HLS'TO R Y
337
and appeared as the champion of Khande Rao, a posthumous son of
Malhar Rao, being joined in 1798 by Amir Khan (afterwards Nawab
of TONk). KAshi Rao's troops under Dudrenec were defeated at
Kasrawad, whereupon Dudrenec transferred his allegiance and his
battalions to Jaswant Rao, who entered the capital town of Maheshwar
and seized the treasury there. Soon afterwards, however, he was
defeated at Satwas by some of Sindhia's battalions arid retired on
Indore, but subsequently attacked Ujjain, extracting a large sum from
its inhabitants. In October, 18o1, Sarje Rao Ghatke, the notorious
minister of Daulat Rao Sindhia, sacked Indore, practising every kind
of atrocity on the inhabitants and razing the town to the ground.
Jaswant Rao, however, assisted by Amir Khan and his Pinddris, then
proceeded to scour the country from the Jumna to the Nizam's terri-
tories.. By 18oa he had regained his prestige, and so increased his
forces as to be able to attack the Peshwa at Poona. This defeat drove
the Peshwa to sign the Treaty of Bassein with the British, and Jaswant
Rao was forced to retire to Malwa. He held aloof during the war of
1803 against Sindhia, possibly in hopes of aggrandizing himself at that
chief's expense. But in 1804, after rejecting all offers of negotiation,
he finally came into collision with the British forces. In the Mukan-
dwara pass he gained a temporary success over Colonel Monson, but
was defeated by Lord Lake at Dig (November, 1804). [n December,
1805, he was driven to sign the Treaty of Rajpurghat on the banks
of the Beds river, the first engagement entered into between the British
Government and the house of Holkar. By this treaty he. ceded much
land in Rdjputdna, but received back certain of his former possessions
in the Deccan, while the country round KUNCH in Bundelkhand was
granted in jigir to his daughter, Bhïma Bai, who was married to
Govind Rao Bolia. Lord Cornwallis's policy of non-interference,
however, gave him another chance; the Rajputdna districts were
restored to him, and he proceeded to recoup his shattered fortunes by
plundering the Rdjput chiefs. In 18o6 he poisoned Khande Rao and
murdered Kashi Rao, and thus became in name, what 11e had long been
in fact, the head of the house of Holkar. He began at this time to
show signs of insanity, and died a raving lunatic at Bhanpura in 1811.
Jaswant Rao left no legitimate heirs; but before his death, Tulsi
Bai, his concubine, a woman of remarkable beauty and superior
education, had adopted his illegitimate son, Malhar R.ao, who was
placed on the gaddi, Zdlim Singh of Kotah coming to Bhiinpura to pay
the homage due from a feudatory to his suzerain. After Jaswant
Rao's death the State rapidly became involved in difficulties. Revenue
was collected at the sword's point indiscriminately from Sindhia's,
the Ponwar's, or even Holkar's own territories. There was in fact no
real administration, its place being taken by a mere wandering and
Vol_ xlll. Z
|
![[Digital South Asia Library]](/graphics/thirdlevel.gif)
