New History of the Marathas v1.c17.66

v1.c17.66

7. The Portuguese cowed by Sambhaji.—Here we must go back a little and trace Sambhājī’s occupations on the west coast. After the first outburst of his vindictive fury, things settled down at Raigad and he moved out to attend to the Siddi of Janjirā and the Portuguese of Chaul, these neighbours of Sambhājī having been called upon by the Emperor to join in his war against the Marāthā king. The Siddi was the Emperor’s admiral and now being egged on to attack Sambhājī, he furiously raided Maratha territory right up to the foot of Raigad towards the end of 1681. Sambhājī at once accepted the challenge and launched his whole naval force of 150 fighting ships and some five thousand select sailors against Janjira and invested the place both by land asd sea. Dādji Raghunāth Prabhu Mahadkar, Sambhājī’s intrepid general⁷ created terrible havoc against the Siddi in the early months of 1682, when Siddi Kasam defended his position with great heroism. But just at this moment the Emperor arrived in the Deccan and Sambhājī was compelled to raise the siege of Janjira in order to meet the fearful attacks that were directed against him by the Mughal forces in several other directions.