A History of the Mahrattas v1.c15.112

v1.c15.112

A.D. 1676.—Sivajee, for the third time, took possession of the open country between Tattora and Panalla; and in order to prevent future inroads by the Jagheerdars in his neighbourhood, he gave orders for connecting those places by building a chain of forts, which he named Wurdungurh, Booshengurh, Sewdasheogurh, and Muchindergurh. Although of no great strength, they were judiciously chosen to support his intermediate posts, and to protect the highly productive tract within the frontier which they embrace. Whilst engaged in this arrangement, he was overtaken by a severe illness, the nature of which is unknown; but it confined him at Satara for several months. During this period he became extravagantly rigid in the observance of religious forms enjoined by his faith; but he was, at the same time, planning the most important expedition of his life.² The preliminary arrangements with other powers, the space over which his views extended, the combination of sagacity and enterprise, and the surprising success of the undertaking are altogether so remarkable, that, in order to be fully understood, some preliminary observations regarding the general state of the country would be proper on this account alone, but a brief retrospect is also necessary as an introduction to the important events of the next thirty years.