New History of the Marathas v1.c17.92

v1.c17.92

Next day, the Emperor sent his trusted personal officer Ruhulla Khan to talk to Sambhaji and make him an offer of his life on condition, that (1) he surrendered all his forts, (2) disclosed all his hidden treasures, and (3) declared the names of those Mughal officers who were in league with him. Fretting with bitterness of soul at having been publicly insulted and driven to desperation, Sambhaji spurned the offer of life with all the vehemence he could gather, loosened his tongue in abuse of the Emperor and his Prophet, giving free vent to his long pent up sentiments against the Muslim faith, and scurrilously asked for one of Aurangzeb's daughters as the price of his friendship. The envoy dared not report to the Emperor the foul language he had heard, but conveyed only a hint of its purport. For once Sambhaji behaved with a stoic firmness worthy of the great Shivaji, and fully atoned by the manner of death for all the sins he had committed in life.