Administrative System of the Marathas c21.s1.3

c21.s1.3

Long before the birth of Admiral Mahan the Peshwas had realised the necessity of the growth of a commercial navy for the development of naval power and we actually find Balaji Baji Rao seriously thinking of employing trained sailors of merchantmen in times of war on an increased pay,¹ and Madhava Rao II enlisted fifty private Mahagiris in 1774-75.² And although the principle of using hereditary officers or Darakhdars as a check upon their official superiors was at first used in the administration of naval affairs, it had to be given up in recognition of the necessity of undivided command and guidance in the navy. The principle, however, was not abandoned all at once. In a letter of Madhava Rao I (1765-66) to Admiral Ananda Rao Dhulap we find the first recognition of the necessity of undivided command. Madhava Rao I did not recall the Darakhdars of the navy but he appointed Jagannath Narayan the civil head of the navy to supervise and control the work of the Darakhdars on a salary of Rs. 2,000 a year. While the Admiral (*Subhedar* of the *Armar*) was the military head of the navy, the Amin was its civil head; and he was generally responsible for such work as accounts, muster-roll, purchase of provision, etc. It is noteworthy that in this letter mention is made of the naval power of the Europeans. "The Europeans are hostile at sea and negligent men should be removed and really good men should be procured."³