Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c26.s1.2

v2.c26.s1.2

These wars had left the Rajput States under a heavy load of debt due to the Marathas as the price of their armed support. It is possible to form an exact estimate of the monetary claims of the Marathas in Rajputana at this time. The fine of ten lakhs imposed on Kota by Baji Rao in January 1738 seems to have been paid in full. Leaving aside the absurd sums of one *kror* or even half a *kror* so recklessly offered to the Marathas by Maharana Jagat Singh II in his frantic desire to win for his nephew Madho Singh the Jaipur throne or at least half of that kingdom, we find that in 1748 Madho Singh promised them a *nazar* of ten lakhs. To this sum must be added the indemnity of two lakhs imposed on him for the massacre of the Maratha visitors to his capital in January 1751. So, the dues from Madho Singh were twelve lakhs in all. It was laid down by the Maratha king that out of the actual collection made here every year, half a lakh was to be paid to him, and the balance to be shared equally between his two generals Holkar and Sindhia posted there. At Bundi, Ummed Singh during his contest for the throne had bound himself to pay his Maratha allies ten lakhs, out of which two lakhs were paid in 1749 and the remaining eight lakhs were yet to be realized. In Marwar, Bakht Singh was under no obligation to the Marathas; but his defeated rival Rām Singh, immediately after the loss of his realm (July 1751), sent his priest Jago to hire a Maratha army and thereafter became entirely a creature of the Deccanis.