Administrative System of the Marathas c8.s1.10

c8.s1.10

At that time the barber, the clerk and the Mokasi had united. Then these three decided to murder the three brothers Ramaji Rau, Vithoji Rau and Dayaji Rau. They shut the two brothers Ramaji and Dayaji Rau in a room and murdered (them). Then the remaining brother Vithoji Rau fled and came to Masur. * * * At that time the Patilship of Targaon also was ours. A Brahman was stationed there as an agent. The Brahman engaged two servants Kaligade and Khochre and he and his son proceeded to Benares; on the way they were murdered by Kaligade and Khochre. Then these two began to quarrel about the Patilship. * * * And Babaji Rau became very old. He had two sons—the elder Vithoji and the younger Kumaji. A *mali* (gardener) was in his service. Every day five maunds of flowers were strewn on his bedstead for Babaji Rau's enjoyment. Then he became very old and the *mujavar* (sweepers of the mosque) waxed strong in the village. The sons of his old age (being very young) were 4 and 1½ years of age. So he engaged the *mali* for the management of his household, and for the management of the fields was engaged a *dhangar* who tended (his) sheep. Mangi dhangarin was his mother. The *mujavar*, the *mali* and the *dhangarin* made a common cause and decided to murder Babaji Rau and his children. * * * And then the murderers came. They wrapped the younger son in a rug and threw him below the cot and murdered Babaji Rau in his bed. Then the elder son said, 'I have recognised you. You are the sweepers of the village mosque and you have murdered my father.' Thus he spoke, and they murdered him. Babaji's wife had concealed herself in a corner. She fled to Chitli with the younger son Kumaji." These are by no means the only murders in the bloody annals of the Jagdale family. The *mujavars* did not escape unpunished. Young Kumaji wreaked a terrible vengeance and decapitated three of them.⁶ Shahaji, the father of Shivaji, took the Patilship of Masur with the life of its owner, an uncle of Mahadji Jagdale Deshmukh.⁷ The revenge of those irreconcilable spirits knew no awe or respect for power, and the Jagdales sought a strong ally to assert their claim against Shahaji's son Shivaji. But their connection with the Mughals brought fresh disasters on them and at length these turbulent Deshmukhs had to forget their pride and seek Shivaji's protection and patronage.