The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c18.6

c18.6

It is needless to say that their enemies always attempted to exploit the dissension and disunion of the Maratha chiefs. That astute diplomat, Nizam-ul-Mulk, not only took advantage of the rivalry between Kolhapur and Satara but further encouraged Trimbak Rao Dabhade to cross swords with the Peshwa Baji Rao. Nizam Ali profited by the difference between Madhav Rao and Raghunath Rao, and Hyder Ali pretended to espouse Raghoba's cause, not because he wished him success, but because it served his own interests best. It may appear strange that in the light of their past experience the Maratha chiefs did not improve their conduct. But feudalism is hardly conducive to unity, and it helped to accentuate that selfish individualism which was responsible for the political insignificance from which Shivaji had rescued them. As a matter of fact, they were often aware of the evil consequences of their selfish designs and yet they persisted in their policy of self-aggrandisement, for national honour and welfare of the State were of little value to them. It is said that Malhar Rao Holkar had saved Najib Khan, an inveterate enemy of the Marathas in Northern India, from imminent ruin because peace would necessarily reduce his own importance in the North. Raghoba feared that the English would make a puppet of him if he returned to Poona as their protege, for he had the significant example of Muhammad Ali before his eyes,¹ yet he preferred to remain under their protection. To him, as to many of his contemporaries, his personal interests were of much greater importance than national honour and national independence, because the idea of nationality was yet unknown. It is on this account that high officials of the State did not hesitate to serve as agents of foreign powers and openly receive rewards for such services as they might render. Bahiro Pant Mehendale² served as an agent of the Portuguese Government at Poona, Naro Ram Mantri³ and his adopted son, Ghanashyam Narayan, professed to be the friends of the Portuguese and Nana Fadnavis received a *jahgir* from the Nizam. It was quite in keeping with their own practice that Mahadaji Sindhia urged the Poona ministers to grant Anderson a *jahgir* worth 150,000 Rupees while peace was being negotiated.⁴