New History of the Marathas v1.c12.39

v1.c12.39

“The news (of the Mughal defeat before Salher) reached the Emperor and grieved him sorely. He did not make his public appearance for three days, saying “It seems God Almighty is pleased to deprive the Muslims of their Empire and bestow it upon an infidel. Why, I should rather die than live to see such results.” The Emperor’s foster-brother Bahadur Khan Koka, was then near the Emperor, when the latter uttered the above lamentation. He comforted the Emperor saying, “I am ready to go and retrieve the Mughal honour. I will attack Shivaji and humble him.” The Emperor took comfort in this declaration and at once appointed Bahadur Khan to the government of the Deccan with Dilir Khan as his assistant. A local Marathi poet of the time thus described the Emperor’s grief at the unbroken success of Shivaji :—