504 CHANDRANAGAK. AND THE DAKHAN. chap. more effectually to carry out this plan he invoked the XI '^_ , assistance of the Marathas,* who, the better to aid him, 1757. were to appear under their ordinary guise of enemies. No sooner was it known that the Mara th as under the son of the Peshwa, Wiswas Rao, were approaching Aurangabad, than Shah Nawaz, under the pretext of massing all the forces of the province to oppose him, summoned Nizam Ali to that city.f Basalat Jang had preceded him. Immediately there was formed a whole network of intrigue, which, balancing now to one side now to the other, ended in the investiture of Nizam Ali with the administrative work of the province, the title of Subadar only being left to Salabat Jang. Basalat Jang was at the same time appointed keeper of the great seal. So entire was the transfer of power that but for the presence of the 200 French troops, the life of Salabat Jang would probably have been sacrificed ; certainly he would have been effectually deprived of his liberty. Such was the state of affairs when Bussy, marching quickly from the Sirkars, arrived at Aurangabad. He found Nizam Ali in command of the army, Basalat Jang his nominated minister, Salabat Jang a cypher, Shah Nawaz Khan in possession of the fortress of Daolata- bad — all waiting for the movement which should de- prive Salabat Jang of even the shadow of power. It is curious to notice how all these intrigues were discon- certed by the presence of Bussy. Having by a strata- gem possessed himself of Daolatabad, he imposed his law upon the brothers of the Subadar. Basalat Jang he proposed to attach, as Minister, to the interests of Salabat Jang, Nizam Ali to invest with the government of Haidarabad, where he would be easily accessible to the French. All these arrangements had been con- cluded, when, on the eve of his departure for Haidara- bad, Nizam Ali enticed the Diwan of M. Bussy, by
- Grant Duff considers it probable the plot,
that the Peshwa himself designed t December, 1757.
