Administrative System of the Marathas c19.s10.15

c19.s10.15

Of bigamy we have two cases only. In 1752-53, Nimbaji vallad Yesu Jhagda of Sinnar married the wife of Dhondji Mali of the same village according to the pat system. The aforesaid Dhondji had been away from home, and Bapuji Mali, his father-in-law, got his daughter married for a second time. But Nimbaji did not enquire whether Dhondji was living or dead before he married the girl. He was therefore fined Rs. 80⁵² In the second case the punishment inflicted was imprisonment. In 1770-71, Bhiu Bai Vyas, a Brahman lady got her daughter married twice and the whole family consisting of mother, daughter and a son was imprisoned at Shivner.⁵³ The boy in this case was clearly free from any guilt and here comes one of the drawbacks of the Maratha system. In order to overawe would-be offenders, the Peshwa's government committed to prison innocent children and helpless wives of convicted prisoners and absconding offenders. Repeated instances of such measures are found in the papers of the Peshwa's Daftar. We will here choose three only from those of the first Madhava Rao's administration. In 1765-66 we come across a paper which pithily states that Khandya Berad of Chakan having committed theft, his mother, wife and three children (two belonging to him and one to Somya Berad) were sent to fort Kohaj.⁵⁴ In 1766-67, certain Bhats having been caught thieving, 11 women and 12 children of their families were condemned to rigorous imprisonment. Their daily ration was fixed at one seer for each adult and half a seer for each child."⁵⁵