Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c21.s6.1

v2.c21.s6.1

The Maratha forces having retired from Delhi at the beginning of February 1755, Imad was free to settle his score with his enemies near at hand. His first dread after becoming wazir was lest his deposed predecessor Intizām-ud-daulah* should intrigue successfully for the recovery of the chancellorship. This possibility had kept Imād’s heart throbbing with anxiety throughout Raghunāth Rao’s stay near Delhi with Intizām as a refugee in his camp. On 2 September 1754, Intizām had posted musketeers round his own mansion and that quarter of the city to resist the wazir’s levy of a property tax for paying the Marathas. On 4 Oct. Holkar’s diwan, Gangādhar Chandrachuḍ, made an unsuccessful attempt to effect a compromise between the two rivals. About this time Raghunāth, in despair of getting the promised subsidy from Imād, discussed the alternative of making Intizām wazir again if he was more likely to yield the money, but he soon saw that it would not be a change for the better.