The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c10.24

c10.24

Besides artillery of European manufacture, Shivaji also possessed some light pieces of Indian make called *Jejala* and *Zanburak* or *Shutarnal*. The shots were generally of stone or iron, but Shivaji did not possess a sufficient number of guns and cannons, for when he wanted to strengthen the fortress of Panhala, he had to weaken his strongholds in the Konkan by denuding them of their guns although he had purchased no less than 40 new pieces from the French that year.³ The Carwar factors actually thought that he had decided to leave the Konkan altogether, to such an extent were his fortresses in that part depleted of their protecting artillery, as appears from their letter to Surat dated 24 November 1679: ‘there is sent by Sevagee Sumjee Punditt, Anajee’s brother, for takeing of severall pieces of ordnance out of these castles as Ancholah, Carwar, Symisecre and Pundah to the amount of 30 which by the strength of men and buffaloes are to be drawne up to Pornollah, that it is supposed he intends to deliver up the Cocon⁴ to the Duccanees’.⁵