The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c6.46.2

c6.46.2

This proposal, so necessary in the circumstances, did not meet with the approval of the Emperor and his ministers, and Chinkulich Khan, the next governor, was not disposed to accept the policy laid down by his predecessor in the office. Syed Hussain Ali, who replaced Chinkulich, at first made a determined but ineffectual effort to check Maratha depredations, and shortly afterwards political events at Delhi, which need no reference here, compelled him to purchase Maratha alliance at any price. Khafi Khan says that Hussain Ali came to an understanding with ‘Balaji Bishwanath and Jamnaji’ (Chimnaji?) through the mediation of Shankraji Malhar, a Maharashtra Brahman, who had once held an important office under Rajaram Chhatrapati. ‘There was to be paid to the officers of Raja Shahu’, says Khafi Khan, ‘a fourth of what *amins*, *kroris* and *shikkdars* collected as land revenue, and as *sair* from the government lands and from *jagirdars*. It was also settled that, in addition to the fourth share which they were to get from the receipts of the *jagirdars*, they were to receive from the *raiyats* ten per cent as *sar-deshmukhi*. Altogether they were to receive thirty-five per cent upon the total collections, (and also) upon the abwubs called faujdari, shikkdari, ziyafat, and other charges, as shown in the gross account of the collections.