New History of the Marathas v1.c18.55

v1.c18.55

For the first few years of the present phase of the war, Jinji formed the main objective of the Emperor’s efforts for putting down the Marathas. Zulfiqar Khan exerted himself to the utmost, but was severely hampered by the hostile surroundings in which he was placed. He realized the hopelessness of subduing the Marathas under the prevailing conditions and tried for a time the policy of conciliating them. Very often the troops of Dhanāji and Santāji pressed him so hard from without, that instead of his besieging Jinji, he often found himself and his host surrounded and starved, so that in his extremity he had to raise the siege and seek replenishment of his forces in the outlying districts, during the summer of 1691.