New History of the Marathas v1.c9.43

v1.c9.43

As the administrative work increased, new appointments were made. Nilo Sondev, brother of Ābāji the Governor of Kalyan, was made Muzmudar. Ānāji Datto was made Surnis or Sachiv. Gangu Mangāji was appointed Waqenavis; Mānkoji Dahātonde the Surnobat of cavalry died and in his place was appointed Netāji Pālkar. But more than all, the services of a most faithful and capable Secretary Bālāji Āvji were obtained for the office of his Chitnis. Bālāji was indeed an acquisition. For now Shivaji had to depend for the prompt and proper transmission of his orders upon a trustworthy and devoted secretary. Such a one was found in Bālāji. His father Avji Chitre and his brothers held high positions under the Siddis of Janjira on the west coast. The family came to be disgraced and severely punished by the Siddis on account of some supposed derelictions of duty. Āvji's brother was put to death and his wife Gul Bai and children ordered to be exiled to Maskat. Gul Bai proved a clever woman; as she and her children sailed in a ship from Janjira proceeding to Maskat, she managed by bribing the Captain to be disembarked at the port of Rājāpur, where her brother Visāji Shankar, a respectable trader, purchased her and the children as slaves by paying to the Captain the amount he demanded for them. Gul Bai had three sons, Bālāji, a fairly grown up lad, and two younger ones Chimāji and Shyāmji. Bālāji wrote a nice hand and was brought up by his uncle and initiated into his business. The three brothers and their mother changed their names and lived in hiding at Rājāpur for fear of being discovered and ill-used by the Siddis. When Shivaji happened to visit Rājāpur about the year 1658 Bālāji contrived to meet him, related his troubles and begged to be saved from the Siddis’ wrath. Shivaji readily agreed, being delighted to have an opportunity of serving the Hindu cause, and took the whole family under his protection. They amply repaid these favours by faithful service through generations.