History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c64.s18.2

v4.c64.s18.2

On 27th December 1683, Captain Richard Keigwin, at the head of a band of English mutineers, seized the fort of Bombay from the East India Company's governor, and proclaimed the direct rule of the king of England over the island. He adopted a vigorous policy and, in April 1684, forced Siddi Qasim, the Mughal admiral, to respect the neutrality of Bombay by ceasing to make that island the base of his operations against the Maratha villages on the mainland opposite to it. At this time an ambassador of the Maratha State was prisoner to one of the Mughal generals who wanted to put him to death. But Keigwin by friendly negotiations secured the person of the ambassador and set him free. These two events highly pleased Shambhuji, who gave up all hostile intentions towards the English. Keigwin seized the opportunity by sending at the end of April two ambassadors (Captain Henry Gary and Lt. Thomas Wilkins) with Ram Shenvi as interpreter, to Shambhuji, to settle the long-standing differences about the indemnity claimed by the English for Shivaji's sack of their Rajapur factory in March 1661 and other matters and to make a friendly alliance with the Maratha Rajah. The mission was a complete success. Shambhuji granted all the demands of the English and signed two agreements with them containing 30 and 11 articles [Orme MSS. 118.]