When the Badshah had signed the treaty awarding Malwa to Nanasaheb there were some conditions of service and consequently, Mohammedshah made his request asking the Peshwa’s help in Bengal. Nanasaheb had made his interest in Bengal known, at the same time he was keen to assert his authority over Raghuji. The Badshah’s request fell in with his plans of going to Bengal, but it also meant he had to ally with Aliwardi Khan against Raghuji. On the face of it, Nanasaheb accepted the Badshah’s commission and agreed to help free Bengal of the Bhosale invasion. The Badshah ordered Aliwardi to pay for the Peshwa’s expenses. Now an imperial request to do so, along with payment of his expenses was more than he could expect.
Before reaching Bengal, Nanasaheb attacked and demolished the fort of a rebellious Pathan chief named Ahmed Khan at Ghausgad near Gaya. He took away his treasure and imposed a fine of fifty thousand rupees on him. Ahmed Khan then submitted to the Peshwa and his life was spared after he paid the amount. Residents of Patna worried about their town. Zainuddin, the deputy Governor, approached Govindji Naik of Kashi, who was close to the Peshwa to dissuade him from attacking the city. Govindji Naik agreed and requested Nanasaheb to spare Patna. Consequently, the Peshwa did not visit the city and proceeded towards Bengal.
From Prayag the Marathas moved along the southern bank of the Ganga to the town of Mirzapur and camped there on 1 June 1743 (dates suspect). The proximity to the holy city of Kashi, and the desire to rebuild the temple of Kashi Vishwanath at its original site, moved Malharrao Holkar to make preparations to take over the city. A letter dated 27 June 1743 (dates suspect) gives a summary of the events, “It is Malharrao’s wish to demolish the mosque at Gyanvapi and build a temple. However, the Panch-Dravidi Brahmins (the Brahhmins in the south were classified into five groups: Karnataka, Telegu or Tailanga, Dravida i.e. from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gurjara) worry that the mosque is well-known. The Patil will make the temple without an order from the Badshah. Once the Badshah comes to evil ways, the Brahmins will die. He will take their lives. In this province, the Yavanas are in strength. They will not at all accept this. The Brahmins will be in a bad state. the Ganga is omnipotent! It is better to build it at another place. However, to do what will not endanger the Brahmins. Even so, what the Vishweshwar thinks proper, He will do. What is the point of worrying? If they begin to demolish the temple, the Brahmins will come and send a letter of request to the Shrimant – that is the thought now.”
Eventually, Nanasaheb decided to make a private visit to Kashi, without his large army. He visited Varanasi by crossing the Ganga in a boat and prayed at the small Vishwanath temple near the mosque. Mansoor Ali Khan in whose domain the holy city lay, seeing Nanasaheb’s approach with a fifty-thousand-strong cavalry, quit Patna and returned to Awadh. He sent his minister Nawal Rai to Varanasi, but the Peshwa had already visited the city by then and moved on to Gaya.
Seeing the Peshwa’s approach with a large army, Aliwardi wondered what lay in store for him. Raghuji, who had camped just forty kos from Nanasaheb with a much smaller army, had reason to be apprehensive too. Both wondered what the Peshwa’s intentions were. Raghuji, therefore, decided to visit the Peshwa in his camp and hold discussions with him on the future course of action. Raghuji rode alone there and met the Peshwa. The four days at Gaya were spent in personal discussions, the nature of which is not known. Both Nanasaheb and Raghuji knew that it would be viewed poorly if their armies fought each other. At the same time, both did not agree on ceding Bengal to the other. A tactical path of some kind was possibly discussed is what we can surmise from events that occurred thereafter.
From Gaya, Nanasaheb passed through Monghyr and Bhagalpur before taking the road through the hills. At Bhagalpur, while most residents crossed the Ganga to be out of the army’s way, a widow of Ghaus Khan, the late Nawab Sarfaraz Khan’s General, refused and put up a stout defence of her property from the plunderers who preceded the army. Nanasaheb heard of this, went there himself and ordered that the lady was not to be harmed. As the Peshwa passed through the hills he heard Aliwardi had placed troops with guns to block his path at Teliagadhi. Nanasaheb sought the help of local Rajas and a person named Sitaram Ray escorted the entire Maratha army through the hills for a reward of one lakh rupees.
Raghuji’s arrival at Hazaribagh was conveyed to Aliwardi Khan. A newsletter in the Mughal Durbar at Delhi has this entry for 20 April 1743 (the newsletters reported events from the Subas that occurred about a month ago. Events in Delhi are reported on the same date). “It was learnt from the newsletter (Navishta-i-Harkarah) of Bengal ending with 8 March 1743 that Mahabat Jung (Aliwardi) was in the fort (of Murshidabad) when he learnt that Raghuji was present in the district of Ramgadh (Hazaribagh) and that all the inhabitants of Murshidabad were removing their household goods and families to all sides in fear of the enemy. Mahabat Jung, with 25,000 cavalry and 40,000 foot-musketeers (Barqandaz) was ready heart and soul to fight the enemy and would not show the least remissness in chastising the enemy so long as a breath remained in his body. The envoy of Balajirao had arrived near Mahabat Jung and would depart for his own master in a day or two.”
To be continued…
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