Secret Correspondence of the Court of the Peshwa. 1 ] 3 



and had greatly distinguished himself, while his cousin, SadAs'iva Pant 

 Bhao, was not his inferior in martial reputation. 



Nor was the Peshwa himself inactive : in his contests with the Nizam, 

 Balaji had compelled him to cede territory yielding twenty-five lacs of 

 rupees ; and in a campaign into Mysore, he reduced that government to 

 the necessity of paying a sum of thirty-two lacs of rupees. 



In the year I759, Raghunat'h Rao, the Peshwa's brother, returned to 

 Poona from a successful campaign in Hindustan ; but instead of bringing 

 Avealth to the coffers of the State, he lavished all the booty acquired, and 

 had demands for the payment of his troops upon the public treasury. 

 Sadas'iva Rao, the Peshwa's cousin, who at this time conducted the civil 

 administration of the government, reproached Raghunat'h Rao with his 

 profusion : the latter became incensed, and told Sadas'iva Rao that on the 

 next expedition he had better assume the military command. The cousins ac- 

 cordingly changed places ; and Sadas'iva Rao shortly after evinced additional 

 martial talents in a campaign against the Nizam, in which he compelled him to 

 cede in perpetuity territory yielding more than £630,000 of annual revenue. 



At this time the crisis arrived when it was prudent to put forth the whole 

 strength of the Mahratta power in opposing the encroachments of the 

 Afghans upon the territory of Dehli. Accordingly the Peshwa, Balaji Rao, 

 having left his brother Raghunat'h Rao as regent at Poona, marched to the 

 north accompanied by his cousin Sadas'iva Rao, and his eldest son Wiswas 

 Rao, the heir to his throne. The main body of the army, under the latter 

 prince, moved on to Dehli, while the Peshwa had scarcely reached the 

 Nerbada, when he heard of the fatal defeat of his army at Paniput, and 

 the loss of his fivourite son and of his cousin Sadas'iva Rao. This event 

 made so deep an impression on his mind, that the Peshwa's intellects became 

 impaired ; and he died in a state of mental derangement at Poona a few 

 months afterwards, leaving two sons, Madhu Rao, aged sixteen, and 

 Narayan Rao, aged nine years. The former was raised to his father's 

 dignity; but his uncle Raghunat'h Rao (who is known to Europeans by 

 the name of Ragoba), retained in his hands the supremacy of the govern- 

 ment, and denied to his nephew any share in the administration. 



The loss of the battle of Paniput and its consequences, afforded to the 



Muhammcdan government of Hydrabad a favourable opportunity to recover 



the territory ceded to the Mahrattas ; and the Nizam did not allow it to 



escape. War was declared for this purpose, and the Regent Ragoba was 



Vol. II. Q 



