that the lord of Udaipur was equal in status with his own king Shāhu as he had never owned the Muslim Pādishāh as master, while Jai Singh was a mere imperial mansabdār. A pavilion was pitched in the middle for the meeting while the two armies stood fully armed on the two sides, (c. 15 February.) The two chiefs descended from their elephants, embraced, and sat down on the same cushion, the Peshwā on the right and Jai Singh on the left. Bāji Rāo, in spite of his being a priest by caste and the prime minister of the greatest Hindu Rājah in India, had the manners of a moss-trooper, which had been anything but improved by his infatuation for Mastānī, a Muslim girl with the morals of a *vivandière*. He enjoyed his pipe, blowing the smoke into the face of his host. Now, the Jaipur Rājah, though a Rājput, was a man of refined tastes, and had consorted with scholarly Europeans. He did not enjoy this rough horseplay of the Deccani, but was powerless to check it. The Marātha captains were presented to Jai Singh one by one; only Malhar Holkar sulked in his tent, as Bāji Rāo did not now ask Jai Singh to restore Bundi to Budh Singh, although they had promised to Rājah Shāhu to do so when Pratāp Singh Hādā was at Satārā begging Marātha aid for him.