The politcal condition of Bengal was precarious by about 1740. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were, then, all under the Navab who resided at Mursidabad. Its able governor Mursid Qulikhan died in 1727. In 1740 his son-in -law Sarfaraz khan who was the Navab, was killed by an ambitious Turk in his service named Alivardi Khan. Alivardi's usurpation was hated by the partisans of the dead Navab. The strong faction at Alivardi's court was headed by an able persian of Siraz, by name Mir Habib who had risen to the position of deputy Navabship of Orissa from very humble beginnings. He had made offers to Raghuji in the Bengal territory if he undertook an invasion. This was a very tempting offer to Raghuji who had been waiting to extend his sphere of influence to the east of Nagpur. Rather he considered the region from Nagpur to Bengal as his special field of activity. His brilliant successes in Karnatak had strengthened his claim which had the full support of Chatrapati Sahu who had granted him a sanad to that effect.
When Raghuji was in karnatak Mir Habib had been to Nagpur urging Bhaskar Ram to invade Bengal. But Bhaskar Ram waited till his master returned home from the distant Karnatak. On his return from Karnatak Raghuji made through preparations and sent a force of ten thousand under the able command of Bhaskar Ram. On the auspicious day of Dasara of 1741. Bhaskar Ram set out for the expedition. He marched through Ramgad plundering Pacet (60 miles or 96.540 km. East of Ranci) on the way to Burdan. Alivardi khan camping at burdvan (15th April 1742) with his sender army was surprised by the Maratha forces. Bhaskar Ram employed half of his army in looting the area adjacent to Burdvan. The Khan finding himself helpless sent his agents to Bhaskarpant begging for peace. The negotiations, however, fell through as Pant demanded rupees ten lacs as peace price. The Khan secretly left Burdvan for Katva hotly chased by the Marathas. As it was then the month of May Bhaskar decided to return to Nagpur to avoid the fury of Monsoon. He, however, changed his plan at the prospect of obtaining immense booty from Mursidabad as designed by Mir Habib. Mir Habib with a light Maratha force fell on Mursidabad and returned to Katva Loaded with booty worth two to three crores. Alivardi reached his capital just a day late-7th May -when it had been denuded of its wealth by the marathas. During the rainy season the Marathas and Mir Habib established their sway as far as Calcutta. They took back Orissa. The East India Company dug a ditch round their factory their factory known as the Maratha Ditch.
The Maratha camp at Katva was busy celebrating the Durga Puja festival on 18th September 1742. It was attacked on 27th September by Alivardi's forces compelling them to run for safety helter-skelter. Bhasker Ram escaped towards Pacet, he had to give up the outposts of Burdvan. Hugli and Hijli. Katak was retaken by Alivardi and he returned to Mursidabad on 9th February 1743. Bhaskar Ram informed Raghuji of this discmfiture requesting him to despatch aid immediately. Raghuji however could not send succour to Bhasker Ram owing to his clash with Balaji Bajirav Pesva.
The Pesva had left Poona as early as 1741 with a view to putting a stop to Raghuji's activities in Bengal. He consolidated his position in Malva with the help of Malharrav Holkar and captured Gadha, Mandla, plundering Sivani and Chaper. Alivardi was terribly afraid on learning these activities of the Pesva, as he was expecting a joint attack by the Pesva and Raghuji. The Pesva, however, offered to help the emperor and Alivardi Khan against Raghuji if he were granted the cauthai right of Malva, Bundelkhand and Allahabad. The Emperor readily agreed to this proposal and sent the Pesva to relieve Alivardi.
On 1st February 1743, the Pesva and his vast army took a bath in the holy waters of the Ganga and the Yamuna at Prayag. Thence he proceeded to Mursidabad where he had a meeting with Alivardi near Plassey on 30th March, 1743. Alivardi agreed to pay the cauthai of Bengal to Sahu and rupees twenty-two lacs to Balaji towards the expenditure of the army. A meeting between Raghuji and Balaji earlier could not bring any tangible result.
The pesva army actually clashed with that of Raghuji's in the Bendu pass near pacet. The rear part of raghuji's army was attacked and plundered by the pesva. From Pacet Raghuji made good for Nagpur and the Pesva too started back for Poona via Gaya.
Chatrapati Sahu who had known the deep-rooted rivalry between Balaji and Raghuji called them to Satara and brought about a reconciliation which was respected by both the parties. Had the breach been neglected it would have certainly been detrimental to the interest of the Maratha power in India. Raghuji and Balaji signed an agreement at Satara in the presence of the Chatrapati on 31st August 1743. By this, all the territory from Berar to the east reaching Katak, Bengal and Lucknow was assigned to Raghuji, and that to the west of this line including Ajmer, Agra, Prayag and Malva to Balaji Pesva. None was to interfere with other's sphere.
Freed from the troubles with the Pesva, the Senasaheb Subha returned to Nagpur from Satara and sent an expedition into Bengal under Bhaskar Ram with a view to making up the lost ground. Bhaskarpant left Nagpur early in 1744. Together with Mir Habib he harassed Alivardi pressing him to pay cauthai. Driven to desperateness Alivardi hatched a plot to kill Bhaskar by deceit. Through his agents he invited Bhaskar for a meeting. It was arranged at Mankura between Amniganj and Katva when both the parties had pledged not to do any mischief by touching the Kuran and Ganga water. Mir Habib had warned Bhasker of the Khan's evil intention. But the brave and over-confident Bhaskar went to a parley with the Khan accompanied by a few select men. When Bhaskarpant took a seat in front of the Navab the latter gave a signal as pre-planned and the hiding Muslim soldiers cut Bhaskar and his comrades to pieces. Twenty-two Maratha chiefs were killed. This tragic event took place on 31st March 1744.
Bhaskar Ram's murder was an irreparable loss to Raghuji and he never forgor the treacherous act of the Khan. With a view to punishing the Khan, Raghuji started with fourteen thousand horses, crossed the mountainous tract and putting Sambalpur to his reached Orissa in March 1745. Durlabhram, the new deputy governor of Orrisa, who was taken by surprise entered the fort of Barabati for safety. The fort was besieged by Raghuji, Durlabhram soon surrendered to Raghuji and found himself a prisoner in his camp, but the siege continued as another officer, Abdul Aziz, offered stiff resistance. Alivardi was unable to send supplies to Abdul Aziz at the approach of the rainy season. Abdul therefore surrendered the fort to Raghuji on 12th May 1745, after bravely defending it for two months. When the siege was on, the Marathas occupied Orissa as far as Midnapur and Hugli, and plundered Burdvan.
After capturing the fort of Barabati the Marathas moved to Burdvan. At the invitation of a number of disgruntled Afghans Raghuji marched towards Bihar. An indecisive battle was fought at Mehib Alipur and Alivardi ran towards Mursidabad on 21st December 1745. At Ramdighi near Katva Raghuji received a terrible set-back and left for Nagpur in January of 1746. He stationed three thousand Marathas under Mir Habib on the understanding that he would pay rupees eleven lacs for the use of his army.
In ordered to checkmate the Marathas Alivardi sent his men from Mursidabad in November 1746. They inflicted a crushing defeat upon the Marathas at Midnapur. The Marathas fled towards Balasore through Jalesvar.
By this time Janoji Bhosle appeared on the scene. He reached Katak for the rescue of Mir. Habib. A stiff battle ensued between Janoji and Alivardi, but as the rains were on, the latter returned to Mursidabad leaving the Marathas master of Orissa up to Midnapur throughout the year 1747. The plundering operations of the Marathas continued unabated. Janoji returned to Nagur on leaving the news of his mother's death. Mir. Habib was at Midnapur with a Maratha force to help him. Raghuji sent his son Sabaji for the assistance of Babib.
In 1748 Alivardi reached Balasore and despatched his army to drive away the Marathas who were making preparation to plunder the English factory under the command of Nilo Pandit. He in vain tried to search for the fore under Habib, who was hiding in the jungles of Katak. He then made a surprise attack on the fort of Barbati and was finally able to take it in his possesion. In june 1749, alivardi returned to Bengal.
Mir Habib with the Maratha force reappeared at Katak. Alivardi had to postpone his attack on the Maratha as the rains had set in. on his reaching Mursidabad he was taken ill in October 1749.
From October 1749 to March 1751, the Marathas did not allow Alivardi to rest. They harassed him by avoiding an open war when he came out with a large army form mursidabad. In 1750 when Alivardi was at midnapur the Marathas quickly marched towards Mursidabad pundering all the way. Durlabhram and Mir Jafar the officers who were stantioned at midnapur were nervous and unable to check the Maratha inroads. This lingering war was a great drain on Alivardi's resources and men. The territory under him was a house divided against itself. In 1750 Alivardi was a man of 75, physically ailing. As the situation was intolerable, his shrewd wife advised him to negotiate with the Marathas. Old Alivardi accepted his wife's counsel and deputed Mir Jafar to meet Janoji and Mir Habib to settle the terms of peace. For more than a couple of years Janoji was in Orissa or Raghuji was busy with the political affairs at Satara and Nagpur. The Treaty was signed in May, 1751:-
- Mir Habib was to be confirmed in the government of Orissa as the deputy Subhedar of Mursidabad.
- The Navab was to pay annually 12 lacs of rupees to the Bhosles of Nagpur for the Cauthai of Bengal and Bihar.
- When these amounts were regularly paid, the Bhosles were not to harass the two provinces.
- The District of Katak, i. E., the territory up to the river Suvanrnarekha was to be considered as the possession of the Bhosles.
The smaller states of Raipur, Ratanpur, Bilaspur and Sambalpur of Chattisgad area were conquered by Bhaskar Ram during the first two raids of Bengal. Raghuji's illegitimate son Mohansingh was in charge of these States.
Raghuji's territory included the area from Berar to Katak. The Gond Kingdoms of Gadha-Mandla, Chanda or Chandrapur and Devagad were in his possession. Berar proper was under the dual authority of the bhosles and the Nizam. Originally the Bhosles wee to get form lthe revenue of Berar 25 per cent as Chuthai, 10 per cent as sardesmukhi and 5 per cent as Ghasdana, the total working at 40 per cent. The remaining 60 per cent of the total revenue of Berar was to go to the Nizam. But later this original treaty seems to have been reversed by which the Bhosles secured 60 per cent of the revenue and the Nizam the remaining 40 per cent.
The strategic forts of Gavilgad and Narnala with the territory attached to them were exclusively under Raghuji's possession. Similarly, the fort of Manikdurg in the Mahur area belonged to him. As already observed the states of Chattisgad were also under his sway as important outposts between Nagpur and the province of Katak. The acquisition of this vast territory speaks for Raghji's generalship. He might have lost a few battles but he always won the war. In diplomacy, as understood in his day, he was second to none. By his mounting successes he won the confidence of Chatrapati Sahu and on critical occasions he was consulted by him Sahu, prior to his death had called Raghuji to Satara to discuss the matter of succession to the chatrapati's gadi. Raghuji was related to Sahu through his wife.
Like Bajirav I, Raghuji too was loved by his follwers. He had capable and trustworthy persons like Bhaskarpant, Raghuji Karande, Tulojipant, Naroji Jacaka, Rakhamaji Ganes, Krsnaji Atole and others.
Raghuji and the Pesvas were not always on good terms. The rivalry between the two goes back to the days of Pesva Bajirav I. The spheres of influence of Raghuji and Bajirava came into conflict when Bajirav secured one- third part of Bundelkhand for the timely help rendered to chatrasal against Bangas. When Bajirav was fighting with the Nizam at Bhopal in 1738, Raghuji did not offer him any help in spite of repeated requests. In the agreement between Raghuji and Sahu, it was clearly stated that the former would accompany the Pesva in his campaigns. But actually neither Bajirav nor his son Balaji was able to command the services of Raghuji in their capacity as the Pesva or Prime Minister. Chatrapati sahu too often found it difficult to exercise control when two or more of his high servants were at sixes and sevens. Lack of strong central authority was rather the serious defect from which the Maratha power suffered in the post-Sivaji period.
Raghuji avoided an oopen calsh with Bajirav knowing well his ability as also the influence he wielded over the Chatrapati. Bajirav too acting on the advice of his brother Cimajiappa settled his differences with Raghuji amicably.
The differences between Raghuji and Balaji Pesva over the eastern sphere are historic. They were settled by the mild tempered Sahu, who divided the spheres of activity of the t wo by granting Raghuji the territory from Nagpur to Katak and to the Pesva to the west of this line. Raghuji supported Babuji naik who was aspiring for pesvaship as against Balaji Bajirav. But so long as Sahu was alive such differences were not allowed to take a serous turn. After Sahu's death Raghuji respected the Pesva's authority. He did not join the Pesva opponents in the Maratha confederacy being convinced that he was the ablest man among the Marathas to occupy the Pesvaship. Raghuji knew well when to oppose and when to yield. He was not prepared to allow matters to be carried to the breaking point unnecessarily. In one of his letters to Nana Pesva he writes- the Late Srimati Bajirav was kind to me. But differences arose when we had a clash with Avaji Kavade who had entered Berar. All these matters should now be forgotten and I should be treated as your man. Balaji Pesva on learning the death of Raghuji wrote- Raghuji was a respectable nobleman. His death is indeed a matter of great regret. God's will has to be accepted. Of late Raghui was of much help to us.
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