New History of the Marathas v2.c25.41

v2.c25.41

3. Fall of Vijayadurg.—As the season of 1755 was advanced when the treaty was concluded, it was decided first to attack Suvarnadurg, the fort of Harnai, reserving the capture of Vijayadurg for the next fair season. Captain William James was appointed by the Bombay Council to lead the naval expedition and was accompanied by Ramajipant. They left the Bombay harbour on 22nd March and were joined by the Maratha naval ships outside the fort of Chaul. On 29th the joint navy fired on the Angria’s ships in the harbour of Suvarnadurg. The latter ran away and escaped. On 2nd April gun-fire was opened upon the fort. On 3rd an explosion took place in the fort in which the store of Angria’s ammunition was burnt up. The next day 4th April, some of Angria’s men came to Ramajipant with a white flag and the attackers landed in the fort, which surrendered on the 12th. Javji Gauli and Khandoji Mankar supported the operations from the land on behalf of the Peshwa. Shamsher Bahadur and Dinkar Mahadev were two other commanders whom the Peshwa nominated for conducting land operations against Tulaji. They descended through the Amba pass upon Angria’s fort of Ratnagiri late in May and invested it on the landward side; but they could not take the fort without naval co-operation, which the advent of the monsoon prevented. That place was captured next year on 18th February 1756. A little before this Anjanvel and Govalkot were also taken from Tulaji’s possession on 14th January of the same year by the Peshwa’s men.