Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c54.s5.29

v4.c54.s5.29

Jaswant Holkar demanded (i) that Daulat Rao Sindhia should hand over to him his prisoner Khandé Rao II (the minor son of Malhar Holkar II), to be set up as the formal head of the Holkar State with Jaswant himself as his regent and actual manager of affairs; (ii) that every village and fort in any part of India that had ever belonged to the Holkars should be restored to Jaswant, and the Houses of Sindhia and Holkar should be granted absolute parity in respect of territory, income, and the allowance of power and resources by their sovereign the Peshwā. Such a parity had been enjoyed by the first founders of the two houses, under Bāji Rao I and Bālāji Bāji Peshwās; but in 1801 the proposed arrangement would have meant a clean sweep of the gains made by Mahādji Sindhia during a long and strenuous career, and a revival of the constant bickering between Holkar and Sindhia in all parts of India where they happened to be employed together. (iii) Thirdly, that Daulat Rao should cease to support Kāshi Rao Holkar with money troops or influence at the Punā court, in his claim to the headship of the House of Holkar. On none of these points would Sindhia yield.