पान:आंग्ल प्रभा.djvu/3

ggrägRAI, FFKopUEFOR - TO SHIAEAU CHEATRA PATI AND THE PIEISHwAs' DIAERIES. SSS S JSYJJLL LLLSLLLSKeSYYJLLS During the past two or three years, most of my leisure time has been devoted to the perusal of the Selections from the Peishwa's Diaries, com: mencing with the accession of Raja Shahu, and ending with the close of thereign of Bajirao II. These Selections have been prepared by Rao Bahadur Wad from the original Marathi record, and they make up in all about 20,000 folio pages, including the English summary prepared in the Daftar office. The Selections cover a period of over a hundred years (1708 to 1816-17) and they furnish most valuable materials for constructing a true history of the people of Maharashtra during the most eventful period of their annals. Our ordinary Bakhars, and the works written by English historians like Grant Duff, content themselves chiefly with the narration of political events, and throw little or no light upon the condition of the people, how they lived and thrived, the pleasures which amused them, their superstitions and their beliefs, their morals, their manners and their customs. These histories do not also give a clear account of the way in which the work of Government was carried on under native rule, how the land revenue was assessed and collected, how the forts were guarded, how the Sayer Revenues (consisting of Mohturfa, Abkari, Salt, Customs, and tributes &c.) were administered, how the armies were raised and paid for, how the navy was manned, how the State borrowed its public debt, how civil and criminal justice was dispensed, how the departments of police, post, mint, prisons, cha rities, pensions, public works, medical relief, and sanitation were regulated and controlled, how trade and commerce was encouraged and le: rning fostered. To many, it will be a matter of no little surprise to find that only a hundred years ago all these varied activities engrossed the atten: tion of the native rulers, and they grappled with all the problems of Government, to a large extent successfully. They even went, as some might say, out of their way, in undertaking reforms of social economy with a courage which is thought in these days by some to be out ide the functions of the State. In all these respects, these State Diaries, kept by resporosible officers in the Peishwa's Daftar, are simply invaluable, and, て|多 Ο