Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c40.s4.20

v3.c40.s4.20

At Jaipur, too, his earlier hopes faded away as completely, and this enforced on him a policy of active aggression. In December 1786 the power of that kingdom had reached its low ebb from the lack of a policy and a leader to enforce it, dissensions among the nobles in the capital, and a temporary coolness with its only ally the Jodhpur Rajah whom Sindhia’s agents had approached with success. Matters came to such a pass that in the middle of January next the discontented and long unpaid generals of the Kachhwa State agreed to open the gates of the capital and admit the Maratha troops for a bribe of Rs. 80,000. But the plot did not mature. Daulat Ram Haldiā returned from Lucknow a few days afterwards, the pro-Maratha faction among the Rajah’s nobles was crushed and Haldiā became prime minister once more, bent on pursuing an open anti-Maratha policy (c. 20 January.) The quarrel with Jodhpur was quickly made up and armed preparations for defence were pushed on. Rāyāji Pātil’s position was rendered still weaker by the enemy’s busy seduction of his faithless Mughalia contingent with promises to pay their arrears of salary. He, therefore, wrote “daily urging his master to advance speedily to his support.” [Ibr. ii. 163. PRC. i. 71, 82.]