Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c8.s4: § 16. Interview between Peshwa and Nawab; Raghuji expelled
Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c8.s4
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§ 16. Interview between Peshwa and Nawab; Raghuji expelled
v1.c8.s4.1
Alivardi, on learning that Bālāji had arrived 20 miles from Murshidabad, sent his jamadār Ghulām Mustafa with the Peshwā's envoys, Gangādhar Rāo and Amrit Rāo, to Pilāji Jādav, the commander of the Marātha vanguard. Pilāji came to the Nawāb with these men, exchanged mutual oaths of fidelity and assurance of friendship, and then returned to his chief. The Nawāb, advancing further, encamped at Lawdā (7 miles south of Berhampur Cantonment), from which village Bālāji's camp was only six miles distant.
v1.c8.s4.2
(prob. Rajgaon, 3 m. s. w. of Bānkurā)—17, Sirāpur in Pachet ?—18, Bero in Pachet (Beroo, 6 m. s. of Pachet hill)—19, Sākā in Pachet ?—20, Bhāigathā, parg. Chhadrā, Pachet ?—21-24, Hisak in parg. Sikarbhui ?—25, Began Kodār in parg. Pachet (20 m. w. of Purulia and 7 m. e. of Jhalda)—26-27, Barishā, parg. Rāhishā, kingdom of Rajah Naval Shah (prob. Burgah, 11 m. n. w. of Jhalda)—28, Bedugarh in Chutia Nagpur (prob. Rāmgarh, 26 m. s. s. e. of Hazaribagh)—29, Jinti, in parg. Siri (? river Jainti)—30, Siyā in parg. Bishengarh (prob. Sila Ichak, 12 m. w. of Hazaribagh)—May, 1, Govindpur? —3, Gori Anantpur (prob. Joree, 10 m. s. of Hunterganj, e. bank of Lilajan river)—12, Akbarpur (4 m. e. of Rohtasgarh, on w. bank of Son river)—14, Saserām—15, Jahanabad on Durgāvati river—18, Mughal Sarāi—19, bank of the Ganges—21, Mirzāpur.
v1.c8.s4.3
Midway between these two places pavilions were set up for the interview.*
v1.c8.s4.4
On 31st March Bālāji came to the meeting place with Pilāji Jādav, Malhar Holkar and other generals. At the end of the interview the Peshwā was sent back with a present of four elephants, two buffaloes and five horses. It was agreed that the Nawāb would pay Shāhu Rājah the *chauth* for the province besides 22 *lakhs* of Rupees to Bālāji for the expenses of his army, while the Peshwā would effect a final settlement with Raghuji, who would not trouble Bengal in future. Alivardi could not at first provide such a large sum at once, and it was only the Peshwā’s threat to march away leaving Bengal to the tender mercies of Raghuji that compelled the Nawāb to make the payment.
v1.c8.s4.5
Then these two new allies set out together to expel Raghuji. The latter, on hearing of their advance, broke up his camp between Katwā and Bardwān, and fled to Birbhum. After one or two marches, Bālāji told the Nawāb that the Bengal troopers could not keep pace with the fleet Deccan horse and therefore Raghuji would slip away unless the Peshwā pursued him with his own cavalry alone. This was agreed to, and next day (10th April Bālāji began a rapid march, overtook Raghuji, beat him in a battle, and drove him in flight into the western hills with heavy loss of men and of much of his baggage and camp which were abandoned to plunder. Many officers of the Nāgpur army also came over to the Peshwā.
v1.c8.s4.6
∗ “The Maratha generals demanded the *chauth* of Bengal in Shahu Rajah’s name. Bala Rao proposed a conference with the Nawab which was held on 31st March at Plassey, when the Nawab agreed to allow Shahu Rajah the *chauth* and pay Bala Rao 22 *lakhs* of Rupees for the expenses of his army,—he promising to accommodate affairs with Raghuji, who retired to Birbhum.” Bengal letter, 13th August, 1743. For Balaji in Bengal, see *Akhbarat*, 25th, 26th, 29th April and 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 20th and 28th May, 1743, as tr. by me in *J. B. & O. R. S.*, December, 1931. Also Siyar, ii. 131.
v1.c8.s4.7
Alivardi turned back from Dignagar (32 miles south-west of Katwā) and on reaching Katwā (24th April) made it his base. Soon afterwards he received despatches from Bālāji reporting that Raghuji had passed through Mānbhum and taken the road to Sambalpur, after which Bālāji had marched by way of Pachet to Gayā, where he offered the customary oblations to the souls of his dead ancestors and then took the way to Punā.