History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c76.s3: § 4. Marathas recover Konkan.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c76.s3
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§ 4. Marathas recover Konkan.
v5.c76.s3.1
In December a Maratha army reoccupied Kalian, from which they ravaged all the Portuguese country between Bassein and Daman. From this time till six years later, Konkan remained in undisturbed Maratha possession. True, the coast-villages in Maratha territory were subject to depredation by landing parties from the Siddi fleet in alliance with the Mughals. But the inland parts were safe. Here the Marathas, at the end of Shambhuji's war of 1685, came to an understanding with their Portuguese neighbours for mutual aid against the Mughals. Here they repaired and strengthened their numberless old forts, and here most of the leading Marathas placed their families for safe refuge, as their old homeland on the plateau east of the Ghats was ravaged by warfare or occupied by Mughal forces. In this Thana district, Shahji had found his last stronghold when pursued by Shah Jahan's forces in 1636. Here the great Shivaji had built many forts. In Konkan lay Raigarh, the real capital of Shivaji and Shambhuji.
v5.c76.s3.2
In January 1685, Shihab-ud-din Khan had made a dash from his post of Puna, crossed the Bhorghat and penetrated to Gargoli, but Kavi-kalas had met and repulsed him there. [Z. S.] Throughout 1684 and the next three years the Mughals had to concentrate their forces in the south and south-east for the conquest of Bijapur and Golkonda, and could spare no troops for the occupation of Kalian.
v5.c76.s3.3
The situation changed in the last year of Shambhuji’s reign (1688), when vast Mughal forces were set free by the fall of the last independent Sultanate of the Deccan and the Maratha king was overwhelmed by civil war and sunk most deeply in his own vices.