Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s1.13

v2.c28.s1.13

Ahmad Shah Abdali, like a wise statesman, wished to leave behind him an agreed peace among all the Powers of India: he himself would keep the Panjab from the Satlaj westwards and content himself with an annual tribute of 40 lakhs of Rupees for the rest of the Mughal empire, payable by the minister who would wield the regency of Delhi. As for the Marathas,* during several years after Panipat Abdali persisted in the attempt to placate the Peshwa; he wrote repeatedly to his Delhi agent, Yaqub Ali, to go to the Peshwa and beg him to excuse the Durrani king for the slaughter of his son and cousin at Panipat, as Ahmad Shah had no intention of fighting them, but the Bhau had begun the offensive and forced the Shah to take up arms in self-defence. The envoy was instructed to assure the Puna Court that the Maratha-Durrani boundary as now settled by negotiation would be scrupulously respected, and that all the Indian Powers would have Abdali’s blessing in supporting Shah Alam on the Delhi throne and letting the regular government of the empire start again.