Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c12.s2.13

v1.c12.s2.13

At the end of 1750 Jaipur received a new and most disastrous visitation of the Marāthas and saw a revolution in its affairs. In 1745 Ishwari Singh had outbid his rivals and hired the Marātha generals (excepting Holkar) to aid him in his struggle with the Mahārānā and Mādho Singh. At Bagru (1747) he had promised a vast indemnity to buy off Malhar. These amounts fell into arrear and, as the Marātha collector complained, his dunning produced no effect; "this Government pays no heed to the matter, it is merely putting off payment from day to day." [S. P. D. ii. 15.] At the same time confusion seized the internal administration of Jaipur. Ishwari Singh, never very remarkable for intelligence or spirit, now became half-witted. The able ministers who had so long maintained the power and prosperity of the State were gone one by one. Rajah Ayā Mal Khatri (called Rājāmal or Malji in the Rājasthāni and Marāthi records), the ablest of Jaipur diplomats and the most faithful guardian of his master's interests, died on 9th February, 1747.*