480 
tains formed themselves into a legislative body, levied a consider* 
able army, and commenced hostilities against him. 
Thus this infatuated peshwa left the Mahratta capital, no more 
to return. Among many extraordinary instances of weakness and 
folly, on marching against the nizam, he carried with him only 
fifteen lacs of rupees from the public treasury at Poonah, leaving 
a much larger sum of ready money to be seized by the confede- 
rates, which gave them a decided advantage. Mhadajee Sindia 
and Tookajee Holcar, two of the great chieftains of the empire, 
collected the principal jaghiredars, and instantly summoned the 
husserat , or household troops, who compose a select body of 
twenty thousand cavalry, and hold their lands by military tenure, 
stipulating their appearance, completely armed, and well mounted, 
when called forth on public service: these are esteemed the most 
valiant of the Deccan horse; they have always distinguished them- 
selves in the path of glory, and are far superior to the occasional 
hirelings in the Mahratta armies. A full treasury enabled the 
confederate chieftains to add to this valuable corps a large body of 
common Mahratta horse, and as many Patan, Scindian, and Ara- 
bian infantry as they deemed necessary. 
Thus commenced the civil wars in the Mahratta empire, Ra- 
gobah, on hearing of the proceedings at Poonah, too late relin- 
quished foreign conquest to suppress rebellion at home. Both 
armies took the held; but nothing decisive being effected, Ragobah 
sent an ambassador to Bombay, to request the assistance of the 
English government in furnishing him with troops and a field 
train of artillery, to be paid by him, and for which he assigned a 
