It was Bajirav who brought about a
compromise between Janoji and Mudhoji. Janoji never cared to pay the
Pesva the sum of the present he had agreed to, when he was invested
with the title of Senasaheb Subha. Similarly, he was very negligent in
the payment of the dues to the central treasury. The Pesva's efforts
to recover the State dues through his agents Vyankat Moresvar and
Trimbakaji Bhosle proved futile. In 1757-58 Mudhoji accompanied
Raghunathrav in his north Indian Expedition. But soon returned back to
Berar owing to some differences with him.
In the battle of Udgir Janoji and
Mudhoji went to help Bhau when the war was practically over. For a
short time, when the Bhosle brothers worked in Co-operation they
helped the Pesva in his attack on the Nizam at Sindkhed. The Bhosle
brothers, mainly Janoji and Mudhoji did not accompany Bhausaheb to the
Battle-field of Panipat. Nor does the Bhau seem to have commanded
their service when the Marathas were to engage themselves in a life
and death struggle with Ahmad Sah Abdali. The cordial relations which
existed between the Pesvas and the Sindes were conspicuous by their
absence between the Pesvas and the Bhosles of Nagpur.
Janoji and Mudhoji were with Nanasaheb
Pesva when he was hastening to help Bhau before the final rout of the
Marathas on the battle-field of Panipat. Janoji saved the retreating
Marathas from the attacks of the anti-Maratha elements on their
homeward journey. He brought the recalcitrant Bundela Chiefs under
control.
Following their defeat in the Third
Battle of Panipat, the Marathas were busy putting their own affairs in
order. The robes of Pesvaship were granted to Madhavrav I. His uncle
who was aspiring for the same office was not happy with this
arrangement. The Nizam who was smarting under the defeat he had
suffered in the Battle of Udgir was eager to fish in the troubled
waters at Poona. With a vast army of sixty thousand strong he
desecrated the holy places of Toka and Pravana-sangam and dug up
Sinde's palaces at Srigonda for hidden treasure. In December 1761, he
camped at Urulikancan for an attack on Poona. Raghunathrav sent urgent
calls to the Maratha generals for help. Janoji Bhosle had joined the
Pesva with his army. He was present in the Battle of Cambhargonda with
a force of seven to eight thousand. The Nizam was surrounded by the
Maratha forces and compelled to surrender. Majority of the Maratha
nobles felt that this was the long awaited opportunity to exterminate
the Nizam. But this could not be brought about because of the easy
terms he was given by Raghunathrav.
Raghunathrav had given easy terms to
the Nizam at Uruli with a view to securing his support in his dispute
with Madhavrav which was expected any moment. Rav was unwilling to
work in co-operation with his young nephew who was the Pesva. The
situation deteriorated fast heading towards a civil war. Rav's
partisans had secretly secured the help of the Nizam and Janoji
Bhosle. In this great plot headed by Raghunathrav it was decided to
deprive madhavrav of his Pesvaship and power. Raghunathrav was to
appoint men of his own choice in high offices. Janoji Bhosle was lured
into the plot by the offer of Chatrapatiship at Satara after deposing
Ramraja, janoji and the Nizam met near Kalaburgi (Gulburga) and agreed
to join the plot. From the territory that would be acquired the Nizam
was to secure Sixty per cent of the total tribute and Janoji forty per
cent. The Pesva agents Vyankat Morsevar and Ramaji Ballal tried in
vain to dissuade Janoji and his adviser Divakarpant from joining the
Plot.
Young Madhavrav realising the gravity
of the situation boldly surrendered himself to his uncle and put an
end to the civil war that was threatening to sap the Maratha power. By
this dramatic decision Janoji's dream of securing Chatrapatiship
evaporated.
Shortlly after the surrender of
Madhavrav to his uncle, the latter-Raghunathrav-strated making his own
arrangement by distributing offices and titles to his favourites and
partisans. For some days in November, 1762, the Maratha leaders and
diplomats assembled at Aleganv and discussed all domestic issues.
Unfortunately such meetings could not be had frequently to solve the
problems of the Maratha confederacy, Moreover, there was not a strong
central authority which could force the decisions on all the decisions
on all the members taken at such meetings.
The treaty between the Marathas and the
Nizam proved to be short-lived. Raghunathrav who was proceeding
against Haidar Ali received news that the Nizam and Janoji Bhosle
along with a number of discontented courtiers were busy forming a
coalition against him. Janoji and the Nizam met at Gulburga on 9th
February 1763 and discussed the plan of seizing the Pesva's lands and
sharing the spoils. Among the other Marathas who joined the Nizam were
the Patvardhans and the Pratinidhis. The Nizam as the head of this
unholy alliance sent his demands to the Pesva stating that all the
forts east of the river Bhima should be deliverd unto him, those who
had been deprived of their Jagirs should receive them back and the
Pesva should settle all State affairs in consultation with the Nizam's
Divan.
This challenge nullified the easy terms
which Raghunathrav had given t o the Nizam at Urulikancan. Giving up
the march on the territory of Haidar Ali, Raghunathrav move towards
Aurangabad. Malharrav Holkar joined Raghunathrav when he was promised
an additional Jagir of ten Lacs. The plan of Raghunathrav and Holkar
wa to lay waste the territory of the Nizam and his partisans. Knowing
well that Raghunathrav was a past master in the guerilla warfare. The
Nizam decided to attack Poona on the advice of Janoji Bhosle. The
combined armies of the Nizam and the Bhosle fell upon Poona in 1763
Gopikabai sought shelter with her men and jewellery in the fort of
Purandar. Heavy tribute was exacted from the people of poona and the
city burnt down. The shrine of Parvati and other temples were
desecrated and idols destroyed. Raghuji Karande the general of the
Bhosle laid waste the region around Sinhgad and Purandar. He looted
the Pesva's jewellery at Sawvad and set on fire important State
records taken there for safety. To retaliate the sack of Poona
Raghunathrav and his men carried fire and sword in the Nizam's
territory. His army sacked parts of Berar. Mahadaji sinde was ordered
to raid Janoji's territory and he proceeded towards Berar from Ujjain.
Raghunathrav had written to Janoji reprimanding him of his disloyalty
and bringing to his notice how unbecoming it was for him to join the
Nizam. At the same time Malharrav Holkar was trying to dissuade Janoji
to give up the cause of the Nizam through his advisers Divakarpant and
Bhavani Munsi. Janoji was offered territory worth 31lacs and was to be
confirmed in the Senasaheb-subhaship. These direct threats and
diplomatic approaches finally won Janoji to the Pesva's side. He
agreed to leave the Nizam at the nick of the moment when the Marathas
would lead an attack. The other Maratha nobles like Bhavanrav,
pratinidhi, Gopalrav, Patvardhan , Piraji Nimbalkar and Gamaji were
also persuaded to desert the Nizam on the promise of receiving Jagirs
and restoring lost positions. In the Battle of Raksasabhuvan (10th
August 1763) the Nizam was routed and forced to surrender. He gave to
the pesva territory worth 82 lacs. Janoji gave a banquet to the Pesva
tgerritory him the guns he had captured in the sack of Poona along
with the Nizam. Janoji and the Pesva were reconciled temporarily.
Vittal sunder the divan of the Nzam who
was the brain behind all the ambitious schemes of his master was
killed in the Battle of Raksasabhuvan.
The young pesva Madhavrav distinguished
himself in this battle. The success of this battle was mainly due to
his strategic and tactical movements.