History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c64.s10.24

v4.c64.s10.24

At the beginning of May, Dom Francisco da Costa, the captain of Portuguese or Lower Chaul, bombarded and partly demolished Upper Chaul, which was a Maratha possession, in reprisal for the detention of a Portuguese priest in prison there. Shambhuji retaliated on 31st July, when his Peshwa, with 6,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry, laid siege to Chaul. Early in the morning of 8th August the Marathas made an assault on the city. The time was well-chosen; "the night watch had dispersed, and the men, weary from their vigil (the night having been very rainy), were resting and others were withdrawing to their houses. The enemy attacked the walls with many scaling ladders, which they easily set up, there being very few to oppose them. . . . But the alarm being sounded, religious and lay men flew to the walls, slew those who were already upon the walls and threw down the scaling ladders. The enemy suffered great loss, . . . . and in a short time were forced to abandon their attempt."