SHRINIVAS PANDIT PRATINI.DHI [Frontispiece] A HISTORY OF THE MARATHA PEOPLE BY C. A KINCAID, C. V. 0., I. C. S. Author of "Tbe Ia diu Heroes. • "Deeeu M'al"'!ee'J Tales," "Tbe Oatlaws of lathiawar," "Tales from the lodiu Epics, • "Tales of Paadbarpar, • "Sbri l(rlsllaa of Dwarka, • "Tales of liD I Vilaama, • etc., etc. AND RAo BAHADUR D. B. PARASNIS Author of "Tbe Rani of Jhaosi," "M.ahableshwar: etc. Editor "ltibas Saograba" VOL II FROM THE DEATH Of SHIVAJI Tn THE DEATH Of SHAHU HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD ur-.-rrVERSITY PRESS LO}."DON BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS 1922 PRIBTED AT Tmi KANAREBE MISSION PRESS AND BOOK DEPOT, MAN GALORE TO THE MAR.ATHA PEOPLE TffiS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED PREFACE TO SECOND VOLUME A FEW words only are needed by way of introduction to the Second volume. The main authorities for the lives of Sambhaji and Rajaram are the Chitnis Bakhar, the Shedgavkar Bakhar, Khafi Khan, the Musulman works translated by Scott and known as Scott's Deccan, Orme's Fragments and the Parasnis Papers. I must also express my grateful ac­ knowledgments to Professor Sarkar's History of Aurangzeb, Vol IV, and to Mr. Irvine's translation of the Storia do Mogor. For my account of the Maratha wars against the Portuguese, my warmest thanks are due to the Goa Govern­ ment, who with admirable generosity and kindness sent me a quantity of, specially chosen books and papers on the subject. The authorities for the reign of Shahu are the Chitnis Bakhar, the Peshwa and Shedgavkar Bakhars, the Siyar­ ul-Mutakherin, the Parasnis Papers, Malleson's History of the French in India, Orme, and, above al~ Mr. Sardesai's Riyasat, Vol m The merits of this latter book are so great, its learning so profound, its style so clear, that I can only compare it with Voltaire's Siecle de Louis XIV. Mr. Sardesai's kindness, moreover, was equal to his erudition. Hearing that I was engaged in writing the present work, he placed at my disposal the proof sheets of his unpublished third volume. I can only say that words fail me when I try to express my appreciation of his noble disinter· estedness. I am also greatly obliged to the Chief of Ichalkaranj4 Mr. Dayagude, Chief karbhari of Bhor and Mr. Mahableshwar· VI PREFACE TO SECOND VOLUME kar of the Bombay Educational Department for the assistance which they have freely given me. Lastly, I have to thank Mr. C. N. Seddon, I. C. S., for his translations of Persian letters, a task which· his profound knowledge of the Persian language rendered him eminently competent to perform. • C. A. K. CONTENTS OHAl'TEB, l'AGI!:. XXIV. SAMBIUJl'S ACCESSION 1680-1682 XXV. THE PORTUGUESE WA.B 1683-1684 13 XXVI. THB GREAT .MOGHUL OFFENSIVE. THE CONQUEST 011' BIJAPUR 1684·1686 • 22 XXVII. THE GJU!A.T .MOGHUL OFP.ENSYVE. THE CoNQUEST OF GoLCONDA 1686·1687 . 33 XXVIII. THE GREAT MOGB:'OL 0FPENSIVE. THE CAPTUl!.E OF SAM.BHAJI 1687-1689 . 42 XXIX. THE GREAT MOGHUL 0Pil'ENSIVE. DIU.TH 01.1 SAMBHA.JI. REGENCY 01.1 RAJARAM 1689 , 54 XXX. TBB GREAT MOGHUL OI.IFENSlVE, CAPTURE OJ.I B.AYGA.D AND FLIGHT OJ!' RAJ.AllAM 1689:1690 , 67 XXXI. THE GREAT MoGHUL 0FFENSrvE. THE SmGE or Jnm 1690-1698 • • 75 XXXII. THE GREAT MOGHUL OFFENSIVE. THE LAST EPJ!'ORT. THE BEGINNING OF THE MAllATHA CoUNTER•OliJ!'!mSIVE 1698 91 XXXII[. MARATHA CoUNTER·OFFENSIVE. 'DEATH OB RAJABAM AND REGENCY OJ!' TARA.BAI1700-1706 • , 103 XXXIV. MABATBA. O>UNTER-OFFENSIVE. DEATH OF AURANGZJB RELEASE AND COBONATIOJ.C OP SHAHU 1706·1708 117 XXXV. SOCIAL CUSTOMS OF THE HIGH CASTES IN. MABABA.SBTRA • 131 XXXYI. CIVIL WAR AND THE REORGANISATION 1708-1714 14Q" XXXVI[. llFAIRS AT DELB:t 1707-1719 159 XXXVIII. NIZAM·UL·MULK FOUI!!DS THE KINGDOM 011 HAIDAlUBAD 1719-1724 168 XXXIX. DEATH Oll BALA.JI AND ACCESSION OF HIS SON BAJIRAO 1720-1730 • 176 XL. KANBOJI ANGRE AND THE ENGLISH • , 202 XLI. MABATHA CONQUEST OF MALWA AND GtrZABAT 1731·1736 212 XLII. WAR AGAll~ST THR NIZAM AND NADIR SHAH'S INVASION 1737-1738 • 230 XLIU. THE CONQUKST Oll THE KONXAN. W .AR AGAINST TllR SIDIS AND PoBTtJGUI!SB 1733-1739 237 XLIV. SiiABU TUBS Mm.u. THE DEATH 011 BAJIRAO. AcrBSsroN OF BAUJI 1739·1740 262 XLV. MABATBA.S INVADE BKNGAL. AHMAD SHAH INVADES INDIA 1740-1748 • 281 XL\'I. RISE OP TBE FRENCH NATION 1741-1751 • 287 XLYII. DEATH OF SHABU AND FALL Oll TBB BHOSLI!S 1749-1750 294 l.liDll:l • 321 ILLUSTRATIONS Shrinivas Pandit Pratinidhl • • • • Frontispiece FACING PAGE Shaikh Nizam Hydrabadi 54 Rajaram Maharaj • 68 Zalfikar Khan • 102 Bajirao I .. 174 Masta.ni • 222 Balaji Bajirao (Third Pesbwa) 238 Raja StahU: and his minister Balaji Bajirao • 288 1\IAPS PAGE Sketch Map of Southern India • • • • • • • • 44 Sketch Map of Salsette Island.Jfnd other Portuguese Possessions 232 3J8 A HISTORY OF THE MARATHA PEOPLE· APPENDIX A RULES DRAWN UP FOR THE GUIDANCE OF THE RANIS BY THE PESHWA AT SHAHU'S REQUEST 1. Neither Rani should quarrel with the other. 2. The Raja ahould grant to each Rani similar cash allowances and lands. 3. All jaghirs in the occupation of the Ranis without sanads should be surrendered. 4. The Ranis should not requt~ition snpplies of money from towns of districts alienated to zilledars (cavalry soldiers) or mokasdars. 5. The Ranis should not seize lands in other persons' saran jams or jagbirs, 6. The Ranis should not confiscate deshmukhships (village offices) or watans (her~ditary village grants of land). 7. Vlboever gives one Rani a present of land should make a similar present to the other. 8. The Ranis should not take sides in disputes ruising in the capital. 9. The Ranis should not bear suits brought by creditors against their debton1. 10. The Ranis should not levy taxes or tolls. Both the Ranis have accepted these terms. This should continue for ever. Pat·asnis Pope~·s. DEATH OF SHAHU AND THE FALL OF THE BHOSLES 319 APPENDIX B SHABU'S TWO LETTERS TO THE PESHWA To Balaji Pradhan Pandit. It is hereby ordered that you should command the whole forces. I g&¥~ orders to every one else to do this, but none was destined to hold the post. We are ill and are afraid that we shall not recover. The government of the empire must be carried on. Some one of our xelatives m~t continue the dynasty. But bring no one from Kolhapur. We have told everything to Chitnis. He will tell you our wishes. Act accordingly. Be loyal and obedient to the descendants of our house and maintain the court and. the nobles. The Chitnis is our faithful servant. In consultation with him preserve our kingdom. Our descendants will not interfere with vour office. Be prudent and wise. ~o Balaji Pandit Pradhan. We hereby state that we hope and believe that you will ably conduct ~he administration of this ldn~om. The Chitnis, as I have already told you, is of proven loyalty. Our blessings rest on you! Our successors will conwlue you in office. Should our successor act otherwise, we hereby bind him with a solemn oath and command him ~ot to do so. Be obedient and loyal to him and protect our kingdom, Nothing more need be said. Be prudent an.d wise. Pat'asnis pape1·s. 320 A HISTORY OF THE MARATHA PEOPLE APPENDIX C Letters from 1\iahadji Purandare to ·Balaji and Sadashivrao. It throws much light on the state of the court at the close of Shahu's reign. (Parasnis papers.) T~ Nana (Balajil and Bhao tSadashivra.o) Peshwa. After compliments, about His Highness' health, In the afternoon His Highness feels feverish and exhausted. His stomach is all covered with the juice of the marking nut (an application to relieve pain). Though His Highueos' health is so poor, the two Ranis are daily quarrelling. This so pains His Highness tljat he exdaims "It would be far better, if God would end my life!" His Highness neglects his health. He listens to no one. Govindra.o and Yeshwantrao spoke about it to His :Highness, but he. did not answer. From time to time he says "What purpose, does mr life serve ! " Last Wedne•day, Na,gojirao Keshavra.o was at the comt. Raghoram's ~en put to death a certain d,ebtor. His !Iighness heard the case and then he observed, "If my servants and guards had been involved and had put Appaji Raghunath to death, what could I have. done~ It is useless to count on my support or my power. The two Ranis are now supreme. I have no power to stop them from doing anything they want to. They have ~>aused a quarrel between the Kasal'S (bangle­ sellet'S) and the Parals (a caste). The grocers have all gone on strike and we ca.Bnot dissuade them. When the grocet'S leave the town perhaps the Ranis will give way. If we cannot gPt any grocery, the maids must cook us a dinner·but we do not want to get mixed up in the quarrels Qf the two shrews. We wanted to see Gajrabai living happily with her husband. But the elder Rani threatens her son· in-law. From this her behaviour towards other;; may be judged. We have become po'werless." These were His Highness' words. In short His Highness is powerless ,against his Ranis. Such is the state of things here. For the last three or four d~ys the money-lender;; are visiting the palace. "We are bankrupt" they &bout, ,, We want OUI' money.