Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c60.s2: Marāthi
Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c60.s2
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Marāthi
v4.c60.s2.1
The Marāthi despatches (and other State papers) fall into certain well-defined groups. First, the cream of the State archives of the Peshwās has been published in 45 volumes under the title of *Selections from the Peshwas' Daftar*, edited by G. S. Sardesai. Next comes the Menāvli Daftar, or the documents sent to the Punā Government officially and to Nānā Fadnis personally, while he was the prime minister (*c.* 1780-1795). These were kept at his country-seat in Menāvli, a village in the Satara district. They fell into the hands of D. B. Parasnis, who printed most of the material in his monthly magazine the *Itihās Sangraha*, under various titles. The bulk has been sold to the Bombay Government by his heirs, and is now kept in Punā.
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Thirdly, the records of the various branches of the Patwardhan family of the South Maratha country, including a vast number of newsletters from Punā and the camps of the Peshwas' armies. These have been carefully edited and printed by V. V. Kharé and his son, in 15 volumes, covering the years 1739-1810, and named *Aitihāsik Lekh Sangraha*.
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Fourthly, the Gulgulé Daftar, or the letters received by the Gulgulé family of Maratha tribute-collectors stationed at Kotā (now known as the Sardārs of Sarola house). These have been all copied with a Devnāgari typewriter, and are invaluable for Sindhia and Holkar, about whom the Punā archives become very meagre after 1783.
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Fifthly, the records preserved by the Holkar Government, carefully edited by B. B. Thakur in 2 volumes.
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Sixthly, the papers of the Nagpur Bhonslés, first printed by Sāné and Pārasnis, and reprinted in an enlarged and carefully arranged edition by Sardesai, Kulkarni and Kālé, under the title of *Aitihāsik Patra-vyāvahār* (1933).
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In addition to these official collections, there are the old papers of many Marātha historical families, like the Purandarés, the Chandrachurs, the Hinganés, the Vaidyas, which have been published in separate sets, as well as miscellaneous collections of historical letters and other records printed in the *Kāvyetihās Sangraha* magazine, V. K. Rājwādé's *M. Itihās Sādhanen*, &c. The reader will find full details of all these records in my *House of Shivaji*.