Shivaji and His Times c8.s29: §8. His escape discovered by the police
Shivaji and His Times c8.s29
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§8. His escape discovered by the police
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Meanwhile, at Agra, Hiraji lay in Shivaji's bed all that night and well into the afternoon of the next day. The guards who peeped in in the morning were satisfied when they saw Shiva's gold bracelet on the sleeper's wrist, and a servant sitting on the floor massaging the royal patient's feet. About 3 P.M. Hiraji quietly walked out of the house with the servant, warning the sentries at the gate, "Make less noise; Shivaji is ill and under treatment." Gradually the guards' suspicion was aroused; the house seemed strangely deserted; no crowd of visitors came to see Shiva as usual; and there was no sound, no stir in the house. They entered his room and found that the bird had flown away! They at once ran with the astounding news to their chief Fulad Khan, who reported it to the Emperor, ascribing Shiva's flight to witchcraft and saving himself from all blame. "The Rajah," so he said, "was in his own room. We visited it regularly. But he vanished all of a sudden from our sight. Whether he flew into the sky or disappeared into the earth, is not known, nor what magical trick he has played."
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Aurangzib was not the man to be taken in by such a tale. A hue and cry was immediately raised, and fast couriers and sergeants-at-arms were sent off to watch the road to the Deccan through Berar and Khandesh, and to warn the local officers to look out for the fugitives. The Maratha Brahmans and other followers of Shivaji were arrested wherever found, at Agra or near it. But by this time Shiva had had twenty-four hours' clear start over his pursuers.
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The vigorous inquiry made at the capital gradually brought to light the details of the romantic flight. Suspicion naturally fell on Ram Singh, as he had so often tried to avoid accepting responsibility for Shiva's presence at Agra, and it was his interest to effect the Maratha chief's safe return home, for which he and his father had pledged their honour. Some of the Maratha Brahmans who were caught admitted, probably under torture, that their master had fled with the connivance of Ram Singh. (H. A. 201a.) The Rajput prince was punished, first by being forbidden the Court and then being deprived of his rank and pay.∗
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∗ Trimbak Pant (Dabir) and Raghunath Pant Korde were arrested on 20th August, and escaped from Agra on 3rd April next year. (J. S.). The three leading Brahmans of Shiva's service under arrest were probably tortured by Fulad Khan. They alleged that the flight of Shivaji was due to the advice of Ram Singh and resulted from the latter's neglect to watch him well. (H. A. 200a, 201a.) Eleven months later, on the death of his
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§9. Route of Shivaji’s flight.
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With consummate cunning Shiva threw his pursuers off the scent, by following a route exactly opposite to that which leads to Maharashtra. Instead of moving due south-west from Agra, through Malwa and Khandesh or Gujrat, he travelled northwards to Mathura, then eastwards to Allahabad, Benares and Gaya, and finally south-westwards through Gondwana and Golkonda, describing a vast loop round India before returning to Rajgarh.
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Arrived at Mathura, he found the boy Shambhu worn out by fatigue and unable to proceed further. Three Deccani Brahmans,—Krishnaji, Kashi, and Visaji, brothers-in-law of Moro Trimbak (the Peshwa), were living at this holy city. Niraji knew them and confided to them the story of Shiva’s escape and his present plight. They nobly responded to the appeal in the name of their country and faith, and braving all risks of imperial vengeance in the event of detection, they agreed to keep Shambhuji* till Shiva should reach home and write for him. One of the brothers, Krishnaji, even undertook to guide the fugitives as far as Benares.
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Shivaji had crammed the hollow core of a sannyasi’s staff with gems and gold coins. Some more money was concealed in his shoes, and a diamond of great value and several rubies coated with wax were sewn in the dresses of his servants or carried in their mouths.
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At Mathura, which was reached within six hours of leaving Agra, he shaved off his beard and moustaches,
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father, Ram Singh was taken back into favour and created a 4-hazari, but was soon afterwards sent to join the army fighting in Assam, to die of pestilence there. (A. N. 1051).
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∗ According to the Maratha chroniclers, also Dil. 61, Shambhuji was left at Mathura in charge of Kashi Pant and his brothers. But K. K. (ii. 201 & 218) incorrectly says that he was entrusted to Kavi Kulesh at Allahabad.
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smeared himself with ashes, and put on the disguise of sannyasis. "Travelling in the darkness of the night with swift Deccani couriers, who were practised in the art of moving in various disguises and assumed characters," he rapidly left the capital behind him. Forty or fifty of his servants accompanied him divided into three parties and dressed as monks of the three Hindu orders, Bairagis, Gosains, and Udasis. (K. K. ii. 200 and 217.)