New History of the Marathas v1.c18.28

v1.c18.28

This disinterested and far-sighted counsel touched every Maratha soul and was at once acted upon. The leaders took solemn oaths of remaining faithful to Shahu as their Chhatrapati and carrying on the warfare in his name till the country was liberated from the enemy's possession. Accordingly Rājārām slipped out of Raigad on 5 April, proceeded to Pratāpgad and despatched his wives and party for safety into the difficult fortresses of Vishālgad and Rāngnā. Some of the other leaders, Rāmchandra Pant Amātya, Pralhād Nirāji and Shankaraji Malhār Sachiv, also left Raigad and in mutual consultation from different places commenced an unprecedented campaign of fire, plunder and brigandage into the Mughal territory, using a net work of spies to obtain information of the enemy's movements.