Indian Antiquary Vol 56

SR No.: 032548
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 286
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 13 MB

Page 251

DECEMBER, 1927)
JEAN DE THEVENOT'S ACCOUNT OF SURAT
221
passport to go and see the king, and join his service : but Shasta Khan contented himself with letting him entertain hopes, and he kept his eye upon him.
Sivaji had ordered him to do his utmost to insinuate himself in the mind of Shasta Khan, and to spare nothing with this intent. He had told him even to go to the length of showing all possible animosity on suitable occasions, and above all to be the first in any attacks which might be made against himself and his subjects. The captain did not fail to obey him. He put to fire and sword all that he came across in the Rajah's territory, and did much more damage there than anyone else; this won for him the complete confidence of Shasta Khan, who in the end appointed him Captain of his guards. He guarded him badly, however, for having one day informed Sivaji that on a certain night he would be on guard near the General's tent, the Rajah came there with his men ; and being introduced by his Captain, he approach ed Shasta Khan, who, having awakened, seized his weapons, and was wounded in the hand. Nevertheless he found a means of saving himself, but one of his sons was killed, and as Sivaji thought he had killed the man himself, he gave the signal for retreat. He withdrew with his Captain and all his cavalry in good order. He took away this General's treasure, and he also carried off his daughter, to whom he paid all possible honour. He forbade his men, under a severe penalty, to do her any harm, on the contrary he had her treated most regpectfully; and when he learned that her father was still alive, he sent word to him that, if he sent him as her ransom a certain sum which he indicated, he would return his daughter safe and sound : and this was promptly done.
After that, he wrote to Shasta Khan to ask him to withdraw, and did not conceal from him that he himself was the originator of the stratagem which had been carried out; he added that he was planning several others with intent to ruin him, and that most certainly, if he did not withdraw from Sivaji's lands, he would have to pay for it with his life. Shasta Khan did not neglect this advice. He informed the king that it was impossible to force Sivaji in the mountains, and that he could not undertake to do so unless he allowed his troops to perish: and he received an order from the Court to withdraw on the pretext of some new enterprise. Nevertheless Sivaji was determined to avenge himself on the Mogul by some means or other, provided that it might prove useful to himself; and as he was not ignorant of the fact that the city of Surat was full of wealth, he took measures to pillage it: so that no one might suspect his designs, he divided his troops into two camps; and as his State was mainly on the road between Bassein and Shaoul,2% in the mountains, he formed one camp near Shaoul, where he set one of his flags, and at the same time posted another camp near Bassein; and after having instructed his Commanders not to do any pillaging, but, on the contrary, to pay for anything they took, he secretly disguised himself as a fakir. He went to find out the easiest roads to get to Surat speedily; he entered the city to make investigations regarding the locality, and in this way he had all the leisure he wanted for reconnoitring.
Having returned to his main camp, he commanded four thousand of his men to follow him silently, and the others to remain in encampment and to make as much noise in his absence as though the whole of the troops were there, so that no one should suspect anything of the enterprise in hand, and so that it should be believed that he was still in one of his two camps. All was done as he had commanded. The march was sufficiently secret, though he precipitated it to surprise Surat ; and he encamped near the Brampur23 gate. To amuse the Governor, who sent to meet him, Sivaji asked for guides, on the pretext that he wished to pass beyond the place; but without giving him any reply, the Governor withdrew into the fortress with all his most precious possessions, and sent out in every direction for succour. The majority of the inhabitants, surprised, doserted their houses, and flod into the country. Sivaji's men entered the city, pillaged it for four days, and burned several ho uses. It was only the quarters inhabited by the English and the Dutch that were able to escape from these 33 Chaul Revadanda.
23 Burhanpur.