That all was not well between Raghuji, Fatehsingh and the Peshwa is also clear from a letter from his envoy Vyankoji Shivdeo written in early 1741: “R named person and Safdar Ali have come to an agreement against Chanda Saheb without the knowledge of Fatehsingh. Arcot’s army and some guns are now part of the Maratha army. It is possible Tiruchirappalli might be given to Safdar Ali and Jinji to R named person. There are posts around the fort. Hussein Dost Khan (Chanda Saheb) is on the fort with three thousand Pathans and eight or nine thousand food soldiers. One battle was fought, and two-three thousand men were killed. Emissaries from Tanjore have met the R named person. R named person beats down our business. Therefore, Maharaj should at this time by some means get the Nizam-ul-Mulk to break a few teeth of the R named person. If the Nizam comes to Adoni, it will become difficult for him. At least once, his pride must be curbed. Such an opportunity will not come again. His impudence is so much, I cannot describe it all.”
A second letter from Vyankaji on 6 February 1741 to the Peshwa reported that he had insisted on the payment of the Chauth of Arcot, “What business does Raghuji and others have here? We have been getting the Chauth from here for the last decade. Safdar Ali is worried about the Nizam as he has to pay him his dues of nearly sixty lakhs. Raghuji has promised Safdar Ali that he will help him if the Nizam comes to Arcot.”
On this, Safdar Ali tried to satisfy Vyankaji saying he will try and pay the Peshwa’s dues once the present threat passes.
Shahu had been pining for many years to make all the necessary arrangements in the state’s administration for the king of Tanjore. It came to fruition through this campaign. The long-suppressed hopes of the Hindus in that region were inspired like never before.
In January 1741, around the time Nanasaheb was meeting the Nizam in Malwa, Raghuji moved against the fortified city at Tiruchirappalli. First, he sent a message to Chanda Saheb asking for a handsome present, to which he was offered a sum of a few lakh rupees. Fatehsingh was in favour of accepting the offer. However, Raghuji refused and began preparing for war. This annoyed Fatehsingh, who withdrew from the battle, widening the rift between the two. Soon, the main Maratha army surrounded the town cutting off all communications and supplies. The French interpreter Ananda Ranga Pillai describes the scene in early March 1741, “The people in the fort are incapable of holding out any longer; there is no safety there; they are starving for want of rice and other necessaries of life; each house has been ransacked, and all the grain found has been consumed; a store of rice discovered in the house of a Pathan has been brought out, and sold at the rate of a rupee a Sher – the supply lasting for no more than two days; the leading men have exhausted all their resources; and they have, after deep consideration, come to the conclusion that on the expiry of the nine days of the Muharram, they must sally forth and fight to the last, and that there is no other alternative.”
Many renowned Hindu Sardars got inspired by the sacred act of freeing this ancient sacred location from the clutches of Chanda Saheb and joined the war. Chanda Saheb too resisted them with equal passion. But since he ran out of supplies, with utmost helplessness, he sued for peace and began negotiating a treaty.
Chanda Saheb sent appeals for help to Safdar Ali, and to the French who tried to bail out their friend. A sum of twenty-two lakh pagodas was raised and offered as ransom to the Marathas to lift the siege at Tiruchirappalli. However, the Marathas refused to negotiate and lift the siege. Pillai reports on 21 March 1741, “Chanda Saheb has been so closely beleaguered in the fort at Tiruchirappalli by the Maratha army, that he has been reduced to the greatest straits, and is despairing for his life. It is their (French) wish to save him and Bada Saheb, by offering to pay to the enemy any amount that they may demand; but their wives, when applied to for money, have refused to give any help.”
Finally, Raghuji led his armies in the attack and they managed to occupy the town. However, the fort held out. A Marathi letter from Neelkanth Raghunath describes the events at the time, “The forces went to Tiruchirappalli and besieged for three months. By the favour of God, that place was captured. Senasahebsuba took pains beyond life. so much so, that for capturing Tiruchirappalli he hoisted the flag near the trench and pitched his own tent within gunshot. Arraying his forces on four sides, within gunshot, the Muslims were shut into the fort. Fatehsinghbaba came to Tiruchirappalli. Then Ramrao, the Dewan of Chanda Khan, came and proposed to pay two lakh rupees on condition of withdrawing the forces. Raghujibaba breaking these negotiations, decided to capture the place and took great pains. This had no interest for Fatehsinghbaba. He was watching how Raghujibaba would capture the place.”
To be continued…
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