The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c15.51

c15.51

Kanhoji’s excuse for retaining the cargo of the *Anne* and the Company’s yacht was equally ingenious, but neither the cargo nor the timber mentioned above would have proved an insuperable obstacle to peace. The real ground of contention was that the English had to load foreign boats with their goods and demanded for these boats the same immunity to which ships of undoubted English nationality were entitled. Kanhoji was unwilling to grant this demand, which would have meant financial loss to him. Five years earlier he might have been more compliant, but his treaty with Shahu had strengthened his position on the mainland, and his victory over the Sidi and the Portuguese had added to his confidence, while the English had suffered a loss of prestige after the ill success of the Carwar expedition in 1717. But while unwilling to make concessions to the English, Kanhoji was prudent enough not to offer any additional offence to the Portuguese. Conde de Ericeira tells us that Kanhoji did not give Portuguese subjects any trouble.