Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c9.s4.19

v1.c9.s4.19

Alivardi Khān was now 75 years old, and felt the weight of age and the approach of death. His troops were thoroughly worn out by their incessant campaigns and forced marches against domestic and foreign enemies; his subjects in Western and Southern Bengal had been utterly impoverished by the yearly raid and destruction of the Bargis. His Government was wellnigh bankrupt, and both he and his subjects required years of peace to recuperate. So, he listened to his well-wishers and permitted Mir Jafar to act as an intermediary and open peace negotiations with the Marāthas, (March 1751.) Mir Jafar sent two of his men to Habib, who welcomed the proposal and despatched his own agent Mirzā Sālih with the Bengal envoys to Mir Jafar, who introduced him to the Nawāb, then at Katwā. The party proceeded in the Nawāb's train to Murshidābād where the terms were settled. The draft treaty was referred to the Court of Nāgpur and finally in May or June 1751 a peace was signed on the following conditions :