New History of the Marathas v2.c25.58

v2.c25.58

6. Manaji and Raghuji Angria.—With the death of Manaji Angria on 23rd September 1758, the element of disunion in the Angrian family was removed. Manaji’s death materially damaged the Peshwa’s cherished ambition of subjugating the Siddi of Janjira, as he had zealously co-operated with the Peshwa in that task a few months before. Manaji left 14 sons, ten legitimate and four illegitimate. Raghuji the eldest and the most capable of them all, was invested with both the hereditary titles of Sarkhel and Wazarat-Mab. This Raghuji kept up a steadfast friendship for the Peshwa’s house. After Manaji’s death the Peshwa spent four long months November 1758 to February 1759 in touring and personally inspecting the position of the west coast with a view to organizing an expedition against the Siddi. Raghuji’s youthful valour succeeded in capturing the Siddi’s strong out-post of Underi on 28th January 1759 and the fort of Kansa or Padmadurg near Murud about three miles from Janjira itself on 21st February following. Underi was named Jayadurg. Janjira itself would have fallen into Maratha hands in a short time had not Sadashivrao Bhau been suddenly called to the north. Soon after on 13th October 1760 the Peshwa pulled down fort Rajkot of Chaul and the grand Masjid in it. Chaul a Portuguese possession, had long been in the Maratha hands, but the strong ramparts and the Muslim mosque formed a perpetual nuisance to the Hindu inhabitants of the place and were completely razed to the ground.⁶