Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c9.s1.3

v1.c9.s1.3

The inner meaning of the Nawāb’s policy was that he was not prepared to make a separate agreement for the Bihār *chauth* with the Peshwā, when there was no guarantee that the Peshwā on being satisfied as to his own gain would not leave Raghuji a free hand to raid and tax Bengal and Orissā, instead of defending the three provinces together,—which was the Emperor’s object in promising the *chauth*. The black-mail for the entire North-eastern country must be one charge payable to one authority and not two separate amounts payable to two mutually independent enemy chiefs.