NAGPUR DISTRICT. 167 left him by his father, but when hostilities began between the Nizami and the youthful Peshwá, Jánojí sold his support to each side by tums. At last, disgusted by his treachery, the Peshwa and the Nizáin in 1765 united their forces against Jánojí, burned down Nagpur, and forced the Rájá to disgorge the greater part of the money he had received. Four years later, a treaty was concluded between Jánoji and the Peshwa, in which the dependence of the Bhonslas was fully acknowledged. Three years afterwards, Jánoji died. Before his death he had adopted his nephew Raghují, the son of Madhují of Chándı. But while Madhují with his son were on their way to Nagpur, Sábaji, another brot! late king, seized the vacant throne. The civil war which followed ended on the battle-field of Panchgaon, where Madhují killed his brother with his own hand. Madhují then governed as regent for the rest of his life. In 1777 he first entered into relations with the English, to whom he displayed a friendly policy throughout. His death took place in 1788. Hitherto the dominions of the Bhonslas had enjoyed great prosperity under their rough and soldier-like rule. Justice was well administered, crimes were few, and the people comfortable and contented. The reign of Raghují 11. brought with it other times. It began successfully with extensions of the Nagpur power, and with close relations with the English. In 1798, Mr. Colebrooke was appointed Resident to the court of Raghují. Before long, however, Mr. Colebrooke withdrew, and Raghují united with Sindhia to oppose the British Government. The battles of Assaye and Argaon (Argaum) shattered the forces of the confederates; and by the treaty of Deogion, Raghují lost nearly a third of his kingdom, and engaged to receive permanently a Resident at Nagpur. But the Rájá now endeavoured to extract from his diminished territory a revenue far beyond its means; and his exactions, together with the raids of the Pindáris, utterly desolated the present District of Nagpur. Raghují died in 1816. His son, the blind and paralyzed Pawojí, soon after became perfectly imbecile. A contest for the regency between the widow and Apá Sáhib, the nephew of the late Rájá, ended in the success of the latter. A few months later, the Rájá was found dead in his bed, poisoned, as was subsequently proved, by his cousin and successor. As soon as Apá Sahib felt himself safe on his throne, his bearing, hitherto so cordial to the British, entirely changed. His avowal of friendship with the Peshwá, then in arms against the British, together with the concentration of his troops at Nágpur, at length induced the Resident to summon what force he could, and to occupy the hill of Sítábaldi. During the 26th and 27th November 1817, the small English army had to endure the repeated attacks of the Nagpur troops, and at one time were
