86 



Sihng, was by the Hindoo law entitled to inherit his father's 

 possessions, from being the eldest son of his first wife, in preference 

 to Futty Sihng, the fruit of a second marriage: this was the 

 cause of the disputes then subsisting in the Guickwar family. 



At the time of Damajee's death Futty Sihng was at Brodera, 

 the capital of the Guickwar domain, Govind Row commanded 

 the Guzerat troops at Poonah: Futty Sihng immediately seized 

 the patrimony, and being of good capacity, endowed with a large 

 share of that cunning which constitutes a Mahratta politician, and 

 well acquainted with the venality of the peshwa's court, when he 

 remitted the stipulated tribute to the Poonah treasury, always 

 accompanied it by a valuable present from himself to the peshwa 

 and nobles, that they might detain Govind Row in the Deccan; 

 there being nothing he so much dreaded as his brother coming in 

 person to claim his paternal inheritance. The character of these 

 brothers was very different, and so much in favour of Govind Row, 

 that Futty Sihng apprehended a revolt should he appear in Guze- 

 rat: his bribery to a corrupt ministry overbalanced the merit 

 and just pretensions of Govind Row, until the massacre of Narron 

 Row in 1773. 



Govind Row, long stationed at Poonah, had been always a 

 a firm friend to Ragobah, and on his accession to the Mahratta 

 government he obtained leave to proceed with his troops to 

 Guzerat, and claim his patrimony: he accordingly appeared at 

 the head of a considerable force before the walls of Brodera, which 

 Futty Sihng, with a strong garrison, resolved to defend to the last 

 extremity. At this time the civil war breaking out in the empire, 

 Ragobah left Poonah for Guzerat, while Govind Row and ten 



