Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c44.s2.30

v4.c44.s2.30

Ismail abandoned the siege of Kanud on 27th November 1789; his rupture with Sindhia took place early in March 1790. The intervening three months were filled with confusing intrigues and changes of policy among all the parties concerned. Mahādji could always play off Ismail Beg and Najaf Quli against each other, while Ismail in the last resort could always throw up Sindhia and close with the Jaipur and Jodhpur Rajahs in an anti-Maratha league, a thing which actually happened at the end of this period of uncertain relations. The Rajah of Mācheri, ever in fear of his former suzerain the Jaipur Rajah, clung to Mahādji, though he was never entirely free from fear of his protector being driven by bankruptcy to squeeze money out of him, or of Holkar’s men robbing him of his frontier villages. In the end, Ismail Beg’s uncertainty ended, the balance was tilted in favour of the party that could pay down money to enable Ismail Beg to keep his starving troops together under his banner; and this money came from Jaipur.