The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c14.3

c14.3

His policy was, however, not one of mere adventure, nor was his object by any means impracticable. The coast-line of the Konkan, broken by many creeks, offered excellent shelter for ships, and the rocky islands near the coast presented excellent sites for naval strongholds. Shivaji had before his eyes the example of the Sidis and the merchant powers of Europe, and he could not have been ignorant of the exploits of the pirates known to European writers as ‘Malabars’. Once in secure possession of the Konkan, it did not take his keen intellect long to perceive the advantages as well as the necessity of a strong fighting fleet. The peace of his country and the prosperity of his ports equally demanded it.