New History of the Marathas v1.c9.36

v1.c9.36

3. North and south Konkan seized.—Shivaji’s clever spies were long employed in the surrounding country and he himself toured the Kalyan district in order to gauge the strength of its defences. During 1655 as Shivaji was launching his attack on Jāvli he received news that the Adil Shah of Bijapur being in sore need of money had called upon the Governor of Kalyan named Mulla Ahmad,² to personally convey all his accumulated revenue to Bijapur under a strong escort. Relays were laid on the route and local officials instructed to render help. Shivaji employed one party to make a sudden dash and carry away the treasure as it would pass by the route of Purandar, and another simultaneously to fall upon Kalyan itself. The plan proved eminently successful and the entire treasure was carried away safely and deposited in the strong vaults of Rajgad. While this sudden dash was being perpetrated near Poona, Shivaji’s Peshwa Shyāmraj Nilakanth and his cousin Dādāji Bāpuji with a body of select troops surprized Kalyan itself, then denuded of all means of defence in the absence of the Governor. Another party of expert Mavalas led by Sakho Krishna Lohokare swooped down simultaneously upon the neighbouring post of Bhivandi. Shivaji planted strong garrisons both at Kalyan and Bhivandi and prepared to resist any reprisals by Bijapur. He then fortified the harbour of Kalyan and captured Māhuli and the other neighbouring forts to the south and north of Kalyan. Chaul, Tale, Ghosale, Rajmachi, Lohgad, Kangori, Tung-Tikonā, all these were quickly seized one after another and strongly fortified, so that within a year’s time Shivaji’s small estate came to be doubled in extent and more than doubled in point of value and resources. Thus towards the end of October 1657 the whole province of north Konkan came into Shivaji’s possession. He lost no time in establishing a strong and beneficent rule therein, so as to make the people feel the happy effects of the change in comparison with the previous misrule. Shivaji appointed Ābāji Sondev as the first Governor of this Kalyan province. The Portuguese of Chaul felt serious alarm for their security on account of this new Maratha neighbour.