Administrative System of the Marathas c18.s12.25

c18.s12.25

⁸ The circumstances of the case are as follows: In the year 1768-69, Girmabai, widow of Krishnaji Hari Deshpande, represented that there had been no lineal descendant in her family for 4 or 5 generations, and that it was therefore usual in the family for the widow to adopt a son and have the watan continued in her adopted son's name: that her adopted son had agreed to enter her name along with his, but after sometime he had omitted to do so. Her adopted son Bhagvant Rao died leaving a boy of five or seven years, and his officers refused to recognise the authority of the lady. The lady, therefore, urged that her joint authority with the boy should be recognised, and the prayer was granted. The unreasonable interference of the lady, however, led to mismanagement, and three years later we find Amrit Rao petitioning the government that some measures for good management should be taken. He also pointed out that if the claim of Girmabai was recognised by the government as a principle, the same claim would be made after her death by Amrit Rao's step-mother. The government appointed a Panchayat for decision, and they gave their verdict entirely in favour of Amrit Rao. They decided that not even a moiety of power should be surrendered to Girmabai, her name however should be continued in documents so long as she lived, but in future no watan should be continued in the name of a female. P. D., Vol. VII, pp. 112-113.