OR C0TTACK. 297 



by the Musselmans, who established twenty-two llianehs from Banpur to 

 Balwanta to repress the turbulent spirit of its rude inhabitants, but these 

 were removed by order from Court, on the death of Ramchander, and the 

 succession of Raja Bir Kishore Deo. 



During; Murshed Kuli Khan's government, the tranquillity of the coun- 

 try was disturbed by the wars of that person with the famous Aliverdi 

 Khan, after his usurpation of the government of Bengal. Raja Bir Ki- 

 shore Deo espoused the cause of the local governor, and by his assistance, 

 enabled Baker Khan, the son-in-law of the latter, to continue the dispute 

 for some time. 



But the greatest of all their calamities was now impending over the un- 

 fortunate Orissans. After some alarming demonstrations in the year pre- 

 ceding, the Berar Marhattas suddenly made their appearance in the pro- 

 vince, in Phalgun 1150 Amli, in large force under Bhaskar Pundit, Ali 

 Shah, and other sirdars, with the professed object of demanding the Chout. 

 There being no force in the province adequate to oppose them, they swept 

 the whole country up to the walls of fort Barabatti, plundering what- 

 ever they could lay their hands on without mercy, — and the same scenes 

 were repeated the year following, by a still larger army under Ragoji 

 JBhonsla himself, and the famous adventurer liabib Ullah. Aliverdi 

 Khan made astonishing efforts to relieve the province, as well as to protect 

 jhe adjoining districts from these destructive inroads, but the people of 

 Midnapore and Cuttack enjoyed little respite from the Marhatta incur- 

 sions and depredations until 1 1 57, when a temporary arrangement was 

 patched up between the Nazim and the Bhonsla, by which tiie former 

 agreed to pay twenty-four lacs (including arrears) as the Chout of the 

 three provinces. The conditions of the treaty being very indifferently ob- 

 served on the part of the Bengal government, a fresh army invaded Orissa 

 jn 1100, under the command of Raja Janoji Bhonsla and Mir Kfabib Ul- 

 Lah, who in the same year, in their camp at Choudwar, near the Mahanadf, 



Ll 



A. D. 1T4&. 



