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The ruler at Delhi in his hour of distress and humiliation turned to Sawai Jai Singh and summoned him to his aid. However, Sawai Jai Singh on hearing the reports of savagery and atrocities committed by the Muslim invader Nadir Shah and his men chose to stay in Jaipur.
Dhondo Govind wrote to Peshwa Bajirao from Delhi asking him to be prepared for a possible conflict with the Muslim barbarian. His letter runs thus, “Nadir Shah is no God that he could destroy the earth. He possesses sense enough and knows his business. He will not wish to break with you, but will effect a friendly understanding when he knows you are strong enough to oppose him.
Please let us have directions as to how we should act. You must first assert your power and then follow it with a soft and sweet attitude. I don’t expect actual hostilities to break out between him and you. Important results are often obtained by a mere show of strength and sternness.
Jai Singh and yourself aided by the Bundela chiefs will be quite a strong Hindu front which Providence in its wisdom will surely crown with success. Jai Singh is anxiously waiting for your arrival to take the lead.
Nizam-ul-Mulk is playing a mischievous game. Some of his spies who were found roving about prying into Jai Singh’s secret counsels were captured by him. They confessed they were deputed by Nizam-ul-Mulk. They were discharged with their noses and ears cut.
When such a powerful noble as Nizam-ul-Mulk behaves so treacherously towards his master, how can you expect Nadir Shah to return quietly without punishing the Hindus? All voices agree that the two nobles Nizam-ul-Mulk and Saadat Khan alone induced Nadir Shah to undertake the invasion of Bharat.
The latter has met the fate he deserved. The former still lives, but lives a life worse than death. He is forced to ride a mule, while proceeding to pay his respects to Nadir Shah. Victory at this moment crowns the Peshwa alone. Many here desire that the Rana of Udaipur should be seated on the throne of Delhi and made Emperor of the Hindus. The northern Rajas are anxiously expecting the Peshwa’s arrival; a momentous change appears to be in sight. The world is going to rack and ruin. Let us face the situation boldly.”
Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj read all the reports that arrived from several quarters and decided that this sudden display of Hindu unity by the various kings and Rajputs of the north would not hold good after some time. He held long deliberations with the Peshwa and other Maratha commanders and advised them to stay away from another contest as they were already preparing for a religious war against the Portuguese and their brutalities on the west coast.
On the advice of Pilaji Jadhav, the Peshwa left with a large army to the north in anticipation of a deadly struggle with Nadir Shah. When he reached Burhanpur, he received the news that Nadir Shah had left Bharat with an enormous booty amounting to a hundred crores worth in cash and goods including the Peacock Throne and Kohinoor diamond.
He had placed Muhammad Shah on the throne of Delhi. Shahu Raje was very clear that no plan should be formed to place a Hindu king on the throne of Delhi in his communication to Purandare on 31 May 1739, “God has helped Muhammad Shah to regain the imperial position which he had lost, and now that Nadir Shah has gone, the question arises what attitude the Marathas should adopt towards the Mughal emperor.
In this respect, His Highness the Maharaja Chhatrapati wishes to impress upon you the following line of policy; that it should be our duty to resuscitate the falling Mughal empire; that the Chhatrapati, as you are already aware, does not aspire to secure the imperial position for himself; that he considers it a higher merit to renovate an old dilapidated edifice than to build a new one.
If we attempt the other course (of aggression), it would involve us in enmity with all our neighbours, with the consequence that we should be exposed to unnecessary dangers and court a crop of trouble all round.
Hence, the wisest course for us under the circumstances would be to wholeheartedly support the present regime; secure only the administrative management for ourselves as the Amir-ul-Umra of the State; in that capacity we should collect the revenues of the country, out of which we should recover our expenses for the troops and pay the balance into the imperial treasury. This is the general policy I have been asked by His Highness to impress on you for your guidance.”
The ruler at Delhi was very much grateful on hearing the Marathas march to the north. After Nadir Shah left Bharat, he promised to execute all the previous pending agreements.
Written by Lakshmi Subramanian
* Information about Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj is taken from archives
sahasa.in 