Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c47.s2.2

v4.c47.s2.2

We have seen (Ch. 7 § 12) how Bakht Singh had seized the throne of Jodhpur in 1751 by ousting the lawful heir Rām Singh. His own death came about a year later, after which his son Bijay Singh succeeded and had to fight to keep his uncle Rām Singh out. In the phrenzy of domestic feud each side made reckless bids for the armed aid of the Peshwā by promising impossible subsidies. In the end, Bakht Singh's heir maintained himself on the throne with Holkar's support, and Rām Singh after fighting twenty-two battles for his heritage, ended his days in exile, in 1772. But this quarter century of civil war (1750-1772) made the nobles who had sided with Bijay Singh independent in all but the name.