Shri Shiv Chatrapati Caritr 29: Operations against Janjira

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Ch. [66] The Habsi of Janjira had laid siege to Tale (when Sivaji was busy in checking an invasion from Bijapur). As they troubled the people of various places by their thieving raids, Baji Rav Pasalkar Desmukh of Musekhore was sent with a militia force to punish them. He laid siege to Rajpuri and Kay Savant, a dependent ally of the Habsi, attacked him. An action took place and both the contending generals, Baji Rav Desmukh and Kay Savant, fell in the battle. Thereupon the Maharaja sent Raghunath Ballal Sabnis with an additional force. He went and plundered and laid waste the territories of the Habsi. The army of Janjira attacked him but were defeated. Thereupon the Habsis of Janjira concluded a treaty to the effect that henceforth the forts and territories annexed by the Maharaja should not be harassed and the Maharaja (in return) should not harass their remaining territories. After concluding this treaty, Raghunath Pant returned with some treasure.
For some days, they observed the terms of the treaty, then they commenced their old raids again. Thereupon the Maharaja sent Vyankaji Pant with an army. He defeated the Siddi's forces who came to oppose him, harassed them by plundering their lands and kept them down. He selected various peaks in that province and fortified them. He constructed a fort on the hill of Danda-Rajpuri. In this manner he built forts, so that the Siddis could not harass the Maharaja's territories. At various places, he stationed bodies of five to seven thousand men and prevented ingress into and egress from Janjira. But Janjira was a fort surrounded by water and could not be captured. The Maharaja, however, wanted to extend his power to the sea by the conquest of Janjira and built many ships for fitting out a fleet. The ships were of the following types, — Gurab, Tarandi, Galbat, Dubare, Sibade, Pagar, Machva, Vabhor, Tirkati and Pal. Four to five hundred ships of these different types were built and five to ten lakhs of Rupees were spent for the purpose. Darya Sagar (Sarang) and Maynak Bhandari were appointed commanders and they were supplied with cannons and other requisite materials. Warlike Kolis and Khalasis were enlisted and they began to raid the sea and harass the people of Janjira. The Europeans (Topikar) in the sea were awestruck and their ships and cargo were plundered and the spoils brought to the Maharaja. The heavy expenses of the navy were paid out of these spoils. The Maharaja's influence was established in the sea.