New History of the Marathas v2.c24.43

v2.c24.43

3. Coronation at Satara.—After this first success Shahu lost no time in marching on Satara, halting a short while at Shirwal, near which another faithful adherent of Tarabai, the redoubtable Sachiv Shankaraji Narayan, had his official residence in fort Rohida near Bhor. Shahu called upon him to surrender or take the consequences of refusal. The Sachiv confounded by this peremptory summons, put an end to his life by swallowing poison on 27th October, 1707. As he failed to appear, Shahu personally marched against him and, to his dismay, while ascending the heights met the Sachiv's dead body being brought down for cremation on the banks of the stream below. Feeling very sad at heart, he directly went up to the Sachiv's palace, comforted with soothing words the dead Sachiv's shrewd wife Yesubai, conferred the hereditary office of Sachiv upon her young son then about a year old, and with singular tact and judgment gained the affection of a large section of the Maratha populace in those homelands of the Mawals.