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His going down the coast caused such alarm that "all the Muhammadan governors as far as Simgclay [? Chaukuli in Savantvadi] and Dutchole [= Dicholi in Goa] were fled", and in consequence the petty robbers on the route became more active than usual. In June Shivaji returned from Vingurla after leaving a garrison of 2,000 soldiers there. Shortly before this Shaista Khan had defeated a Maratha army, killing more than 200 men. (Ibid, Gyfford to Surat, 24th May, 22nd June 1663.)

In July the Bijapur Government ordered the Governor of Phonda to join forces with the Savant of Vadi and other petty Rajahs and try to drive Shivaji's men out of Rajapur and Kharepatan. But nothing was done, as "there was juggling betven them, and he remained possessed of all". (Ibid, 20th July 1663, Vol. 86, Surat to Co. 20th November 1664.)

In punishment of Rustam-i-Zaman's secret friendship with Shiva, the Sultan dismissed him from his viceroyalty and gave the Province to Muhammad Ikhlas Khan, the eldest son of the late Khan-i-Khanan Ikhlas Khan and a brother of Khawas Khan, while Dabhul and Chiplun were given to Fazl Khan, Shivaji got possession of Rajapur at this time and kept it permanently in his own hands. (Ibid)

Rustam's agent at Karwar fleeced the English factors there so severely that in July 1663 they were ordered by the Council at Surat to remove themselves and the Company's goods quietly to Hubli. Adil Shah and Rustam-i-Zaman alike were sensible of the loss of revenue caused by such molestation of traders, and therefore the King sent them a farman promising that they would be left in peace at Karwar and would have to pay no other duties than they had formerly done. Then the factory was re-established at Karwar. (F. R. Surat, Vol. 2, Consult., 14th August 1663.)

V.

In 1664 the war with Bednur was renewed. Shivappa Nayak, evidently an old man, died soon after his defeat by the Bijapuris in 1663. His son and successor, Soma Shekhar, was murdered by his Brahmans, and an infant grandson named Basava was set up on the throne under the regency of his mother Chennammaji and her favourite Timmaya Nayak, a toddy-seller, who "by his cunning policy raised himself to be general and protector" of the realm. At this revolution Ali Adil Shah II. was so incensed that he sent his generals, Bahlol Khan and Syed Iliyas Sharza Khan, to invade Bednur from two sides. (April 1664.) (F. R. Surat 104, Karwar to Surat, 18th April 1664; Fryer, II. 41-42.]

By this time Rustam-i-Zaman seems to have returned to favour at Court. Muhammad Ikhlas Khan was transferred from the government of Karwar and his friends from that of Ankola, Shiveshwar (or Halekot), Kadra and other places in North Kanara and these tracts were given to three of Rustam's sons. In August Rustam himself was ordered to go to that region with two other Bijapuri generals and try to expel Shivaji. He reached Kudal at the end of August but did nothing. (F. R. Surat, 104, Karwar 23rd July and Hubli 28th August 1664.)

Any serious attack by Adil Shah on Shivaji was now rendered impossible as the Sultan's attention was diverted to Bednur, whither he wanted to march in person with 12,000 horse after the Dewali festival (October) and co-operate with Sharza Khan in crushing the Kanara Rajah. Throughout the second half of 1664 the coast region was in an unhappy condition. As the English merchants write, "Deccan and all the south coasts are all embroiled in civil wars, king against king and country against country, and Shivaji reigns victoriously and uncontrolled, that he is a terror to all the kings and princes round about, daily increasing in strength. He hath now fitted up four more vessels and sent them down to Bhatkal and thereabouts, whilst he intends to meet them overland with a flying army of horse.......The news of him at present are that he is intercepted in his journey down to his fleet by a party of this king's army and fought, where between them six thousand men were slain, himself worsted 1 and forced to fly to a castle [not named]

It is evidently this battle that is referred to in the Basatin-i-Salatin, 373-375: "Aurangzib sent an envoy to Adil Shah to beg his co-operation with Jai Singh in the war with Shiva. Before Jai Singh arrived, Adil Shah sent an army under Khawas Khan. Shiva hearing of it began to close the mountain passes (ghats), but Khawas, by making rapid marches, crossed the ghat in safety and

where this army following in pursuit hath very strictly girt him in that he cannot stir." (F. R. Surat, Vol. 86, Surat to Co., 26th November 1664.) And again (on 12th March 1665), "The subjects (of Adil Shah) unanimously cry out against him for suffering Shivaji to forage to and fro, burning and robbing his country without any opposition, wherefore it is certainly concluded by all that he shares with the said rebel in all his rapines, so that the whole country is in a confused condition, merchants flying from one place to another to preserve themselves, so that all trade is lost.... The rebel Shivaji hath committed many notorious and great robberies since that of Surat, and hath possessed himself of the most considerable ports belonging to Deccan [i.e., Bijapur] to the number of eight or nine, from whence he sets out two or three or more trading vessels yearly from every port to Persia, Basra, Mocha, etc."

VI.

Early in December 1664 Shivaji looted Hubli and many other rich towns of that region, holding several eminent merchants prisoners for ransom. He had sent only three hundred horsemen to Hubli, but these did their work so thoroughly that the town "was little better than spoiled". The merchants who had filed at the attack were too frightened to return there soon, even after the departure of the Marathas. The raiders were said to have been assisted by some of Rustam's soldiers; that noble, as the English remarked, had "begun to taste the sweetness of plunder [so] that in a short time he would get a habit of it". Soon afterwards, Shivaji plundered Vingurla, an important seaport and trade centre, from which he carried away vast riches. "Shiva and his scouts range all over the country, making havoc wherever he comes, with fire and sword." (F. R. Surat 104, Karwar to Surat, 6th January 1665, Taylor to Surat, 14th December 1664; Vol. 86, Surat to Karwar, 23rd March, Surat to Co. 2nd January 1665).

descended [into Konkan ?) While the negligent Khawas Khan did not even know of Shiva's position, the latter with his full force surprised him and completely hemmed him round in an intricate hilly place, where the Bijapuri army had not space enough to move about or even to marshal the ranks. Khawas called his officers together and heartened them in the midst of their despair. The Marathas opened fire; the Bijapuris advanced to close quarters and fought a severe battle, losing Siddi Sarwar (the Abyssinian general), Shah Hazrat, Shaikh Miran and some other officers. The defeat of the Muslims seemed imminent, when Khawas Khan charged sword in hand; his troops followed him fearlessly in one body, and Shivaji was defeated and put to flight."

At the beginning of February 1665 Shivaji left Malwan with a fleet of 85 frigates and three large ships, sailed past Goa to Basrur, which he plundered, and landed at the holy city of Gokarna, on the coast, 22 miles south of Karwar, to take part in the holy bath festival before the great temple of Mahableshwar on Shivaratri day (5th February). He next marched to Ankola (nine miles northwards) with 4,000 infantry, sending all his fleet back, with the exception of twelve frigates, which he detained for transporting his army over the rivers on his way back to North Konkan. On the 22nd he came to Karwar. The English factors, having got early news of his coming from the spies they had sent out, put all the Company's ready money and portable goods on board a small hundred-ton ship belonging to the Imam of Maskat, then lying in the river, its captain Emanuel Donnavado promising to defend it as long as he lived or his vessel kept floating. The factors themselves took refuge in the ship. Sher Khan, 1 a son of the late Khan-i-Khanan Ikhlas Khan and a subordinate of Bahlol Khan, arrived in the town that very night without knowing anything of Shivaji's approach. With the help of his escort of 500 men he quickly fortified himself as well as he could to protect the goods he had brought down, and sent a messenger to Shiva in the night warning him not to enter the town as he would resist him to the utmost. Sher Khan was famous throughout the country for his valour and ruling capacity, and his chief, Bahlol Khan, was one of the potentest men in the Kingdom of Bijapur". Shivaji, therefore, shrank from provoking him, and after much discussion " condescended to go a little out of the way, and so

"

The cause of his coming to Karwar was to charter a ship of Rustam-iZaman to convey Bahlol Khan's mother to Mесса.

came and encamped with his army at the mouth at the river" Kalanadi, sparing the town.

From this place he sent an envoy to Sher Khan, asking him either to deliver the English merchants up to him or, retiring himself, permit him to revenge himself on them, "whom he styled his inveterate enemies". Sher Khan sent this news to the English and desired to know their final answer, which was that they had nothing on board except powder and bullets which Shivaji might come and fetch if he thought they would serve him instead of gold. "This our answer being sent to Shivaji did so exasperate him that he said he would have us before he departed, which the governor of the town hearing, they persuaded all the merchants to agree to send him [Shivaji] a present lest he should recall his fleet, which lay on this side of Salsette." (F. R. Surat, Vol. 104, Karwar to Surat, 14th March 1635.) To this blackmail the English contributed £112, so as not to endanger the Company's property in Karwar, worth 8,000 hun. "With this Shivaji departed on 23rd February, very unwillingly, saying that Sher Khan had spoiled his hunting at the Holi, which is a time he generally attempts some such design." 1

Thence the disappointed Maratha chief returned to Vingurla (early in March). But soon afterwards Jai Singh's siege of Purandar and vigorous invasion of the neighbouring country called away Shivaji to the defence of his home, and Kanara enjoyed peace for some time.

VII.

The

By the treaty of Purandar (13th June 1665) the Mughuls left Shivaji free to annex Adil Shahi Tal Konkan. affairs of Bijapur also fell into confusion at this time.

1 Shivaji's loot of Basrur and visit to Karwar: F. R. Surat, Vol. 104, Karwar to Surat, 28th January and 14th March 1665. Sabh. 70-71; Chit. 69-70. Basrur is four miles east of Coondapur in the South Canara District, also known as Barcelore. "The principal port of the Bednore Rajahs." S. Canara Gazetteer, ii, 242. The Marathi bakhars spell the name as Basnur or Hasnur.

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