History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c73.s1: § 1. The leading Maratha ministers and generals at the accession of Rajaram.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c73.s1
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§ 1. The leading Maratha ministers and generals at the accession of Rajaram.
v5.c73.s1.1
When the great Shivaji's successor Shambhuji was killed by Aurangzib (March 1689) and his family was closely besieged in Raigarh, it seemed very likely that the newly created Maratha kingdom and independent nationality would be destroyed very soon. The prospect became still more gloomy at the end of the year, when Shambhuji's sons were captured and his successor Rajaram driven into hopeless flight by the Mughals. In this terrible national crisis the genius of the Maratha people saved them and secured their liberty. It is, therefore, necessary to study the leaders of this almost kingless State during the period.
v5.c73.s1.2
At the time of the downfall of Shambhuji and the hurried crowning of Rajaram (Feb. 1689), the leading persons in the Maratha State who had survived the havoc of Shambhuji's reign were three: Nilkantha Moreshwar Pinglé the Peshwa, Ramchandra Nilkantha Bavdékar the Amatya, and Shankaraji Malhar the Sachiv.* In addition to them there was an officer possessed of the highest cleverness and experience, namely, Prahlad, the son of the late Chief Justice and shrewd diplomatist, Niraji Ravji. This Prahlad had been Maratha ambassador at Golkonda, and had, in that capacity, done signal services to Shivaji and Shambhuji, and the influence and knowledge that he had thus acquired were so great that he became all in all in the council of Rajaram at Jinji.
v5.c73.s1.3
∗ This distribution of offices is tentative, being based upon Chitnis, ii. 39-40. In the *Modern Review*, May 1924, p. 588, a writer gives reasons for doubting its correctness.
v5.c73.s1.4
Three other men, who had hitherto filled only subordinate posts, now forced their way by their genius and enterprise to the first rank of State servants and popular leaders in this crisis of Maratha history. They were Dhana Singh Jadav and Santaji Ghorparé (the two rivals for the office of Senapati), and Parashuram Trimbak, who finally rose to the post of Regent in 1701.*