The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c10.6

c10.6

The European merchant companies carried on a regular trade in artillery and ammunition, and Shivaji, like his neighbours, naturally looked towards them for this much needed weapon. It was probably with this intent that he had permitted the French to build a factory at Rajapore, and this was undoubtedly one of the advantages that he expected from the settlement of an English factory at the port, for we read in a Surat letter dated 30 September 1671, that Mr. Stephen Ustick and Ram Sinay were instructed to let him know ‘if he gives us such encouragement that wee againe setle in his port he may obtain from us those advantages that other nations doe in whose ports we trade, but we would not positively have them promise him those granadoes, mortar pieces and ammunition he desires, nor absolutely deny him in regard wee do not think itt convenient to help him against Danda Rajpore which place if it were in his possession would prove a great annoyance to the port of Bombay, and on the other side our denyall is not consistent at present with our interest, in respect wee believe the keeping in suspence will bring him to a speedier conclusion of the treaty hoping thereby to be furnish(ed) with those things he desires’. ¹ From the French he purchased 2,000 maunds of lead and 88 iron guns in 1673, ² but although he approached the English with similar proposals from time to time they avoided compliance with various excuses. On 5 September 1670, the Bombay factors wrote to Surat: ‘we know that Sevagee may furnish himself with lead or guns from the French factoryes at Rajapore but wee will not bring ourselves into any intrigues, but keepe to such orders as you have and shall appoint us'.¹