Administrative System of the Marathas c22: Appendices to Books I and II

Administrative System of the Marathas c22

Language: English

c22.s1 A. Reception of the Angria — 13 parts
c22.s2 E. Character of Maratha Peasants — 5 parts

Appendices to Books I and II

A. Reception of the Angria

"The war-rockets used by the Mahrattas, which very often annoyed us, is composed of an iron tube, eight or ten inches long, and near two inches in diameter; this destructive weapon is sometimes fixed to a rod of iron, sometimes to a straight two-edged sword, but most commonly to a strong bamboo cane, four or five feet long, with an iron spike projecting beyond the tube; to this rod, or staff, the tube filled with combustible materials is fastened, and on the lighted match setting fire to the fuse, is projected with great velocity; if well directed, which is an uncertain operation, it causes much confusion and dismay among the enemy, from the difficulty of avoiding its terrifying and destructive effects." Forbes, *Oriental Memoirs* (London, 1813), Vol. II, p. 63. Also see William Irvine, *The Army of the Indian Moghuls*, pp. 147-150.

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*Stone as a weapon of Defence.*

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The use of stone as a weapon of defence was by no means confined to Southern India and to Shivaji's times. Fitzclarence found heaps of stones near forts in the Deccan during the Pendhari war and Munro's soldiers were assailed with stones when they attempted to storm Chunar as the following extract shows:

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"Our men at first marched up the hill with the greatest resolution, but large stones which the enemy rolled out of the breach, and on each side of it threw them so often down, and rolled them back again by twenties at a time. What with their endeavours to clamber up so steep a rock, and their being so often tumbled back by large stones rolled down upon them, our people were at last so fatigued, that they were obliged to give it up." Caraccioli, quoted by Sir G. W. Forrest, *The Life of Lord Clive*, Vol. II, p. 273.

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*The Raja of Satara.*

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Fitzclarence has very aptly compared the Raja of Satara with the *rois faineants* of France, and the Peshwas with the Mayors of Palace.

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He says, "In both cases the son of the usurper, being a man of equal abilities to his father, continued to exercise the functions of government, till by degrees the people became accustomed to the rule of an imprisoned monarch, whose authority was exercised by the minister. But the farce of appearing to act under the orders of the Rajah of Satarah, a descendant of the family of Sevajee, has been always kept up the new Peishwa nominally receiving from the rajah the khelaut, or dress of honour, appointing him to the situation." Fitzclarence, *Journal*, pp. 285-286.

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It appears that both in Northern and Central India the Maratha conquerors always took care to keep intact the authority of the old rulers in form and apparently governed the conquered country as their representatives. Jenkins writes of the Bhonsla rulers of Nagpur. "The Booslah family then, as we have seen, founds its rights to the Government of Deogurh, on treaty with its original possessors, and it still allows the title of Rajah to the Gond princes, with a commutation for the original share of the revenue of the country, as it stood, at the period of the conquest, and with the privilege of receiving it through their own officers; whilst the observances due to the ancient proprietors of the state, are carefully and even ostentatiously adhered. The Gond Rajah gives the *Teeka*, or mark of royalty, to the Booslah princes, on their accession to the Gadee, and he is entitled to put his seal to certain revenue papers. These circumstances, though indicating a nominal partition of the sovereign dignity, do not however detract to any practical purpose, from the political independence of the Booslah Rajahs of Nagpore. In all foreign transactions, they were constituted by the Gond prince, the only channel of intercourse with other states." *Report on the Territories of the Rajah of Nagpore*, pp. 140-141.

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How the Angrias were received by the Peshwa can be very well guessed from the following description of Lord Valentia's reception by Peshwa's servants:

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"At a little distance I halted, and the Colonel went on. A carpet was spread on the plain: the deputation alighted, and after a few minutes, I advanced. We met on the carpet. Each person was presented separately to me by the Colonel, and embraced; we then seated ourselves without chairs on cushions." *Voyages and Travels*, by George, Viscount Valentia, London, 1811, Vol. II, p. 102.

E. Character of Maratha Peasants

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"The most remarkable feature, perhaps, in the character of the Mahrattas, of all descriptions, is the little regard they pay to show or ceremony in the common intercourse of life. A peasant or mechanic, of the lowest order, appearing before his superiors, will sit down of his own accord, tell his story without ceremony, and converse more like an equal than an inferior; and if he has a petition to present, he talks in a loud and boisterous tone, and fearlessly sets forth his claims." *Jenkins' Report*, p. 54.

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"The great body of the Mahratta people are a very peaceable and simple peasantry, of frugal habits, and gentle dispositions; there seems to be no district in India, of equal extent and population, where so few crimes are committed, and of the robberies and murders which really occur the greatest part by far are the work of the Bheels, who on these mountains as well as in Central India, maintain a precarious and sanguinary independence, and are found less accessible to such means of conciliation as have yet been tried with them, than any of their more northern kindred." *Narrative of a Journey*, Reginald Heber, Second Edition, Vol. III, p. 122.

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*Gaon Khandi.*

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This tax, Prof. Pissurlencar informs me, is still paid in some villages of Portuguese India. But what is still more interesting is that Prof. Pissurlencar finds from some entries in the *Livros dos Reis Visinhos* that Gaon Khandi was exacted from some villages in the District of Daman by Moro Pingle, Shivaji's Peshwa, in the years 1676, 1677 and 1678.