Wars (a) The First Anglo Maratha War ( - ) Madhav Rao Narayan was an infant Peshwa under the regency of Nana Fadnavis. The usurping of power by Ragunath Rao, uncle of the former Peshwa Madhava Rao I, provided the scope for the Company administration to fish in the troubled waters. The Company administration in Bombay supported Ragunath Rao in return for getting Salsette and Bassein. As Mahadaji Scindia and the Bhonsle of Nagpur turned pro-British, the Marathas had to concede Thane and Salsette to the latter.
By the treaty of Salbai, in , Ragunath Rao was pensioned off. Following this, peace prevailed between the Company and the Marathas for about two decades. Anglo-Maratha War (b) The Second Anglo-Maratha War ( - ) The death of Nana Fadnavis resulted in a scramble for his huge possessions. Peshwa Baji Rao II was dethroned.
In the then trying circumstances, he had to accept the help of the British. Wellesley, the then Governor General, forced the Subsidiary Alliance on the Peshwa. The treaty of Bassein was signed XI History - Lesson - - The Marathas the districts. They were responsible for every branch of district administration.
Deshmukhs and Deshpandes were district officers who were in charge of accounts and were to observe the activities of Mamlatdars and Kamavistars. It was a system of checks and balances. In order to prevent misappropriation of public money, the Maratha government collected a heavy sum (Rasad) from the Mamlatdars and other officials. It was collected on their first appointment to a district.
In Baji Rao II’s time, these offices were auctioned off. The clerks and menials were paid for or months in a year. Village Administration The village was the basic unit of administration and was self-supportive. The Patel was the chief village officer and was responsible for remitting revenue collections to the centre.
He was not paid by the government. His post was hereditary. The Patel was helped by the Kulkarni or accountant and record- keeper. There were hereditary village servants who had to perform the communal functions.
The carpenters, blacksmiths and other village artisans gave begar or compulsory labour. Urban Administration In towns and cities the chief officer was the Kotwal . The maintenance of peace and order, regulation of prices, settling civil disputes and sending of monthly accounts to the governments were his main duties. He was the head of the city police and also functioned as the magistrate.
Sources of Revenue Land revenue was the main source of income. The Peshwas gave up the system of sharing the produce of the agricultural land followed under Shivaji’s rule. The Peshwas followed the system of tax farming. Land was settled against a stipulated amount to be paid annually to the government.
The fertility the land was assessed for fixation of taxes. Income was derived from the forests. Permits were given Until his death in Baji Rao II remained a prisoner with an annual pension. Pratap Singh, a descendent of Shivaji, was made the king of a small kingdom carved around Satara.
The Maratha Confederacy organised by Baji Rao I comprising Bhonsle, Holkar and Scindia was dissolved. Mountstuart Elphinstone, who had been Resident at Poona, became Governor of Bombay.