New History of the Marathas v1.c9.49

v1.c9.49

We have already seen that during the latter part of 1657 and the whole of 1658, Shivaji was busy consolidating his position in north and south Konkan, exactly adjoining his paternal jagir above the Ghats which he had formed into an independent State. The Sahyadri range has many tortuous passes and valleys through which Shivaji kept up easy and safe communication from the upcountry to the coast. As these passes were not then very well-known nor used by large armies, Shivaji conducted his affairs without molestation from his enemies. The territory of north Konkan was then divided from that of south Konkan by the creek known as the Vashisthi river, which runs from Chiplun to Dabhol. The country north of this river right up to Bassein, formed part of the old kingdom of Ahmadnagar and was handed over to the Adil Shah by the treaty of 1636. The lands south of the Vashisthi river already belonged to Bijapur and formed part of a jagir assigned to Rustam-i-Zaman. Shivaji’s growing prestige along the whole coast from Kalyan to Vingorla with Dabhol and Vijayadurg as fortified bases, excited the jealousy of this Rustam-i-Zaman and of the other powers such as the Siddis of Janjira and the European traders, with their factories on the coast.