The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.7

v4.c20.7

But just at this time came a happy diversion for the Mughuls. In April, 1683, Shambhūjī began an invasion of Portuguese territory which occupied all his forces till the next January, when he was glad to make peace by the mutual restitution of conquests. In the meantime prince Akbar had realised that the Marāthā king would do nothing for him; his heart grew sick of hope deferred, and he decided to leave Mahārāshtra, go to Portuguese territory and there charter a ship for conveying him to Persia for refuge. In January, 1683, he left Pāli and took up his residence at Bāndā, and then (in September) at Bicholim, very close to Goa. In November he bought a ship and embarked at Vingurlā, but Durgā Dās and Kavi-Kalash arrived there with fresh promises of armed support from Shambhūjī and induced him to give up this attempt to sail to Persia. Throughout 1684 Akbar lived in the Ratnāgiri district as Shambhūjī's unwilling guest, but unable to make any successful dash into his father's territory. In fact, Shambhūjī was now too deeply sunk in vice and his government was too disturbed by the jealousy of the local nobles against the raja's all-powerful "foreign" favourite Kavi-Kalash (a Kanaujiya Brāhman) and the frequent rebellions among his vassals and court conspiracies against his life, so that the Marāthā power ceased to count in Indian politics. There were many desertions of Marāthā officers and nobles to the Mughul side, and the whole west coast was up in arms against Shambhūjī.