Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c34.s12.3

v3.c34.s12.3

The Marathas at the very outset wished to avoid war. They knew that they were not strong enough for a regular campaign. Mahadji Sindhia with his 10,000 men had left them before their recent attack on Delhi; another force of 5,000 under Shivaji Vithal had been detached to Jhansi to meet the revolt against Maratha authority there fomented by the Gosains and local chiefs. Only 30,000 men were now left, equally divided between Visāji and Tukoji. The latter, true to the Holkar tradition of raiding tactics (*ghanimi qawāit*), proposed to make a dash on Faizabad (the seat of Shujā-ud-daulah), and capture that unwalled town in three days. But Visāji knew better. He knew that his allies Zābita and Najaf were secretly corresponding with Shujā, assuring him of their real antagonism to the Maratha interests and offering to go over to the Nawab of Oudh in the event of a clash of arms between the two sides. Even René Madec begged for returning to the Oudh service if the English would pardon his desertion from their army in 1764. [CPC. iv. 172, 183] Visāji, therefore, wanted to avoid war at all costs.