Pune District - History - Yashwantrao Holkar

Yashwantrao Holkar

Whatever little influence-and it was little indeed-that Nana Fadnavis exercised after the accession to the peshwaship of Baji Rao II was finally brought to an end when in March 1800 Nana Fadnavis died. Daulatrao Shinde now became all-powerful, and both he and Baji Rao mulcted all their political opponents mercilessly. The influence of Shinde on the Peshwa evoked a feeling of opposition in Holkar, who attacked and defeated the combined forces of the Peshwa and Shinde at Hadapsar near Poona in October 1802. For a time Holkar made Amrit Rao the Peshwa in place of Baji Rao, who on his run ultimately joined the English, and by the treaty of Bassein, purchased his safety and his position as the Peshwa at the cost of his own independence and of the freedom of his people. When Baji Rao approached Poona, Amrit Rao, it is said, desired to burn the city rather than hand it over to his brother. The arrival in time, however, of General Wellesley prevented that disaster. The city, thus saved from the hands of its human masters, was not, however, saved from the powers of nature, which was particularly unkind to the district in the year 1803-1804.