New History of the Marathas v1.c19.s1.1

v1.c19.s1.1

to take particular note of the manner Shāhu led his life in the Emperor’s camp, as he was destined to be the future Chhatrapati of the Marathas. When Raigad was captured by Zulfiqar Khan on 3rd November 1689 Sambhājī’s Rani Yesubai, then about 30 years of age and her young son Shāhu of seven years, two illegitimate sons of Sambhājī named Madan Sinh and Madhav Sinh, Rani Sakwarbai, the sole surviving widow of the great Shivājī, with a following of about 200 men and women were captured and taken to the Emperor’s camp. Here they had to spend seventeen years in captivity which dimmed all their hopes in this world; and although ultimately Shāhu came out of the bitter trial safe, there was during the interval constantly hanging over his head the sword of an unknown fate, well acquainted as he was with the Emperor’s methods of dealing with an opponent, blinding an enemy, converting him to his faith or imprisoning him for life. Those who accuse Shāhu of pusillanimity, engendered by the luxuries of a soft palace life, forget that he never had been to Delhi and seen the palace life of that capital. He had constantly to undergo the same privations and hardships as the fighting members of the Emperor’s camp, in addition to being a closely watched prisoner, a pawn in the Emperor’s game to be utilized as occasion would require.