Administrative System of the Marathas c18.s3.30

c18.s3.30

Twice had Nana Fadnavis attempted to bring the peculiar political position of the Raja of Satara into use, and twice he failed. When Mahadaji Sindhia, jealous of Nana's influence at the Peshwa's court, and perhaps with an ulterior object of putting himself at the head of the Maratha empire with the Peshwa as a useful and convenient puppet in his hands, had procured for Madhava Rao II the high-sounding and lengthy title of *Vakil-i-Mutluq Amirul-Umara Mutkhar-ul-Mumalik Madarul-maham Maslatlajat Umedwara Kinkhis Fat Far Wafadar Shirdsakar Sadatmand Bajyadebam Farjand Khas-ul-Khas Makja Maharajadhiraj Rao Pandit Pradhan Bahadur*, Nana pointed out that the Peshwa could not, as a servant of the Raja of Satara, assume the title of Maharajadhiraj. But the problem was easily solved, as it was not very difficult for Sindhia to procure the gracious consent of their royal master. Again after the suicide of Madhava Rao II, Nana had for a moment indulged himself in the idea of re-establishing the authority of the House of Shivaji, but the impracticability of the scheme was apparent. The claims of the Raja were recognised by the English government after the fall of the Peshwa; and while the last Peshwa was pensioned off, the descendant of Shivaji was re-installed as a ruling chief. We may now leave him in the temporary enjoyment of power and plenty and turn to the real head of the Maratha confederacy—the Peshwa.