The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c15.163

c15.163

After the fall of Gheria the Angria tradition was maintained, though feebly, by the Kolaba branch of the family. Manaji’s vessels had taken part in the expedition against Janjira in 1758, and after his death in that year his son assumed command of the fleet. Raghuji took part in the conquest of Henery in 1760, and in 1778 captured a Portuguese sloop-of-war belonging to Diu, after which he concluded a treaty with the Government of Goa on terms of equality.² As certain changes in these terms were suggested from Lisbon this treaty was not ratified; but it shows that Raghuji, like his father and grandfather, deemed himself competent to conclude treaties and alliances with foreign powers without any reference to the Peshwa. John McCluer, who surveyed the Malabar coast in 1787 and 1788, met Raghuji at his capital. He describes him as ‘an arrant pirate who will make free with any vessel he can manage’. But he remarks that Raghuji ‘behaves very civil to any English vessel that goes nigh Kenery’ which was in his possession.³