A History of the Mahrattas v1.c17.34

v1.c17.34

Sumbhajee, exasperated by this defeat, began to carry his threats against the Europeans into effect; he commenced with the Portuguese, by plundering some of their villages, and was preparing to fortify the island of Elephanta³ in Bombay harbour, for the purpose of annoying the English and preventing the Seedee’s vessels from anchoring at Mazagon during the monsoon; but he was diverted from this latter scheme, and suddenly resolved on endeavouring to form an alliance with the English against the Moghuls and the Seedee. His inducement to this plan was intelligence of great preparations on the part of Aurungzebe, and the arrival at Aurangabad of Sultan Mauzum; whom the Emperor had sent forward, appointed for the fourth time to the government of the four Soobehs of the Deccan.