Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c27.s1.10

v2.c27.s1.10

But there could be no real union of hearts between Dattāji and Najib. The Ruhela chief was naturally unwilling to go away with his troops on the distant Bihar expedition, leaving his territories in the upper Doab within easy reach of the greedy and faithless Maratha local officers posted lower down that tract. An example of their unscrupulous rapacity had occurred in March 1759, when Govind Ballāl Bundélé in his northward march from Etāwa had wrested the outpost of Sikandrabad from Najib’s agent, though the two sides were then at peace. On this occasion Dattāji had been induced (by Antāji) to restore the usurped territory, so as not to antagonize Najib, whose services he was then proposing to utilize. A shrewd observer like Najib could not but suspect the secret intentions of the Marathas in the Doab. He also came to fear that Dattāji, angry at his refusal to cede his jagirs, was planning to arrest him during a friendly interview. The plot failed before it could be attempted, because Najib’s chief officers forced their way into Dattāji’s tent along with Najib, brushing aside the opposition of the guards at the gate. The Marathas were cowed into quiescence and terminated the interview very quickly. On returning to his own camp, Najib remarked, “It is not safe to visit these men ; their looks seem malignant to me.” So, he marched away to his own territory.