It appears from the earliest histories that the Monarchs of Hindostan have always commanded to the Princes of Decan, and that their armies have more than once penetrated as far as Lanca and Serendib*; so that their government was absolute in those distant parts. It is only since the reign of Mahmed-shah, whose Ministers were extremely inattentive, and whose government was very indolent, that the Marhattas finding the field open and undisputed, have spread themselves all over Hindostan, on whose inhabitants they have brought an infinity of evils; so that few countries have remained free from their pillage; and one of these is the A8d, which was indeed defended by its situation on the other side of the Ganga, and by the vigorous exertions of Sadet-qhan and his posterity. Bengal, on the other hand, as well as Azim-abad, owe their safety to Aaly-verdy-qhan’s firmness and intrepid courage; and Lahor, M8ltan, and Tatta, to their great distance from the central parts of the Marhatta dominions. Not that their armies and their ravages have not more than once reached to those parts; nevertheless their government has never been fully acknowledged or established in any. But as we have in several parts of these sheets often mentioned these southern conquerors, it is proper to satisfy the curiosity of the reader by some account of the origin of their nation, as well as by some notion of the disputes and dissensions with which it is now distracted.

This nation arose originally in the Dë8-gur, a country on A curious historical account of the Marhatta nation from its origin. the western back of Bengal, and whose inhabitants to this day are called Marhattas, and speak that language. It was at first a particular tribe governed by the family of Bhosselah, which has since lost the sovereignty of it on being supplanted by that of Baladji-räo; and here is what we know of certain on that subject. The Bhosselahs are descended from the Radjas or Kings of 8dëypoor, an ancient race of Princes, extremely honoured and respected amongst all the Radjp8t tribes, and which although greatly fallen from its ancient grandeur, and much less powerful than the families of Rhator and Retchöaha, still holds a pre-eminence amongst these illustrious houses; insomuch that not one of those Princes thinks himself lawfully seated upon the throne, until he has received the Cashcaw from the Prince of 8dëyp8r, which Cashcaw the receiver considers as a full investiture*; and having rubbed it upon his forehead, from that moment only reckons himself a lawful Prince, and assumes, the title of Radja. The 8dëyp8r Radja’s particular style and title is that of Rana, and the general report is that his family is related to An8b-shirvan the Just, Emperor of Iran*. Some historians have wrote that after the conquest of Iran by Saad and Caass*, the posterity of that Monarch dispersed, and that one of the Princes of that family coming to India, had risen in time to the dignity and station of Radja*; after which his descendants styled themselves Ranaes. But as our duty is to admit only what has been ascertained by historians of undoubted credit, accordingly, this story proves to be groundless, and this pretended relation to An8b-shirvan is found to lean on the following historical fact: It appears, then, that Prince Partab-chund having set up pre­tensions to the Crown, and become prevalent, had set aside the children of Ram-dë8, taken possession of the throne, and thought Singular pretensions of their ancient Princes. himself powerful enough to assert his own independence, and to refuse to send the usual tribute which the Sovereigns of India used to pay to the Emperors of Iran. An8b-shirvan hearing of this, sent an army in India, with orders to bring the refractory Prince to his Court, bound hand and foot. Partab-chund, become now sensible of his error, humbled himself before the Iranian General, kissed the ground in his presence, and atoned for his rebellion by assembling his richest jewels with an immense sum of money, which he sent with his daughter to the Cosro* of Iran, accompanying the Princess with an humble message where he supplicated that Monarch’s forgiveness. An8b-shirvan accepted, the present, and confirmed him in the possession of the Crown; and it remained a number of ages in Partab-chund’s descendants, who styled themselves Ranaes. But those descendants, losing by degrees their wonted energy, were in process of time stripped of the greatest part of their dominions by the subordinate Princes, who left them only a small principality; nevertheless, without ever ceasing to pay the highest honour and respect to those descendants, whom they reputed to be the representatives and deputies of the Cosroes of Iran, and as Partab-chund, the chief of the family, had married his daughter to An8b-shirvan, it is from thence that the Indian Prince’s pos­terity claimed a parentage with a relationship to that Cosro. But this relationship has no other foundation than that of Partab-chund’s sending his daughter to that Prince; for although the Gentoo Princess entered the Imperial sanctuary of Iran, and was enlisted amongst the angels of that sacred paradisical place, nevertheless, as the evidence expected from her person did not make its appearance, she was neglected. Nor does it appear that An8b-shirvan ever had any other known child but Hormoz, whose mother was certainly a lady of one of the first houses in Iran.

After a digression that seemed necessary, we will now return to our history of the Marhatta nation. One of the descendants of the Ranna happened to be born from a carpen­ter’s daughter, and as the Gentoos, to a man, make no account of such children as are born out of wedlock, or from women other than those of their own tribe, this descendant, who found himself held in an inferior light by his relations and by his own tribe, quitted 8dëypoor in disgust, and turning his steps towards the south, and in particular towards the Carnatic, he settled in that country, where, on account of his high extraction, he married amongst the Princes of that region. From this marriage sprung two sons, and two families, the one called that of Antöuliah; the second, that of Bhöuselah. Sahö-dji, whom history mentions to have been an officer of merit in the service of Burham-eddin-nizam-shah, King of Häider-abad, descended in a direct line from that Bhöuselah. He afterwards quitted that Prince, and took service with Hibrahim-adel-shah, King of Bidjap8r, who being extremely satisfied with his services, gave him the Pergannah or District of P8nah in appanage. Saho-dji, now turned farmer and Zemindar, or landholder, cultivated that spot with all his might, but under a certain quit rent, and in the form of a zemindary; so that he passed his life upon that estate, but this was only for a short time. His active mind did not brook inaction, and he quitted his freehold to take service with the fortunate conqueror, Shah-djehan, that second Lord of conjunction*. After a very active life, he was succeeded in his estate by his son, Seva-dji, who seemed likewise to inherit all his father’s character. It was at the time when Hibrahim-adel-shah having fallen into a lingering disease that carried him to his grave, after suffering during two years, he had so far neglected the administration, that great troubles had arisen in his dominions, the troops disbanded and came to Bidjap8r, and the Seva-dji, his son, assumes inde­pendence. country of Cöucan or Concan, amongst others, lost all its garrisons at once, and was left to itself. The advantage that could be made of such a state of things could not escape a man like Seva. This founder of the family of Bhöuselah was a sensible shrewd man, remarkable for his bodily strength and for much personal prowess, as well as for much capacity. Availing himself of the confusion and inactivity of the times, he put himself at the head of a number of people which his character kept together, and by them he was enabled to take possession of several forts and fortresses, that proved empty of troops, or unguarded. Meanwhile Hibrahim-adel-shah’s life drawing to an end, his son, Aaly-aadel-shah, mounted his throne, and as his administration, both on account of his character and also of his youth, wanted energy, the troubles in his dominions went on increasing; and Seva, becoming daily more powerful and enter­prising, found means to bring under his power all the strong holds of the Cöucan or Concan, one after another; and these together with those he built himself, amounted to full forty fortresses, replenished with every store convenient for their defence. He was likewise in possession of several difficult tracts that might have been defended like so many fortresses a situation that put it in his power to assume independence, and to bid defiance to his master, Aaly-aadel-shah, whose principal Minister and General, Afzyl-qhan, he found means to surprise and kill; after which he plundered his camp, and stripped his soldiers. Nor did Rostem-qhan, another General of that Prince’s fare better than his predecessor; he too was shamefully defeated. After this victory Seva ceased to pay any regard to the Adel-shahïans, and he commenced making courses and ravaging the country; and as the Cöucan, of which he was now the undis­puted master, borders upon the bitter waters*, he became possessed of several harbours, and commenced driving at se?? the trade which highwaymen exercise at land, waylaying merchants, and plundering their property. Become bolder by continual successes, he attacked the neighbouring countries of Aoreng-zib’s jurisdiction, and committed spoil as often as he found an opportunity. The Monarch being informed of his excesses, ordered Shahistah-qhan, Viceroy of Decan, to chastise that freebooter, and Radja Djesvent-Rhator received orders likewise to join that General. The two Generals entered the Cöucan, and burned it from end to end, but not without much difficulty and bloodshed. Seva, or Seva-dji, who had many friends and relations in Shahista-qhan’s army, engaged them to rise in a certain night*, in which the General was to marry his son. The scheme was to fall suddenly upon that General, and to kill him, and although it did not succeed fully to his wishes, it put His suc­cessors. it in his power to surprise that General in his camp, and to give him a shameful defeat. This happened in the year 1073. The Emperor, informed of this event, severely reproached the General for his neglect, dismissed him from his Government, and appointed in his stead his own son, the Imperial Prince Soltan Muäzzem; and as he was no better satisfied with Radja Djesvent’s activity in this war, he sent for him to Court, and appointed in his stead Radja Djehi-sing. This Prince proving quite another man, chastised Seva-dji severely, as often as he could come up with him; so that the latter finding that all was going to wreck, thought proper to submit. He came unarmed, and having entered into a treaty with the Gentoo Prince, he agreed to surrender and evacuate Is obliged to submit. twenty-three fortresses which were pointed out to him, and to pay a present of ten lacs of Hoons*. This treaty having been agreed to by the Emperor, an Imperial edict issued from the Chancellerie, forgiving his past misdemeanours, and creating his son, Simba, a Monsobdar of five thousand horse. Seva-dji, satisfied with this grade, resolved to kiss the Imperial threshold, and going to Agra with his son, he inclined himself profoundly before the Monarch, by whom he was received with particular regard. But the man, born far from the Capital, and in the middle of the mountains of Decan, had too much Decanism in himself yet, and too little acquaintance with the Courts of Emperors, to set a proper value upon the reception he had received. He thought it far below what he was entitled to, and complained of it to Radja Djehi-sing’s son, as of a want of attention and regard. This complaint was very ill taken. He was forbidden the Court, and guards were set over him, but his son, as not comprised in his guilt, was left at full liberty, and was received at Court as usual. It was the Emperor’s intention to keep Seva-dji for some time in that school of respect and deference, and then to raise him to honours, on sending him back to his own country; but Seva; who knew nothing of that design, and had grown impatient of a restraint that had lasted these three months and nine days, resolved to set himself at liberty. He found ways to disguise him­self, and, with his son, Simbah, to give the slip to his guards. Arrived in his country, he commenced his ravages with more fury than ever, and he grew so formidable every day, that his incursions became the chief business of the Governors of those frontiers. At last he died on the twenty-fourth of the second Reby, in the year 1098; and his son, Simbah, continued as his father had commenced, but met with his deserts. For the troubles of the country having risen to a heighth, the Emperor Aoreng-zib himself thought it worth his while to repair in person to those frontiers. It was the next year, and he took up his abode at the city of Aoreng-abad, where for full twenty-five years he employed himself in chastising the Marhattas. But some of the Grandees of his Court, and some of the Generals of his army, who for private reasons of their own wished for a continuance of the war, found it their interest to support that criminal race underhand, and to prevent its being exterminated.