Page:Our Indian Army.djvu/297

Rh considerable territory was assigned for the support of this corps; which included officers of all nations, among whom was a considerable proportion of English.

Having thus rendered himself the most powerful among the Mahratta princes, Scindia's next object was to acquire a preponderance at the Court of Poonah. For this purpose he proceeded thither, and won the favour of the young Peishwa, by investing him with the dignity of Vakeel-i-Moolk, or Supreme Deputy, which he had caused the Mogul to bestow upon him. In short, Scindia seemed about to supplant Nana Purnavese, as the arbiter of the Mahratta state, when he was seized with a violent illness which terminated his life on the 12th of February, 1794. Dying without issue, he adopted as his successor Dowlut Rao Scindia, the son of his youngest brother, a youth not more than fifteen years of age; who, though possessed of talents and enterprise, was devoid of that knowledge and experience so necessary to guide him through the difficult circumstances in which he was soon after placed.

On the death of Madajee Scindia, Nana Furnavese was again replaced in the supreme direction of affairs; and while he kept Madoo Rao, the young Peishwa, in very strict tutilage, he held also in close confinement Bajee Rao, the son of Ragoba, between whom and his cousin Madoo Rao a very romantic friendship had sprung up. This excited the most violent jealous rage of Nana, who overwhelmed Madoo with such severe reproaches that the high-spirited youth, in a paroxysm of grief and indignation, threw himself from a terrace in the palace, and died two days after.

Bajee Rao, whom Furnavese held in confinement, was now, in fact, the legitimate heir to the Peishwaship, to which he was soon after elevated. The Court of Poonah from this time became a complete chaos of political intrigue between the Peishwa, who endeavoured to exercise his own authority, and Nana Furnavese, Scindia, Purseram Bhow, and other chiefs, who sought to administer it