The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c7.s8.210

c7.s8.210

On the death of Shiváji there was for some months every prospect of a war between the adherents of his two sons. Rájárám, the younger, was at Ráygad, and the army there and in the neighbourhood was greatly strengthened in his interest. Sambháji was at Panhálá, and the conspiracy against him at first seemed formidable and Phond Sávant took the opportunity of recovering the territory south of the Karlai river. But by the end of June the opposition had lost all its strength, and Sambháji escorted by 5000 horse entered Ráygad in July. He there punished with great rigour those who had led the opposition against him, and Annáji Dattu, the late governor of the Konkan, was one of the first who was imprisoned, and soon afterwards put to death.¹ His place was taken by the notorious Kalusha, who having at first put additional cesses and exactions on the mild and equal assessment which Annáji Dattu had imposed, eventually displaced the regular revenue officers and farmed out the districts.² The struggle between Sambháji and the Sidi for the possession of the islands of Underi and Khánderi was renewed but without any decided result, and the fleets did little more than threaten one another.¹ The English were equally anxious to get rid of both parties, but were not able. In May 1681 Sultán Akbar, the fourth son of Aurangzeb, having been in rebellion against his father, fled with 400 Rajputs to Sambháji, and arrived at Páli³ near Nágothna on July 1st, where he remained and was treated with great respect till Sambháji came down in September, and they returned together to Ráygad.⁴ Sambháji gave him a house three kos from Ráygad and a fixed allowance but after a time began to treat him with less respect.⁵ This alliance increased Aurangzeb's hostility to the Maráthás, and his ships were again ordered to ravage the coast. In July 4000 of Sambháji's troops had come from Ráygad to Nágothna, and from there made an attack on Underi, but were beaten off, and the Sidi retaliated as usual on the inhabitants of the opposite coast. In particular the town of Apta was burnt as it had been in 1673.⁴ In January 1682 Sultán Akbar accompanied Sambháji to the siege of Janjira, which was carried on this year on an unusual scale, the fortifications first being levelled by cannonading, and the arduous work of filling up the channel between the mainland and the island then entered on.¹ The siege was continued till August, and then abandoned after a storming party had been repulsed with a loss of 200 men; but Sambháji had been called away in February by a raid of the Moghals in the Kalyán district, 20,000 horse and 15,000 foot having come down the Gháts from Junnar. These he successfully opposed with a large army, and he also this year built the fort of Belápur³ to protect that neighbourhood from the irruptions of the Sidis. But the latter who again kept their ships during the rains in Bombay harbour, made raids into the Marátha territory even as far as Mahád, and Sambháji's fleet at Nágothna and Khánderi could do little. In October the fleets of Sambháji and the Sidi were engaged in Bombay harbour, and the Maráthás, who on this occasion were also commanded by a Sidi, were defeated after a fight of four hours, on which Sambháji plundered a few Portuguese villages in disgust and prepared to fortify Elephanta.⁴