New History of the Marathas v1.c10.54

v1.c10.54

Shivaji made up his mind. Would he succeed in an attack on such a place, at least two hundred miles away without good roads or easy means of communication? The only highway to Surat lay through Burhanpur, which Shivaji must avoid. He had already established two military camps in the vicinity of Danda Rajpuri and Pen, with a view, as he gave out, to putting down the Siddi and the Portuguese. He established another camp near Nasik, all containing select men personally picked. With proper instructions issued in advance, portions of these specially prepared troops numbering about four thousand in all, started from their stations at an auspicious moment previously selected. Shivaji himself left Nasik about 1st January 1664 and his men marched through Mahuli, Kohaj, Jawhar and Ramnagar, all the detachments uniting at Gandevi, 28 miles south of Surat on Tuesday 5th January. The news of his approach reached Surat like a flash of lightning causing extreme terror and anxiety in every breast. Many people left the town with their families for safety outside.