Shivaji and His Times c5.s6.46

c5.s6.46

Shivaji had kept himself ready to follow up his agent's crime. Immediately on hearing of the murder of the Mores, he arrived and assaulted Javli (15 Jan. 1656.) The leaderless garrison defended themselves for six hours and were then overcome. Chandra Rao's two sons and entire family were made prisoners. But his kinsman and manager, Hanumant Rao More, rallied the partisans of the house and held a neighbouring village in force, menacing Shivaji's new conquest. Shiva found that "unless he murdered Hanumant, the thorn would not be removed from Javli." (Sabh. 10.) So, he sent a Maratha officer of his household named Shambhuji Kavji with a pretended proposal of marriage to Hanumant Rao, who was then stabbed to death at a private interview. The whole kingdom of Javli now passed into Shivaji's possession and he was free to invade South Konkan with ease or extend his dominion southwards into the Kolhapur district.