New History of the Marathas v1.c10.46

v1.c10.46

The President confessed his inability to coerce Shivaji into obedience, and when the prisoners became convinced that they could not obtain release through any outside agency, they pleaded with Rāoji Somnāth for mercy. In the meantime Revington fell ill and obtained release for treatment. He reached Surat on 17 October 1661 and died there a year later. On 17 January 1663 Rāoji Pandit came and carried the other captives to Rājāpur where they were released, when the following message under Shivaji’s seal was read to them. “ Let us forget the past. We had on hand a war with Bijapur for which funds were needed, and so Rājāpur had to suffer. We shall not repeat the affair.” After this the English factors resumed their trade at Rājāpur. A writer in that factory informed the Surat President that “Shivaji’s raid on Rājāpur cost it in plunder the amount of 24,000 Hons, the death of two persons and the detention of the factors for two years.” The English merchants long continued to press Shivaji for reparation of the damage caused to them in the Rājāpur plunder, but he declined, being sure he had acted with perfect justice.