Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c52.s4.5

v4.c52.s4.5

The nearest heir of the dead Peshwā was Bāji Rao, the eldest son of that Raghunāth Dādā who had sat on an uneasy throne for eight months after the murder of Nārāyan Rao Peshwā in August 1773. Nānā Fadnis had effectually kept him out of power and relentlessly tracked down and punished with death or torture every participant in the conspiracy against Nārāyan Rao and every leading supporter of Raghunāth. Moreover, he had doomed Raghunāth Dādā, his wife, and three sons (Bāji Rao and Chimnāji Apā sprung from his own loins, and Amrit Rao an adopted son) to long and humiliating captivity. Their hearts were sore against him, and if Bāji Rao now gained the throne Nānā Fadnis would inevitably lose his power and wealth, and if he escaped death by reason of his sacred caste, he would certainly be subjected to public humiliation and secret torture.