Chanda Saheb had set his heart on capturing Tiruchirappalli for himself. The walled city and the Rock fort inside were one of the strongest citadels in the south. In 1736, he met Meenakshi and promised that he would help her quell all rebellions against her rule. Towards this, he first convinced the queen of his good faith and fidelity by taking an oath of faithful conduct on the Holy Qur’an – but it is said by some, actually on a brick covered by a cloth. It is said that the queen had actually lost her heart to Chanda Saheb and begun to trust him. Chanda Saheb led a campaign against Bangaru, defeated him, and placed his own brothers Bada Saheb and Sadiq Saheb in charge of Madurai and the nearby fort of Dindigul. On his triumphant return to Tiruchirappalli, instead of handing over the promised reins of her kingdom to Meenakshi, Chanda Saheb threw her in prison. The miserable queen, the last of the Nayaks, ended her life by consuming poison.
By becoming the uncontested master of Tiruchirappalli, Chanda Saheb had stolen a march over Dost Ali’s son Safdar Ali who held the fort of Vellore. In 1739, Safdar Ali attacked Tanjore and deposed Shahaji III and placed another son of Tukoji named Pratapsingh on the throne. In this manner, within a few years, Chanda Saheb and Safdar Ali had taken control of most of the Carnatic. For Nawab Dost Ali, however, their intense rivalry made what could have been a happy situation into a growing problem. His own succession had never been recognised by the Nizam-ul-Mulk and now, he feared what lay in the future.
In the Carnatic, the seventeenth century had ended with the Mughals capturing the fort of Jinji and Vellore from the Marathas. Since then, barring the rule at Tanjore by a branch of Shahu’s family, the Marathas had no presence in the region. Although Shahu had given free rein to his cousin Sambhaji II of Kolhapur to expand to the south in 1730, he had made no efforts in that direction. The only notable Maratha commander in the south was Murarrao Ghorpade, and he was a semi-independent ruler at Gutti. The Coromandel coast had, therefore, not seen Maratha armies for four long decades.
Tanjore’s king was Shahu’s relative. He related the complete story to Shahu and requested him to protect the Hindu religion. News of the growing influence of the Nevayats reached Shahu at Satara in 1736. The takeover of Tanjore was the spark for a Maratha army’s return to the region. Although this was on the cards from 1737 itself, it did not come about as Bajirao led an army to Delhi that year and the Carnatic campaign was delayed. That a Maratha invasion was long expected in the Carnatic is seen from a letter sent by Imam Saheb, a minister at Arcot, to the French Governor of Pondicherry in August 1737, “News has reached us that Shahuraja intends sending his General and his Sardars into these parts with an army of 40,000 horse, which are ready to start. This news is quite sure and there is no doubt… the enemies will come unexpectedly. My information is absolutely reliable.”
Although the Carnatic campaign did not materialise then, it had remained on the drawing board. Both Bajirao and Chimaji Appa were engaged in various campaigns, and this pushed the Tanjore campaign into the future.
Nawab Dost Ali’s recent success in the Carnatic had displeased not just the Marathas. The Nizam had never accepted Dost Ali’s accession, and he is said to have given tacit support to the idea of a Maratha invasion of the Carnatic.
In 1737, Shahu began his campaign over Miraj. At the same time, he ordered Raghuji Bhosale to carry on the campaign further south in the Carnatic. “You are hereby ordered to ensure proper security of Tiruchirappalli, Chandawar (Tanjore), Arcot, Shrirangapatnam, Shire, Adoni, Kurnool, Cudappah and various other Mahals beyond the Tungabhadra. Whatever Sardeshmukhi and Mokasa (revenue) is assessed on these regions, you are to take half of it for the expenses of your army, and the other half you need to deposit with Huzoor (central government). Tiruchirappalli and the other places of the Carnatic should also be reduced to Hindu rule and made to yield annual tribute. You and Kusaji Bhosale work together on this and complete the task. The Swami trusts you completely.
“We have dispatched Fatehsingh Bhosale to Chandawar (Tanjore). Join him on the way. You must work in harmony with Fatehsingh. The government’s brethren there have been troubled by Chanda Saheb and have been rendered homeless. So, you should vanquish him.”
According to this order, Raghuji ensured security in Berar, and joined Fatehsingh at Chandawar (Tanjore). With the Peshwa and Chimaji Appa engaged elsewhere, Shahu decided to send an army to the Carnatic under the command of his adopted ‘son’ Fatehsingh Bhosale and ordered Raghuji Bhosale of Nagpur to join him. When Raghuji was slow in moving with his army, an impatient Shahu wrote to him in January 1740, “In Hindustan and the Carnatic the enemy has begun a quarrel and we have to settle matters. In Hindustan, Shinde, Holkar, Vitthal Shivdeo (and others) were written to by the Peshwa, and he has settled affairs there. Armies will go to the Carnatic. I had written to you to join with your armies. You replied that you are engaged in other matters in your province. You are an eminent Sardar, you should safeguard the kingdom. What shall I say? You are the arms and feet of the Swami! You have preserved the kingdom so far and we have hopes from you for the future. You will do the right thing. Let it be known. You are wise enough.”
To be continued…
NDHistories 