Shivaji and His Times c6.s3: §5. Shivaji invades Konkan
Shivaji and His Times c6.s3
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§5. Shivaji invades Konkan
c6.s3.1
In the second half of the year 1657, the northward retreat of Prince Aurangzib, the likelihood of a civil war for the throne of Delhi, and the wrangles among the Bijapuri nobles about responsibility for their ill-success in the recent war with the Mughals (which culminated in the murder of the wazir Khan Muhammad),—all combined to remove the only checks on Shivaji's ambition, and he now launched forth on a fresh career of conquest and plunder unhampered by any fear or caution.
c6.s3.2
On 31st July he despatched Raghunath Pant to reinforce his attack on the Siddis of Janjira. And when the rains ceased and the dry season for campaigning began again (in October), he himself hastened to a new field. Crossing the Western Ghats he burst into Konkan. The northern part of this coast-strip formed the Kalian (modern, Thana) district and was then held by an Arab named Mulla Ahmad of the Nawaiyat (emigrant) clan, one of the leading nobles of Bijapur. The protracted illness of Muhammad Adil Shah had detained this governor at Bijapur for a long time, and during his absence the defence of his jagir had grown slack and inefficient. (*A. N.* 576). A considerable amount of disaffection and disorder seems to have prevailed among the petty chieftains of the district, which was a recent acquisition from the Nizam-Shahi State and where the authority of the new Government sat loose.
c6.s3.3
He easily seized the rich towns of Kalian* and Bhivandi (24 Oct. 1657), which were then without walls, and there took much wealth and costly merchandise. The fort of Mahuli, which had once been the last refuge of Shahji, was next captured (8 Jan. 1658.) The Kalian sub-division with some other parts of the Thana district, thus passed into Shiva's possession, and he got a firm footing in Northern Konkan, which he rapidly improved in the course of the year. His progress southwards into the Kolaba district seems to have been assisted by the petty local chiefs who were eager to throw off Muslim yoke and wrote inviting him to come. (T. S. 13a.) Surgarh (8 miles east), Birwadi (5 miles west), Tala (10 miles south), Ghosalgarh (5 m. s. w.), Bhurap or Sudhagarh (15 miles east of Roha town), Kangori (12 miles east of Mahad), and above all the impregnable fortress of Rairi (Raigarh) which was to be his future capital, all passed into his hands, and thus the Abyssinians of Janjira lost the eastern half of the Kolaba district to him. At Birwadi and Lingana (5 miles east of Raigarh) he built strong forts. From the base of Kalian, his troops plundered the neighbouring Portuguese territory (belonging to the province of Daman, called "the North" in the records), and established themselves in the fort of Aseri (midway between Mahim and Jawhar) as a permanent menace. The Portuguese are said to have bought his forbearance by promising an annual tribute, [according to the *Jedhe Karina*, but unsupported by the Portuguese records, *vide* Viceroy's letter to King of Portugal, dated Goa, 15 May 1658, in Pissurlencar, i. 4.] Kalian and Bhivandi were immediately turned into naval bases and dockyards by Shivaji. [*Ibid.*, letter of 16 Aug. 1659.]
c6.s3.4
∗ Shivaji's chivalry to a Muhammadan girl (the daughter-in-law of Mulla Ahmad) captured in the Kalian campaign, T. S. 14a. Tavernier (ii. 205) reports the rumour that Shiva discovered buried treasure at Kalian. Jedhe S.; T. S. 13a—14a.
c6.s3.5
But he did not occupy Mahad or the country south of that town in this campaign. Abaji Sondev was created viceroy of the province thus won in North Konkan, which included the eastern part of the Thana and Kolaba districts. The history of the Maratha conflict with the Siddis of Janjira in this province will be narrated in Chapter 14.
c6.s3.6
We may conveniently pause here and take note of the exact size of the infant Maratha kingdom. At the cautious outset of his independent career (1647-48), Shivaji's territory embraced most parts of his father's western jagir and his own early annexations from Bijapur. These together covered the southern half of the Puna district, and their northern boundary was the old Mughal frontier,—a line running diagonally from the north-western to near the south-eastern corner of that district and avoiding the Mughal forts at Junnar, Visapur, and Parnir; *i.e.*, for some distance the Ghod river divided the two dominions in the north; Junnar and Chamargunda belonged to the Mughals and Chakan to Shivaji. His southern boundary was marked by the outposts of Indapur and Baramati, and the forts of Rajgarh and Torna (and possibly also Kondana.)
c6.s3.7
The above was his position in 1648. But by the year 1659 he had extended his dominions in the uplands or *Desh* to the southern limit of the Satara district, and in Konkan from Mahuli to near Mahad. Thus he now became master of the whole of North Konkan except the ports and adjacent lands on the west coast (which belonged to Bijapur, the Siddis, and the Portuguese) and the extreme north of the Thana district, while the country from Mahad southwards was yet to be won.
c6.s3.8
The greatly expanded Maratha kingdom was now organized on a stronger and more elaborate plan: Moro Trimbak Pingle was appointed Chancellor (Peshwa) in the place of the incompetent Shyamraj Nilkanth Ranjhekar, Nilo Sondev Accountant-General (majmuadar) vice Balkrishna Pant, and Netaji Palkar as Master of the Horse (sar-i-naubat.) Two new posts, those of Surnis (Superintendent of Correspondence) and Waqnis (News-writer) were created and given to Abaji Sondev and Gangaji Mangaji respectively.* The cavalry now mustered 10,000, out of whom 7,000 were mounted on Government horses and the rest on their own; the Mavle infantry numbered 10,000 and their commander was Yesaji Kank. (Sabh. 11.) The forts, old and newly acquired, held by Shivaji in 1659 numbered forty. (A. N. 576.) On 14 May, 1657 the newly-founded kingdom was blessed with the birth of an heir to the throne, the ill-fated Shambhuji.