Maharaj invited the Pradhanpant, got him to issue village assignments for both the queens, to carefully investigate all their expenses, to create a detailed list of activities that were to be declared prohibited for them (including no complaints to be submitted to the queens, no Watan-rights to be bought from them, no revenue control to be dispatched anywhere by them, none of the two mansions (queens) to intervene in the state’s administration etc.), put in place rules to this effect through the Pradhan, and issued strict warnings for adhering to those to both. He got both of them to agree to this set up. He put in place a routine that he would take food one day with each of them. Shahu, in a seminal letter, got this list prepared in 1745, and laid them down as rules that the two queens ought to follow, which was as follows,
- “Both the mansions (queens) should not indulge in imparting justice.
- Whatever the Swami wishes to present as gifts, cash, villages, Pargana, land etc. should be given to both equally.
- Whatever benefices both of them have acquired, whether within the Swarajya or in external realms, should be relinquished.
- They should not engage in any cash dealings with respect to villages, towns, Parganas, controlled by district officials, controlled by revenue officials, controlled by the Maharaj himself, within the Swarajya, in external realms etc.
- They should not hold any benefices with respect to villages and towns, Parganas, or land.
- They should not acquire any kind of Watan-rights like the office of Deshmukh, Patil etc. from anybody.
- Whoever wishes to present any gift offerings, villages, towns, to the queens, they should present equally to both.
- The affairs of Peth Shahunagar should not be interfered with.
- Whoever has any kind of debt, if the creditors come complaining, they should not pay attention to the matter.
- They should not assume the revenue control at various places, custom duties, or Parganas.
“It has been agreed that if both of them accept the above-mentioned clauses, the Swami would remain satisfied. Things should be executed this way.
“Shrimant Sagunabaisaheb has been granted the benefice listed in the current year. Except for Pune and Junnar province, in the provinces of Khandesh, Gangathadi (bank of Godavari) etc., rupees ten thousand, annuity of maximum fifteen thousand should be paid. In lieu of the revenue income and Sardeshmukhi the annuity villages should be assigned.”
Shahu was completely engrossed in resolving his domestic disputes and repaying his debts, and had no inclination to let the Peshwa go. The two queens were influencing Shahu to give the Carnatic affair to their own favourites. Various Sardars worked through the queens to influence Maharaj. This created difficulties in the administration.
One of the letters funnily describes the way Shahu was pulled on both sides in these disputes amongst his wives. After May 1746 (possibly 2 August 1746), Mahadoba Purandare wrote to Nanasaheb and Sadashivrao about the great difficulties Shahu faced in resolving matters between the two queens, “The king has pain in the body from the third quartile of the day onwards and has been treated with application of Bibba (marking nut or phobi nut) yet the disputes between the two Wadas do not stop. When the Swami hears of them, he trembles with fear and says, ‘May God give me an early death.’ His Highness neglects his health. This is inappropriate. The queens don’t realise that they should understand what Maharaj desires, and act accordingly, and Saheb does not listen to anyone. Govindrao and Yashwantrao Mahadev Potnis spoke about it to His Highness, but he did not answer. From time to time he says, ‘What purpose does my life serve!’ Last Wednesday, Nagojirao Keshavrao was at the court. Ragho Ram’s men put to death a certain debtor named Shenvi for the repayment. His Highness heard the case and then he observed, ‘If this same dispute had been adjudicated at the Devdi (doorway of the mansions), and Appaji Raghunath was taken there and killed-off, then how would it feel? Nobody should rely on my power anymore. It is useless to count on my support or my power. Our power ends. The authority now lies in the two mansions. The two Ranis are now supreme. I have no power to stop them from doing anything they want to do. Whatever they do, I cannot deny. A dispute has been presented between the Kasars (brazier, utensils and bangle-sellers) and Paraals (grass-cutter). The grocers have all gone on strike and we cannot dissuade them. When the grocers leave the town perhaps the Ranis will give way. But I cannot debate with women. I do not wish to get mixed up in the quarrels of the two shrews. We wanted to see Gajrabai (Shahu’s daughter) live happily with her husband. But to keep the elder queen satisfied, did we not issue a strict warning to the son-in-law’s mansion! From this, her behaviour towards others may be judged. Even after that you are seeing all. To top it, many people have begun speaking that I cannot do anything.’
“These were His Highness’ words. In short, His Highness is powerless against his Ranis. Whatever they say, he says fine. This has become the norm. Such is the state of things here. For the last three or four days the moneylenders are visiting the palace. Both the queens in the past three days have begun making rounds of the Gosavis and moneylenders. ‘We are bankrupt,’ they shout, ‘We want money.’ His Highness fears that if they sit in Dharna (protest), he will be at his wits’ end. Both the Ranis keep talking about the king’s debts and his moneylenders. The signs are bleak. Bad times are coming. We must implement whatever solution would work on which mansion, wait and see how the Ranis’ quarrels end.”
To the Peshwa Maharaj said, “I have huge debts to pay. Without you who will pay them?”
The Peshwa himself wrote in 1746, “Rajashree Swami is frustrated due to the bickering between the two royal mansions (queens), and the constant nagging due to his debts. He keeps witnessing his own personal wealth sometimes sinking, sometimes being saved. Constant annoyance. Both the mansions do not fear him. Due to the marriage, and marital activities in both the mansions, the expenses of the Swami have especially increased. The debts have multiplied. He said, who else would repay his debts except for us. We are his Sardar.”
While the Carnatic was in a churn, the domestic squabbles in the king’s household drew in the Peshwa, as they began to affect the administration. Shahu called him to Satara and in 1746, the Peshwa was unable to go on a campaign. While resolving the king’s domestic and administrative squabbles, his attention was in Bundelkhand, where Jayappa Shinde and Malharrao Holkar were campaigning.
While these issues in the north awaited resolution, the Peshwa was still unable to obtain leave from Satara.
To be continued…
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