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( ४४ ) मल्हारराव महाराज गायकवाड यांचा खरा इतिहास. सुमारे वीसपासून तीस लक्ष रुपयेपर्यंत घेणें होतें तें सर्व बुडाले. त्यापैकीं आमचे हातास आतां एक दमडी देखील लागणार नाहीं. * सावकार लोकांनी आपल्या कर्जाची फेड करून घेण्याचे लार्ड साहेब यांचे समक्ष कबूल केले असताही स्पाची संशयनिवृत्ति झाली नाही, याबद्दलच्या दस्तऐवजांत करार काय आहे हे पाहण्यासाठी त्यांनी तो दस्तऐवज आपल्यासमोर आणवून वारंवार वाचून पाहिला. तेव्हां त्यांची खात्री झाली की दस्तऐवजांत सात वर्षाण हप्तेबंदीने कर्जाची फेड करावी असा करार आहे. परंतु त्यापूर्वी कर्जाची फेड केली असतां सावकारांनी आपला ऐवज घेऊं नये याबद्दलचा एक शब्द देखील त्या दस्त- ऐवजांत नाहीं. वर सांगितलेल्या हकीकतीवरून महाराजांचे परगणे जप्त केले होते त्याबद्दल लार्ड क्लेयर साहेब यांनी काय निकाल के हें अनुमानानें सहज कळण्यासारखे आहे. सबब त्याबद्दल येथे विस्तारपूर्वक सांगण्याचे कांही प्रयोजन नाही. रेसिडेंटाच्या आणि दिवाणाच्या नादी लागून सावकार लोकांनी आपले पराकाष्ठेचे नुकसान करून घेतले आणि शेवटी फजीत होऊन, सयाजीराव महाराज यांनी ज्या रीतीने त्यांच्या मनास आले त्याप्रमाणे सावकार लोकांचा निकाल केला आणि तो सावकार लोकांनी निमूटपणे कबूल केला. "When I was at Ahmedabad, the Political Commissioner brought to me by my desire the principal shroffs, and I put the question to them whether it would not be much more for their advantage to receive their money from the Gaekwar, to be reconciled to their sovereign, and to return to their native city, Baroda, than to remain in their present situation and at variance with Gaekwar, until we had been enabled to pay the amount due. They all admitted the pecuniary loss they sustained living away from Baroda, and that they would be very glad to receive their money and to return there, provided they could be secured against ill-treatment from Hist Highness. I informed them that, at all events after they had been paid by the British Government or by the Gaekwar, no one who had not a personal Bhandaree would have any claim on us; but I assured them all (though without making any engagement ) I would at all times, now and hereafter, use my good offices with the Gaekwar to treat therm all with the utmost consideration besides, I remarked to them, His High- ness was an able and politic prince, and knew very well it was not his interest to alienate some of his wealthiest subjects, whose presence at Baroda would be of such benefit to the capital. The interview was a very satisfactory one. My object was not to bind the bankers on a sudden to any specific engagement; that would, I conceive, have been unwise and unfair on my part; but I was anxious to learn from a personal conference with them what was their real disposition on the subject, and I am happy to say they appeared to me to be not only not disinclined to receive their money whenever it shall be offered to them; but that they are convinced whenever a satis- factory settlement can be made, they must be in a better situation than they are in now at Ahmedabad. Mr. Williams told me that the manager of one of the great firms, that of Hari- bhakti, told him they were ruined living away from Baroda, where they had private claims on individuals amounting to, I think he said, form 20 to 30 lakhs of Rs.. not one piece of which could they now recover." (The Gaekwar and his relations with the British Government, by Colonel Wallace. Page 417.)
