New History of the Marathas v1.c17.40

v1.c17.40

Hiroji Farzand and other thoughtful persons who visited Akbar and Durgadas at Pali, now realized, here was a splendid opportunity for Sambhājī to complete his father's task of releasing his homeland from the Mughal grasp and organize a spirited resistance to Aurangzeb's aggression. But these officers were sadly disappointed in Sambhājī that he possessed neither the character, nor the capacity required for a task of such immense magnitude and for leading the nation to victory in its hour of trial. Shivaji was an adept in grasping every opportunity that came in his way, but not so Sambhājī, whose impatient and suspicious temperament smelt treason and disloyalty in all his captains and helpmates. The Emperor learnt every detail about the activities of both Sambhājī and Akbar through a net-work of spies and took full advantage of it. He offered inducements to Sambhājī's followers and sowed sedition among them. Sambhājī at the same time came to be involved in dissensions in his own family and government at Raigad, thus weakening his position in an immense measure.