The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c6.13

c6.13

The last letter on this subject bears the signature of Antonio Paes de Sande and was addressed to Shivaji on 20 March 1679. As it deals with other subjects besides the Maratha claim to *chauth*, I quote here only the portion relevant to that question. ‘Received the letter of Your Highness, delivered by Ganu Chaty, on the subject of sending Your Highness the *chauth* that some villages under the jurisdiction of Daman used to pay to the King Chauthia, as Your Highness is now in possession of those territories. Pitambar Shenvi, the envoy of Your Highness, discussed this subject in this city with the Viceroy Pedro d’Almeida, and after his departure and after I had succeeded him in this Government, I solicited Your Highness as a friend to settle (this question) and to send to that end a person on your behalf with all necessary power to treat of the form and conditions of payment. For this contribution was paid by some villages of the said (district of) Daman under certain conditions to be observed by the two parties in which this state did not otherwise participate, except in the matter of giving them that permission. All these have been shown in the letter I wrote to the said envoy to be presented to Your Highness. I now remit to Your Highness a copy of that letter, so that it may be clear that I have not in any way failed in the observance and preservation of peace and amity and in offering good will to Your Highness.'¹