Shri Shiv Chatrapati Caritr 21: II.
Siva Chhatrapati (S. N. Sen) 21
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21
S. D. [128] Chandra Rav More of Javll, a servant of Bijapur, had assembled twenty-five to thirty thousand Mawjes. He plundered the neighbouring provinces as far as he could, enjoyed his Jagir, etc., behaved like an independent ruler, but he paid an annual tribute to the Bijapur government. The Maharaja sent the following message to him, — "Give me what tribute you pay to the Badshah and be a dependent of mine. I will help you when necessary. Or I shall excuse you the tribute you pay if you serve me with five thousand followers." The Maharaja argued that, More was an old Maratha Sardar and had enlisted good fighting men; so it would not be proper to ruin him. At first the policy of conciliation should be tried and he should be protected in case he submitted. Otherwise it would not take long to punish him. So he decided. A vakil was accordingly sent, but More had no regard for the Maharaja and took no account of his officers.
"Where the master is not honoured what good result can be expected of good counsel?" So argued the officers, and after some conversation took leave of More, came back to the Raja and reported what had happened. * * * * * The Maharaja then went to Rajgad for necessary arrangements. From Rajgad he sent Raghunath Ballal Sabnis with three to four hundred brave followers. Raghunath went to Hanmant Rav More, brother of Chandra Rav, a brave soldier and his brother's sole representative at Johar Khore, for negotiating a matrimonial alliance. Raghunath Pant sent word to him that, as he (Hanmant) had a marriageable daughter, Raghunath Pant had come to negotiate for a marriage on behalf of the Maharaja. Raghunath was asked (by More) to see him. As Raghunath had come for a matrimonial alliance and not on a political mission, More did not take the necessary precaution (about his safety) and was careless. Finding that More was unguarded, Raghunath Pant killed him and fought with his men at the gates. The Maharaja had come to the fort of Purandar, Raghunath went there by the Wai route and reported what had happened. The Maharaja highly lauded his soldierly qualities, bravery, intelligence, and diplomacy and gave him robes of honour. Then he argued that, — Hanmant Rav was a very able man; now that he was dead and there was no other man like him in More's army, this was the proper opportunity for attacking Chandra Rav. * * * Raghunath Ballal Atre was sent with five to seven thousand Mawles and four to five hundred sawars by the route of Radtondi Ghat and the two armies arrived at Javli simultaneously before sunrise. The army there was a big one, and Chandra Rav fought with great courage for two prahars and offered a bold fight. * * * * Chandra Rav More fell on the battlefield and his two sons Baji Rav and Krshna Rav More were imprisoned with the women. * * * [132]. In the year 1764 of the Saka era, the Sambatsar being Chitrabhanu by name, the two brothers were beheaded but the women and children were released.