The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c18.13

c18.13

When feudalism caused dissension between different principalities of the empire, it could not have a different result within the principalities themselves. When the head of a ruling family strove to improve his own fortune at the expense of his lawful suzerain, it was futile to expect that his younger brothers and relatives should long remain contented with their subordinate position. Internal dissension weakened the empire and family dissension weakened the chiefs. During the First Maratha War the Nagpur and Baroda families were suffering from fratricidal wars, while the main war itself was the outcome of the inordinate and selfish ambition of a junior member of the Peshwa family. On the eve of the Second Maratha War the widows of Mahadaji were at open war with Daulat Rao Sindhia, while Jaswant Rao and Kashi Rao Holkar were contending for the headship of the Holkar family and the person of the infant Khande Rao. At the same time the Southern Maratha country was being sadly harassed by a series of internecine wars, as Arthur Wellesley observes in one of his letters. He writes: ‘In order, however, that the Commander-in-Chief may form a judgment respecting what has been done, it will be necessary to inform him, that since the year 1800, when I was in this country before, it has been one continued contest for power and plunder between the different chiefs who have armies under their command; between the Putwurdun’s (Purseram Bhow’s) family and Gocklah, in the countries bordering on the Toombuddra, Werdah, and Malpoorba; between the Putwurdun and the Rajah of Kolapoor in those bordering on the Gutpurba and the Kistna; between Bappojee Scindiah, the Killedar of Darwar, and the Rajah of Kittoor; between Gocklah and the Rajah of Kittoor, and Gocklah and Bappojee Scindiah; besides various others of inferior note, either immediately employed under these, or for themselves under their protection.’¹ A state so divided and disunited was doomed to destruction, and the Peshwas never made any serious effort to save it. Their own example of coalescing with a foreign power against Tulaji Angria was fraught with the worst consequences.