Page:The Indian Mutiny of 1857.djvu/52

28 The case may thus be stated. The Peshwá had been, by virtue of his title, the lord of all the Maráthá princes. Of all the Peshwás, Bájí Ráo had been the most false to his own countrymen, and the worst. But for many years he had been loyal to the British. Tempted, however, in 1817, by the rising of Holkar and the war with the Pindárís, and hoping to recover the lost influence of his House, he had risen, had been beaten, and, in 1818, had thrown himself on the mercy of the British. He was deprived of his dominions, and granted a pension for life of eight lakhs of rupees. He took up his residence at Bithor, near the military station of Kánhpur, adopted a son, and lived a quiet life till his death in 1851.

The Government of India permitted his adopted son, whose name was Dhundu Pant, but who was generally known as Náná Sáhib, to inherit the savings of Bájí Ráo, and they presented to him the fee-simple of the property at Bithor. But Náná Sáhib had to provide for a very large body of followers, bequeathed to his care by Bájí Ráo; and the two British Commissioners who, in succession, superintended the administration of the estate supported the proposal made from Bithor that a portion of the late ex-Peshwá's allowance should be reserved for the support of the family. They had some reason for their suggestion, for when, some little time before his death, Bájí Ráo had petitioned the Home Government that his adopted son might succeed to the title and pension of Peshwá, whilst the grant of the title was refused absolutely, the question of the pension was reserved for future consideration, that is, until the seat of the ex-Peshwá should be vacant.

It seems to me that high policy should have shown some consideration for the heir of one who had been the lord of Western India, and whose territories we had taken. A slight relaxation of the hard and fast policy character-