The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c17.49

c17.49

It is, however, curious that though the Angria had always been styled a pirate by his European opponents, such an epithet was never publicly applied to the Peshwa's admirals, though their naval practices were not at all different. The reason is not far to seek. The peculiar constitution of the feudal empire of the Marathas with 'its states within the state' led to a misconception of the political status of the Angria family particularly when they were on unfriendly terms with the Peshwa. The inconsistencies resulting from the inalienable hereditary rights claimed and exercised by each feudal family caused great confusion, and foreigners not familiar with such practices in their own country were naturally bewildered when they found that Angria did not respect the Peshwa's passports and the Peshwa's officers similarly took no notice of any safeguard granted by Angria. This led them to believe that Angria was nothing but a rebel against his sovereign, and the depredations which he committed on the sea were, therefore, regarded by them as acts of piracy. It is worth noticing that long after the fall of Gheria Raghuji Angria still claimed the right of seizing foreign boats furnished with the Peshwa's passport.¹