Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s6.15

v2.c28.s6.15

A rupture between two such insincere friends was difficult to prevent. At one conference the exasperated Maratha chiefs held a high tone and taxed Najib with failure to keep his promise and treacherous collusion with his brother Afghans, which had prevented the collection of the Maratha tribute even after six months’ effort. Najib answered haughtily, bidding the Deccanis remember that the lion was not yet dead and that if they desired war with him he was ready for them then and there. He continued, “I cannot bear to live in your camp in dishonour. Don’t you think that you have now a vast army with you and I have only a small force. Even when I am dead and buried in the ground, I can eat you all up with only 10,000 men. I know that Mahadji Patil harbours ill-will towards me in his heart. Go and tell him from me, ‘If you are a man, why don’t you come into the field, but are merely repeating that the blood of three of your family is on my head? Either exact retaliation for it, or become a fourth in addition to the other three. Your behaviour is unworthy of a brave man.' You have seen what I can do, and I have seen your work. Very well. I shall march away this moment." * He was pacified with great difficulty and after profuse apologizing by Anand Rao Narsi.