New History of the Marathas v1.c14.4

v1.c14.4

1. Expansion southwards, necessity and opportunity.—Notwithstanding all the grandeur of his coronation and his assumption of the lofty titles of full sovereignty, Shivaji's actual dominions even now hardly extended beyond about 200 miles in length and far less in breadth, and did not cover even the whole of the Maratha country. The Siddi and the Portuguese were his nearest opponents on the west coast. The kingdoms of Bijapur and Golkonda remained a constant threat on his eastern flank, and although in themselves innocuous, they could serve as an easy instrument in the hands of the Mughals for attacking him. The Mughal pressure from the north was daily approaching his borders. His own brother too was now like him a crowned king and no less entitled to sovereignty. *Digvijay* or the conquest of the four quarters thus became a necessity of his situation, and was considered vital by the time-honoured tradition.