Shivaji and His Times c14.s1: §1. Adventures during return from the Karnatak

Shivaji and His Times c14.s1

Language: English

§1. Adventures during return from the Karnatak

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After his marvellous success in the invasion of the Karnatak, Shivaji left the Madras plains (early in November, 1677) and ascended the Mysore plateau, conquering its eastern and central parts.[*]

Leaving Mysore (January, 1678) he crossed the Tungabhadra, and by way of Kopal and Gadag, reached Lakshmishwar in the Dharwar district. The desai, named Khangauda, had evacuated his fort in terror, and it was occupied by the Marathas. Bankapur, 20 miles s. w. of Lakshmishwar, was next threatened, in the middle of January, 1678. (O. C. 4314.) From this place Shivaji turned his steps northwards, and arrived near Sampgaon in the Belgaum district. At Belvadi, a small village 12 miles s. e. of Sampgaon and 30 miles s. e. of Belgaum, Savitri Bai, the widowed lady proprietor, plundered some transport bullocks of Shiva's army when passing by. Her fort was at once besieged, but she defended it most heroically for 27 days, after which it was carried by assault and she herself was captured.[†]

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∗ His route is thus given in Sabhasad, 91: Kolhar—Balapur—Kopal—Lakshmishwar—Khangauda desai chastised—Sampgaon district—Balvada desain invested, captured, and "taught a lesson"—Panhala. Kopal is north of the Tungabhadra, 22 m. west of the ruins of Vijaynagar, and 105 miles due south of Bijapur. Gadag is 35 m. west of Kopal, and Lakshmishwar, 24 m. south of Gadag.

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† T. S., 38a, thus describes her fate: "A woman named Savitri was the patelni (village headman's wife) of Belvadi. From the shelter of her fort she fought Shiva for one month. On her provisions and munitions

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This long check by a woman, before a petty mud-fort, greatly lowered Shivaji's prestige. As the English merchants of Rajapur wrote on 28th February, 1678: "He is at present besieging a fort where, by relation of their own people come from him, he has suffered more disgrace than ever he did from all power of the Mughal or the Deccans (=Bijapuris), and he who hath conquered so many kingdoms is not able to reduce this woman desai!" (F. R. Surat, 107.)

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Soon afterwards Shivaji had another and very great disappointment,—probably the greatest in his life, which we describe in the words of the Rajapur factors in their letter of 3rd April. "Jamshid Khan, since the death of his master the Nawab [Bahlol Khan, on 23rd Dec., 1677] found himself incapable of longer holding out, agrees with Shivaji to deliver up [the fort of Bijapur and the person of Sikandar Adil Shah] to him for 600,000 pagodas. Siddi Masaud, having intelligence of this, feigns a sickness, at last death, and causes a handol publicly to be sent away with part of the army to Adoni, the residue (of his troops) about 4,000 sent to Jamshid, pretending that since the leader was dead, if he would entertain them they would serve him. He presently accepts their service and receives them into the Fort, who within two days seized his person, caused the gates to be opened and received the Siddi in alive, (21st Feb., 1678.) Shivaji upon his march hearing this news returns, and

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running short, she made a sortie, demolished all the siege trenches, and dispersed and slew many of the besiegers. For one day she kept the field heroically, but at last fled vanquished, was captured and greatly dishonoured. Sakhuji Gaikwar was the doer of this evil deed. Shivaji, on hearing of his act, put out both his eyes and thus gave him his deserts. He was imprisoned in the village of Manauli."

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is expected at Panhala in a short time." (F. R. Surat, Vol. 107.)

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In an age when almost every man had his price, Shivaji cannot be blamed for trying to make gains by bribery. The fort of Bijapur was for sale, and he only made a bid for it, and took his chance with other competitors for the position of keeper of the puppet Adil Shah, even as Shahji had been the keeper of a puppet Nizam Shah. Masaud and Bahlol were not more disinterested, but certainly less efficient than he would have been as regent of Bijapur.

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The news of the delivery of the Adil-Shahi capital to Siddi Masaud (21st February) reached Shivaji on his way from Belvadi through Turgal to Bijapur, and he swerved aside to the west and returned to his own stronghold of Panhala in the first week of April, 1678.

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§2. Maratha activity in 1677.

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At this stage we may conveniently inquire into what happened in Maharashtra during Shivaji's absence from home in the Karnatak expedition (January 1677—March 1678.) An army was sent under Shambhuji to annex some Portuguese territory near Goa. He demanded 60 villages from the Portuguese on the ground that they belonged to the fort of Phonda, which was now in Shivaji's possession; but on meeting with a refusal, he made a rash assault on the Portuguese, who beat him off. Then the Marathas left the district for Daman, hoping to find less opposition there (Nov. 1677.) But no permanent gain resulted from this campaign. (Dutch Rec., Vol. 34, No. 844.) The Maratha embassy to Goa in December 1677, will be described in Chapter 14.

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During this period the armies left at home under Moro Trimbak in the Desh and under Annaji Datto in Konkan, naturally confined themselves to minor raids, without venturing on any distant expedition. The Surat district was, as usual, subjected to contribution by the Maratha forces now quartered close by at Navsari, Gandavi, and Pindval, with Trimbakji in actual command, in the absence of the Peshwa. Their officers used boldly to enter even the city of Surat, with 40 or 50 troopers at a time and publicly demand provisions and money from the governor. In November, 1677, Dattaji taking advantage of the crushing repulse of Dilir and Bahlol by the Golkonda troops (two months earlier), roved the inland parts of Kanara and looted Hubli. Early in January, 1678, Moro Pant "plundered Trimbak, Nasik and other considerable places in the Mughal territory." Dilir Khan hastened there with the remnant of his broken army, (middle of February.)*