Shivaji and His Times c13.s6: §6. Shivaji's grand entry into Haidarabad
Shivaji and His Times c13.s6
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§6. Shivaji's grand entry into Haidarabad
c13.s6.1
The city of Haidarabad had been gaily decorated to welcome the great friend and protector of her king. "The streets and lanes on all sides were coloured with a thin layer of kunkum powder and saffron. Maypoles and triumphal arches were erected and flags hung at intervals throughout the city. The citizens in their hundreds of thousands lined the roads" to gaze on the scene, while the ladies crowded on the balconies to bless the visitor.
c13.s6.2
∗ Sabh. 86. The army that followed Shivaji into the Karnatak is estimated by H. Gary in a letter dated 16th Jan. 1678, as 20,000 horse and 40,000 foot (O. C. 4314.) Sabhasad mentions only "a select force of 25,000 horsemen" (p. 85). The Madras Council estimates the force at "16 to 20 thousand horse and several thousand of foot, raised and raising among the woods." (19 June, 1677, O. C. 4266.)
c13.s6.3
The guests responded to the city's civility. The Maratha army, for once, abandoned its rude simplicity and magnificently attired itself. Shiva had distributed among his captains and select soldiers strings of pearls (*torah*) for their helmets, gold bracelets, bright new armour, and rich accoutrements embroidered with gold, "and made the whole army look splendid." His generals in their equipment and trappings rivalled the grandeur of hereditary nobles.
c13.s6.4
At the auspicious hour chosen for the interview,* the Maratha army 50,000 strong entered the city. The citizens gazed with admiration not unmixed with awe at the men who had vanquished the greatest kings of North India and South India alike, and caused wailing at the Court of Bijapur and consternation among the peerage of Delhi. Here rode the fleet hardy horsemen who had poured like a swift resistless flood to the farthest districts of Mughal Deccan and carried their raids to the very gates of Bijapur and Golkonda. There tramped the Mavle infantry, whose feats were the theme of many a ballad and legend throughout the Southern land, whose assault no fort had been able to withstand, and whose swords were dreaded by every foe they had met in battle. The leaders were men whose names had become household words: Hambir Rao Mohite, the dashing but far-sighted commander-in-chief; Anand Rao and Manaji More, two generals second only to Hambir Rao; Suryaji Malusare and Yesaji Kank, the gigantic captains of the Mavles, each able to subdue an elephant in single combat; Sonaji Nayak, the royal door-keeper; and Babaji Dhandhere, (probably the captain of the body-guard.)
c13.s6.5
∗ Shivaji at Haidarabad: Sabh. 86-88; Malkare 77; T. S. 36a-37b; Dil. 112-113.
c13.s6.6
Nor even among such heroic figures did the citizens fail to notice the high brows, the bright but sunken eyes, and the painted foreheads of the Maratha Brahmans, whose administrative capacity and diplomatic skill had facilitated and confirmed the conquests achieved by the swords of these men: Raghunath and Janardan Narayan Hanumante, until recently the uncrowned kings of Tanjore; Prahlad Niraji, the resident ambassador at Haidarabad; Dattaji Trimbak the chronicler (waqnis), Kesho Pant, and Nilo Moreshwar and Gangadhar Pant the auditors (majmuadars.) With them were mingled the more retiring and studiously unostentatious figures of the Kayastha writers: Nila Prabhu, the accomplished Persian draftsman (munshi), Balaji Avji, that jewel of a secretary (chitnis) whom Shivaji loved to keep close to his person; and also, but of another caste, Shamji Nayak, the Keeper of the Seal.
c13.s6.7
But none of them attracted so much attention as the moving spirit of all this host. In the centre of a brilliant throng of ministers and generals, rode a short spare figure, rendered still thinner by his recent illness and the fatigue of an unbroken march of 300 miles. His quick beaming eyes were glancing right and left, and a natural smile played on his long light brown face distinguished by a Roman nose. The assembled citizens gave cheers for "Shiva Chhatrapati"; flowers made of gold and silver were showered on him from the balconies crowded with ladies and the road-side alike. Every now and then the women came forward and waved lighted lamps round his person with verses of welcome and blessing. Nor was Shiva less liberal. In his turn he kept showering handfuls of gold and silver among the crowd on the two sides and presented costly robes of honour to the chief citizens of every ward.