The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c7.s6.25

c7.s6.25

Returning to the Southern Konkan we find that in 1436 another army was sent by the Báhmani king Alá-ud-din II. into the Konkan, which was successful, and on this occasion the Rájás of Rairi (Ráygad) and Sonkehr (the position of which has not been ascertained) were made tributary. The daughter of the latter Rája was sent to the king, and became famous under the title of Parichera or Fairy-face. The narrative of Ferishta however makes it clear that the Konkan Rájás were not all reduced on this occasion. In 1453, therefore, a plan for the subjection of all the coast fortresses was decided on, and a large army under Malik-al-Tujár, having its head-quarters at Junnar, sent detachments into the Konkan, and after a time moved down in force. A number of Rájás were reduced, and at last one of the Shirké family by the promise of becoming Musalmán induced Malik-al-Tujár to march against Shankar Rái, Rája of Khelna (Vishálgad), with whom he represented himself to have an old feud. Shirké for two days led the army along a broad road, probably across the plain between Sangameshvar and Lánja. On the third day they entered the woods and ravines, and by the evening were so entangled in them that when Shankar Rái, who had from the first been in league with Shirké, fell on the Musalmáns, they made but little resistance, and upwards of 7000 were massacred, among who were 500 Syeds of Arabia and some Abyssinian officers.² The survivors escaped above the gháts. The place where this massacre took place has not been ascertained, but it was probably somewhere below and not very far from Vishálgad.³ The family of Shirké had, probably from very early time and up to 1768, their court at Bahirugal, a little north of Vishálgad, as Rájás of the surrounding country yielding at a later period a revenue of Rs. 75,000 a year.⁴ Grant Duff states that the Konkan Ghát-Máthá from the neighbourhood of Poona to the Várna belonged to this family.⁵