Page:The Imperial Durbar Album of the Indian princes, chiefs and zamindars.djvu/262

 Mudhol.

THE founder of this family was of Rajput origin and was descended from the Rana of Udaipur. This Ghorpade family and the Bhonsle family of Satara trace their descent to a common ancestor, Bapa Rawal of Chitor, through his descendant Bhimis who founded the principality of Dungarpur and Banswara.

This family played an important part in the history of the Deccan. It appears that Mudhol came, into the possession of the family about the year 1551 A.D. At that time they held, an important ' position at the court of the Bahamni kings, and the command of 7,000 horse. It appears that Mudhol along with its five mahals was held in saranjam by this family, even before it was granted in inam by the Adilshahi dynasty along with the 'hereditary title of 'Raja' and privilege of using the morchals and chavaries and the exemption from mujara (the obeisance of a subject).

At this period, Baji- Ghorpade played an important part in the wars with Shiwaji. In the middle of the seventeenth century, Shiwaji raised the standard of revolt in the Maharashtra. In order to bring him under control the Bijapur kings sought the capture of his father, Shahaji, who was also a Sirdar at their court. Shahaji was too sharp for them to be taken unawares. The king was, therefore, obliged, in open Durbar, to seek the help of some one willing to capture Shahaji, and Baji Raje, who was never on good terms with Shahaji, readily undertook the task and was successful in capturing him.

In the year 1660 A.D. the Bijapur kings raised an army to suppress Shiwaji, and Baji Raje was appointed to its command. Baji left Bijapur for Mudhol a couple of days "ahead of the army. Shiwaji who had an eye on him, finding him unattended, took advantage of, the opportunity, left Panhala and was before Mudhol, when everybody thought ,he was engaged in making preparations for his defence. Thinking Shiwaji to be an" advance guard of the Bijapur army, the gates- of Mudhol were thrown opert, ' thus leaving everything to his mercy. He found Baji Raje asleep with his family, and before he could leave his bed, he was killed by Shiwaji. After all the male "members of the family were put to the sword, Shiwaji set fire to the wada, and rushed back to Panhala. Thus the enmity between, the houses of Mudhol and Kolhapur increased until it was finally allayed by the marriage of the paternal aunt of the present Raje Saheb to a nephew of the Maharaja of Kolhapur, in 1862 A.D.

After the downfall of the Bijapur kingdom, the Ghorpades of Mudhol, for a time, joined- the armies of the Mogul, their saranjam and mam territories being; continued to them by Aurangzeb %

After the downfall of the Mogul power in the Deccan, the Peshwa asked Maloji to' join ihe Mahrattas, but he refused to do so. He Was,- however, ultimately obliged to take up their side with the contingent of sawars to be paid for by the Peshwa.

Maloji with his sons, Shankroji and Ranoji, distinguished himself in the operations against the English in 1 779 A.D., when the" latter had to make a disastrous retreat. In the action that took place, after the convention of Wadgaon, Ranoji was filled