New History of the Marathas v1.c9.54

v1.c9.54

“The coast lines of the Konkan broken by many creeks offered excellent shelter for ships and the rocky islands near the coast presented invulnerable sites for naval strongholds. Once in secure possession of the Konkan, Shivaji early realized the necessity of a strong fighting fleet. The peace and prosperity of his *raj* demanded it. It was not his aim to secure the freedom of the seas against the world. He was quite content to share the sovereignty with his neighbours. On 16 August 1659 the Governor of Goa wrote to the King of Portugal, ‘Shivaji has made himself master of the lands near Bassein and Chaul and built some ships of war at Bhivandi, Kalyan, and Panvel.” The Mughal Emperors had criminally neglected this vital subject.