Page:The Life of Lokamanya Tilak.djvu/43

Rh solicitude the administration of Indian States, The affairs of Kolhapur in particular attracted his attention. Since 1870, the condition of Kolhapur was far from desirable. In that year died Rajaram Maharaj and in the year following his two widows adopted Prince Shivajirao. Though under good guardianship, the young Prince began to show, ever since 1877, signs of insanity and was often subject to delusions and suicidal tendencies. It was generally believed that this mental derangement was due to compulsory adminstration of intoxicating drugs to the Prince. The author of this mischief was supposed to be Rao Bahadur Barve, State Karbhari, who, spurred by the Queen-Dowager Sakawarbai, wanted to remove the Maharaja from the Gadi either by death or by proof of his lunacy and to have a new youth adopted by the Dowager. People, high and low believed in these rumours, and on November 24th 1881, a monster meeting was held at Poona under the presidency of so distinguished and so moderate a gentleman as the late Hon. Rao Bahadur Gopalrao Hari Deshmukh. In this meeting, a resolution was passed, suggesting that the Prince should be immediately put under the guardianship of some trustworthy persons. Soon after this meeting was held, it was rumoured that an attempt was actually made on the life of the young Maharaja, and while the alarm caused by this rumour had not subsided, Tilak and Agarkar got three letters purporting to be Titten by the Karbhari. In these letters the plan of poisoning the Prince was plainly suggested; and believing that these letters were genuine, Tilak and Agarkar published them in the Mahratta and the Kesari and