The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c14.43

c14.43

Most of the captains of Shivaji's fleet were Muslims by faith. Krishnaji Anant Sabhasad says that the chief commanders of Shivaji's fleet were Mai Naik, a Bhandari, and Dariya Sarang, a Musulman. Dariya Sarang commanded the fleet when it was sent on a mysterious and futile expedition in 1670 and Mai Naik led the Khanderi expedition in 1679. Both these officers are frequently mentioned by English and Dutch factors. A third officer, Ibrahim Khan, is mentioned by Sabhasad in his general list of infantry, cavalry and naval commanders,³ but he does not seem to have played a distinguished part like Daulat Khan, who occupied as important a position in Shivaji's navy as Mai Naik or Dariya Sarang. Sidi Sambol and his relative Sidi Misri entered Shivaji's service after the former had been replaced in the command of the Janjira fleet by Sidi Kasim by the order of the Great Mughal. The bulk of the common crew probably consisted of Kolis and Bhandaris, hardy races of fishermen of the coast who were employed for their courage and endurance by the English of Bombay and the Sidi of Danda Rajpuri. The navy was clearly not a Maratha institution as the army was.