HQ D^sertplton of the Valley of Sondur, fJtaY 



sentative has even been proverbial and which has conduced so ma* 

 'terially to her success in all external relations ; and more particularly 

 with the powers of Asia. He left the Sondur chief, it is said, to the 

 full as much overwhelmed with gratitude at the generosity of his con- 

 queror, as sorrowful on account of the overthrow of his own importance. 

 — Col. Munro stationed a small garrison at Sondur, returned toDarwar, 

 having given up command of his brigade, agreeably to instructions, 

 to Lieutenant-Colonel Newall. Stirring events rapidly followed— the 

 secret of the grand Mahratta confederacy was laid open— the Peshwa 

 threw off the mask at Poona by the attack on the British troops at 

 Khirki, and the savage attempt on the life and property of Mr. 

 phinstone its talented Resident. In short, the Mahratta war of 1817 

 and 1818, already touched upon, had commenced. 



At its close Colonel Munro recommended Sondur should be restored 

 to Siva Row, which was acceded to, Sondur having together with the 

 rest of the PeshwoHs possessions been ceded to the British Govern- 

 ment. SiDa Row had retired to Hirrahal near Bellary after Sir Thomas 

 iViunro had taken possession of his jaghire but on the defeat of the 

 Peshwa returned to Sondur. 



Doubts have been entertained regarding Siva Row^s right to the val- 

 ley of Sondur, and it is even stated by Captain Grant Duff (History of 

 the Mahrattas vol. ii. page 411) that the claims of Jeswunt Row Ghov" 

 7>ara are just. Now the matter is simply this. -SowrfM** was won in 

 battle by Siva Row's ancestor and confirmed to him and his heirs by 

 his sovereign. The Peshwa, a vassal also of that sovereign, violates 

 his allegiance and bestows the valley on his follower, the man who 

 was so soon to betray him, Jeswunt Row Ghorpara, The latter never 

 took possession of the gift— a proof that he did not consider his own 

 claims just— but asked for other lands in exchange, which were be- 

 stowed. The chief of Sondur dies without children : his widow offers 

 to adopt the son of Jeswunt Row, who was of the same family; JeS' 

 ^unt, having previously given up his title to the jaghire to the Pesh" 

 wa, durst not send him, but unwilling to lose the opportunity sent one 

 of his younger brother, Kundi Row's, sons, the present chief, to be 

 adopted, which was done accordingly. Baji Row did not discover the 

 imposition that had been practised for some years, when he threw 

 Kundi Row into prison at Poona, and under pretext of a pilgrimage to 

 the holy shrine of Comarswami set out in 1815 to gain possession of 

 the jaghire, either by stratagem or open violence, but returned unsuc- 

 cessful. 



Sir T. Munro in a public letter to Mr. Elphinstone (Life of Sir T. 

 Munro vol. ii. page 44) after touching on this claim observes, " What- 



