Moving on, Maharaj removed his attachments to worldly affairs completely, and entered into the Vanaprastha Ashrama (living in forest) as per Hindu practice. “Deciding that he would not visit Satara again; he would live only on the banks of Shri Krishna; he built a hutment between Satara and Mahuli and began living there. It was called Vanwaswadi. At this time, the younger queen Sagunabai fell ill. Lakhs of rupees were spent in treating her illness through medicines as well as religious solutions. But it would not recover. Due to this, Maharaj became very sad. After this, Maharaj himself took her to Shri Jejuri. There too, he indulged in ample religious worship and charitable donations. But her life had come to its end. It folded up (25 August 1748). On the same day, he left along with her dead body, and arrived at Mahuli after three quartiles of the next day. She was cremated, a memorial was constructed and regular worship was arranged at that place.”
His health continued to deteriorate. After his younger queen died, Shahu did not have any loving person left at home. His health too began deteriorating by the day. There is one more reference which mentions, “Maharaj fell ill in the Adhik month.”
In 1749, the month of Bhadrapad was the Adhik month. This meant that situation turned for the worse in the month of August 1749. At that time, Shahu called the Peshwa to Satara along with his army. Shahu trusted him like a son, and he was the only one who was able to keep the state administration under control.
Chhatrapati Shahu had been ailing since 1747, and the search for a successor was on since then. The original option of calling Sambhaji II of Kolhapur was backed by Sakwarbai, however, Shahu himself was not in favour. For one, Sambhaji II himself was quite old and had no son to succeed him. Shahu also felt that he did not have the capability of managing a vast Empire. Shahu’s younger queen Sagunabai died on 25 August 1748. On her death, Sakwarbai realised that it would be difficult to have Sambhaji II as the successor, and agreed to have Raghuji’s son Mudhoji as Shahu’s successor. Raghuji Bhosale’s wife was Shahu’s younger queen Sagunabai’s sister. However, Raghuji, after mending his ties with the Peshwa in 1747, did not visit Satara. At this time, Sambhaji II’s queen Jijabai II wrote to the Peshwa reminding him of the secret pact to make her husband the king at Satara.
Maharaj began worrying about the protection of the kingdom that had been acquired. So, he decided to gather eligible children from the Bhosale family, and decided to finalise an heir. Sakwarbai and the Pratinidhi, however, raised a different view. Vithojiraje’s lineage consisted of eight sons, and Sharifjiraje had his own lineage. Men were dispatched to investigate who was a better child out of them, their royal attributes, and intellectual qualities.
Maharaj completely trusted Govindrao Chitnis, Yashwantrao Potnis, Devrao Meghashyam. These people would stay with Maharaj and take care of the administration. Soon, all these moves to search for a successor were abandoned when Tarabai, the dowager queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram, living at Panhalgad initially under house arrest and then at Satara fort since 1730, with Shahu giving her every respect, revealed that her grandson, of the Bhosale bloodline was alive. When the search for a successor began, she disclosed to Shahu that she had a grandson, born posthumously to her son Shivaji II (who died in 1726), and being secretly looked after by a family in a village named Pangaon. The boy grew to manhood without disclosing his identity to prevent any harm to him from the ruler at Kolhapur. Tarabai sent a message, “Why are you searching for another child as heir? I have secretly brought up my son Shivajiraje’s son. He should be made the master.”
Due to that, the decision about external children for appointment to the throne fell behind. Shahu strove hard to search for an appropriate heir who could control the kingdom. At this time, Rana Jagat Singh was ruling at Udaipur and he had a younger brother named Nathaji. Shahu brought this Nathaji to Satara. With an intention to bring about a closer unity amongst the Rajputs and the Marathas, Shahu informed Rana Jagat Singh, that he would adopt his brother Nathaji, and would make him the master of the Marathi kingdom. His approval was requested. By the time this request from Shahu arrived, Ranaji had already appointed Nathaji on the Jagir of Wagor. Due to this, Shahu’s desire remained unfulfilled. Similarly, Jaipur bulletins also mention, that Shahu had tried to get one Rajput Kshatriya named Kushal Singh adopted and get the Malwa grant-notifications approved in his name from the Badshah using the good offices of Sawai Jaisingh.
To be continued…
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