Dec. 1861. J 



The Nagpore Bhonslas. 



215 



Baee. Janojcc and Moodhajce were born on the same day ;but the 

 former in the morning and the latter in the evening. First, there- 

 fore, Janojee was elder born and secondly he was born of the 

 Putranee (or favorite wife) and accordingly succeeded to the Raj. 



Before his death Raghojee called his sons to him and spoke as 

 follows : " Let Janojee have the Raj of Deoghur, the city of Nag- 

 poor and the sovereignty : Moodhajee take Chanda, Sabajee the 

 estates of Dharwar and those in Berar, and Beembajee Chuttees- 

 gurh and its dependencies." He also exhorted them to be unani- 

 mous. 



But to return, when Raghojee returned from the pilgrimage, the 

 great Sahoo Rajah being on the point of death, wrote a letter in- 

 viting Raghojee to Sattara to settle the affairs of the Haj. This 

 letter the Peishwa intercepted and suppressed, and Raghojee was 

 at the time sick ; both of which circumstances prevented him 

 from attending his sovereign in his last moments. Ram Rajah 

 succeeded to the Musnud, although he was not the legal successor, 

 and the Peishwa assumed the management of the affairs of Govern- 

 ment. 



After Raghojee's death, Janojee leaving his three brothers in 

 Nagpoor proceeded to Sattara with a small force to receive the 

 Khilut of investiture as successor to his father. Ram Rajah gave 

 him the Khilut on the condition that Janojee should present nine 

 lacks of rupees for the kitchen expenses and maintain ten thousand 

 troops for the service of the head of the Mahratta Empire. In 

 conformity to this condition Janojee with his contingent perform- 

 ed military service for the space of two years and then returned to 

 Nagpoor. At this time grain was very cheap in Nagpoor as will 

 appear from the following statement ; wheat, gram, rice and doll, 

 sold at Rs. 2 per candy; jowaree at Rs. I J per candy ; and ghee 

 at 12 seers for the Rupee. 



Janojee's whole form and appearance was very like that of • 

 Pursojee the present Rajah's son, but he was thinner and more 

 muscular. Moodhajee was in every respect like his son the pre- 

 sent Rajah Raghojee. Sabajee and Beembajee were tall like their 

 mother ; but there is no one in the family now, who resembles 

 them in features. 



» 



