84 



WESTERN IIINDOOSTAN. 



The Mahra't- 



TAS, 



Their Govern- 



WENT, 



them occupy more ground ; befides that, every houfe is at- 

 tended with a great garden, a requilite, as moft of the food of 

 the Indians is vegetable. 



Sevatjee was founder of the Mahratta kingdom we fo often 

 hear mentioned. The name is derived from Mahrat, the pro- 

 vince in which he firft eflabliflied his independency. This hero 

 derived his lineage from \\\t Rajahs of Cbietore, who pretend that 

 their defcent is from Poms. He took advantage of the troubles- 

 which arofe in his time in the kingdom of Vifiapour^ and again,, 

 during the wars between Aurengzebe and his brothers. He ex- 

 tended his conquefts from Baglana, nezr Surat, to the Portu- 

 gueje diftrisfts near Goa, a little beyond the foot of the Ghauts.. 

 His capital was Poo?iabj an open town, but he kept his archives 

 at Poorundar^ a place of vaft ftrength, a fortrefs on the fummit 

 of a mountain ; he died in 1680. His fuccelTors extended their 

 conquefts, or rather their inroads, all over H'mdoojlan ; and even 

 compelled the great Mogul to pay them a cbouty or tribute, to, 

 fave his fubjedts from future calamities. 



From time to time they extended their dominions to a vaft 

 magnitude, and divided them into two empires, that of Poonab^.. 

 or the weftern, and Berar, or the eaftern. The firft is divided 

 again among a number of chieftains, who pay juft as much 

 obedience as they like to ^Paijhwab, or head, whom Mr. Rennet- 

 juftly compares to the emperor of Germany^ and the chieftains 

 to the princes of that great body ; they often quarrel with him, 

 and often among themfelves, and never are united, but by the 

 apprehenfion of a common danger. Their empires extend from 

 Guzerat to near the banks of the Ganges., and foutherly to the 

 § northern 



