the tolerance of preceding reigns had so satisfactorily secured. On the promulgation of the imperial edict, his palace was besieged by masses of clamorous petitioners; and on the occasion of a State visit to the great mosque, many of the people, who had blocked up the streets in crowds in order to beg remission of the tax, were trampled to death by his elephants.

Development

emperor's

character.

The innate austerity and fanaticism of the emperor's character were beginning to develope themselves in other strange forms. Poets and authors, with all the musicians, singers, of the and dancers, were forbidden the court, and discharged. austere Public edicts were issued against the practice of their professions; and the record of the history of his reign, which had been hitherto an official transaction, by a specially appointed officer, was discontinued. Half the customs dues were remitted to Mahomedans, while their collection from Hindoos was rendered vexatious and oppressive; and whereas Hindoos and Mahomedans, since the reigns of Shére Shah Soor and Akbur, or for a century, had shared in government employment and offices, it was now directed that no more of that religion were to be allowed to hold them. The wise measures of his predecessors had been specially directed to an amalgamation of the people; and the imperial marriages with Rajpoot princesses had been means to this end. The emperor himself was a descendant of one of these marriages; but he now repudiated all connection with Hindoos, and throughout Rajpootana and the Deccan his policy created undisguised discontent. In Orme's 'Fragments,' page 252, a translation of an anonymous letter of the period is given, the authorship of which has been attributed to many distinguished persons, and should be consulted in order to understand the tone of popular feeling at the time.

Rajpoots.

In 1677, Rajah Jeswunt Singh died at Kabool, and on their return home, the emperor was desirous of securing his widow and children. They escaped, however, owing to the bravery and fidelity of Doorga Das, the commander of the late Discontent rajah's troops, and reached Jondhpoor in safety. of the Several of the Rajpoot chieftains now combined to They rebel. obtain satisfaction for the wanton and unprovoked insult to the widow of Jeswunt Singh; and also to oppose the exaction of the poll-tax. Over this combination the emperor obtained some success, and returned to Dehly in 1679; but the truce Cruel with the Rajpoots was soon broken, and the new opera- character of tions were carried on with all the bitter animosity, savagery, and fanaticism of the old Mahomedan wars. Whole districts were desolated, and the women and children sold into slavery.

the war.

Rajpoot

Doorga Das, who continued the defence of Rajpootana, now offered the crown to the emperor's son, the Prince Muázzim; but he rejected the overtures. They were, however, accepted by the Prince Akbur, his father's favourite, who joined Doorga Das, assumed the ensigns of royalty, and, with a force of no less than 70,000 men, seemed likely to effect a revolution. One of the Mahomedan leaders, however, Confederacy rejoined the emperor with his forces, and the whole disolved. confederacy shortly afterwards fell to pieces. The Prince Akbur, with Doorga Das, retreated to the Deccan, and received protection from the Mahrattas. These proceedings had the effect of aggravating the animosity between the Moghuls and the Rajpoots; and though the emperor concluded an inconsequent peace with the Rana of Jondhpoor, the former good understanding was never restored, and reprisals on either side were still continued; but the emperor was left at liberty to draw off his forces to the Deccan, where his presence had now become an urgent necessity.

On December 15, 1672, Ally Adil Shah II., of Beejapoor, was attacked by paralysis, and died a few days afterwards. Adil Shah II., He had one son, the Prince Sikunder, who was five

Death of Ally

1672.

years old, and a daughter, Padshah Beebee, unmarried. Abdool Mahomed, the chief minister, was a timid character, unfit to meet the emergency, and before the king's Adil Shah, a death, he obtained his unwilling consent to an arrange

Sikunder

minor, succeeds.

Sivajee's

ment by which Khowas Khan, one of the chief nobles, was constituted regent, while he, with other officers, should undertake the government of the provinces. But the State was distracted by factions, and had now little chance of surviving the encroachments of Sivajee on the one hand, and the power of the Moghul empire on the other. attack. The first attack upon it was made by Sivajee, in 1673, who rapidly gained possession of many important places in the Koncan; while his general, Pertáb Rao, plundered the open country up to the gates of Beejapoor. A truce made with him enabled the regent of Beejapoor to refit his army; but the engagement was repudiated by Sivajee, who, in 1674, reproaching Pertáb Rao with his conduct, sent him again against the Beejapoor army, which had advanced as far as Panalla. Here a general action ensued, in which Pertáb Rao was killed: and for a time the Beejapoor troops were successful; but on the arrival of reinforcements to the Mahrattas, the brief victory was changed to defeat. Soon after this, Sivajee was enthroned for the enthroned a second time, on June 3, 1674, with great formality and

Sivajee,

Rebellion of
Prince

Akbur.

Danger of the State.

second time, declares independence.

splendour. On this occasion, he openly declared his independence; the designations of his officials were

changed from Persian to Sanscrit, and the establishment of the Mahratta, as a Hindoo nationality, may be said to have commenced. Mr. Oxenden was present at the enthronement as an ambassador from the English, and received permission to trade throughout Sivajee's dominions: import duties were fixed at 2 per cent., ad valorem, and all wrecks were to be restored.

make war on Sivajee.

Carolina

operations.

The Moghuls could not be indifferent to these proceedings; and in 1675, Dilére Khan, the imperial commander in the The Moghuls Deccan, resumed the war against Sivajee. This was what Sivajee no doubt desired, as it cancelled former obligations; and contriving to occupy the imperial planted. forces in attacks upon petty hill-forts, his cavalry, under Humbeer Rao, crossed the Nerbudda, plundered Khandesh Sivajee's and Berar, and though now pursued by Dilére Khan, reached home safe with a large booty. In this year, also, Khowas Khan, the regent of Beejapoor, was assassinated. He Regent of had opened negotiations with the Moghul viceroy, by Beejapoor which he had agreed to hold Beejapoor as a province of the empire, and to give the king's sister in marriage to one of the emperor's sons; these overtures were considered traitorous, and brought on the conspiracy which ended in his death. He was succeeded by Abdool Kurreem Khan, who was popular and faithful.

assassinated.

confidence.

Sivajee had little fear of the Moghuls in the Deccan. Their forces were comparatively small, and could be effectu- Reasons for ally checked by his own. The viceroy was accessible sivajee's to flattery and to the receipt of money; and the emperor was as yet far distant, and professing, if no more, a contempt for Sivajee and his proceedings. The opportunity for a southern expedition, long meditated by Sivajee, was not now to be neglected, and at the head of 30,000 tion southhorse, and 40,000 lightly-equipped infantry, he marched direct upon Golcondah, respecting the territories both of Golcondah and Beejapoor as he moved. At Golcondah he halted for a month, obtaining a train of artillery, with a considerable sum of

His expedi

wards.

money; and having engaged, as is believed, to divide His proceed

Carnatic.

the southern provinces of Beejapoor with that State. ings in the By the end of September he had reduced the fortress of Vellore, and though he did not then succeed in inducing his half-brother, Venkajee, to give up half of Tanjore, he nevertheless possessed himself of Bangalore and other portions of his father's conquests; while the districts of the Carnatic, which belonged to Beejapoor, were overrun and plundered under pretence of collection of his hereditary claims of chouth, and a foundation laid for their further enforcement.

During his absence, Khan Jehán, the viceroy, was removed

from office by the emperor, and Dilére Khan appointed in his room. Dilére Khan was by no means disposed to weaken his strength in attacks upon Sivajee officers, and considering that Sivajee's reception at, and treaty with, Golcondah was an offence to the emperor and Beejapoor, and afforded pretext for a war with that State, he induced Abdool Kurreem, the regent of Beejapoor, to join him in an expedition against Golcondah. The invasion was, however, resisted and defeated by Mahdana Punt, the Brahmin minister of the kingdom; and Abdool Kurreem dying soon afterwards, in January 1675, the regency of Beejapoor was conferred upon Musaood Khan, a wealthy Abyssinian, who undertook to pay the arrears of the army, and to reform the financial affairs of the State, which had fallen into great disorder. Sivajee now returned to the Deccan, by way of Bellary, of which he took possession, and also of Kopál Bundur, both very important forts; and while thus employed, came to an understanding, through the officer he had left in the south, with his brother Venkajee, by Annexes the which he obtained his half share of the southern The regent of Beejapoor was unable to check Beejapoor. Sivajee in his annexation of the territory west and south of the Krishna, and the Moghuls viewed his proceedings with undisguised alarm. The emperor had disapproved of the appointment of Musaood Khan as regent, and had censured Dilére Khan for not having made a better use of his opportunity to get possession of the administration of the kingregard to the dom of Beejapoor. Sooltan Mauzum was, therefore, Beejapoor. appointed viceroy; but Dilére Khan was allowed to retain his command, and seeking for occasion of war with Beejapoor, now demanded the young princess, in virtue of the former agreement. This, however, Musaood Khan refused, and serious contentions were about to ensue at the capital between the parties for and against the marriage, when the princess herself, conduct: she mounting an elephant, proceeded to the scene, and declared her intention, in order to save her brother and camp. the State, of proceeding to the Moghul camp. She was allowed to do so, and the devotion of the last princess of the royal race is still fondly remembered.

southern districts of

estates.

Dispute in

Princess of

Her noble

proceeds to the Moghul

Golcondah invaded by the Moghuls, who are defeated.

Sivajee

returns.

This act did not, however, prevent war. In his extremity-for the Moghuls had invested Beejapoor-Musaood Khan applied to Sivajee, who advanced to raise the siege; but finding the besiegers too strong for him, turned northwards, plundering the Moghul districts without mercy, up to Aurungabad. He was, however, attacked by a superior force of cavalry, and escaped with difficulty. Meanwhile Dilére Khan

was

Beejapoor besieged.

Moghuls.

pressing his attack upon Beejapoor with vigour; and Musaood Khan besought Sivajee to turn southwards and raise Sivajee's son the siege; but at this crisis Sumbhajee, the eldest son joins the of Sivajee, who had been for some time at variance with his father, suddenly joined Dilére Khan. Great expectations had been formed by the Moghuls that the Mahrattas would be divided and weakened by this act of rebellion; but nothing of moment occurred. Beejapoor still held out resolutely, and Sivajee's troops, now acting in the open country, cut off the supplies to Dilére Khan's camp, and obliged him to The siege of raise the siege and retreat. In this movement he was Beejapoor is severely defeated by Jenardin Punt, one of Sivajee's generals.

raised.

son, Sooltan

The events of the year 1679 in the Deccan were, as may be imagined, very unsatisfactory to the emperor, who re- The emperor called his son Sooltan Mauzum and Dilére Khan, and recalls his re-appointed Khan Jehán. Sumbhajee was directed to Mauzum. be sent to Dehly; but escaped, as was believed, under the connivance of Dilére Khan. Before any new combination on the part of the Moghuls could be made, Sivajee had proceeded to Beejapoor in the beginning of 1680, where treaty with he concluded a treaty with Musaood Khan, obtaining a formal cession of the recently annexed districts, and relinquishment of all claims to sovereignty over the family estate in the south. He then returned to Rajgurh, where he was Sivajee's attacked by a white swelling in his knee, and died on April 5, 1680, in the fifty-third year of his reign.

Sivajee's

Beejapoor.

death.

His

For an admirable summary of the character and acts of this remarkable man, the student should consult Grant Duff's History of the Mahrattas,' vol. i. pp. ( 296-300. character. 'His own nation considered him an incarnation of the Divinity, setting an example of wisdom, fortitude and piety.' From an unknown petty chieftain he had become sovereign of a great portion of Western India, besides his possessions in the south. He had successfully braved the whole power of the Moghul empire, and had taught his countrymen the secret of success in those sudden predatory movements which, from the first blow struck against Mahomedan power in the destruction of Afzool Khan and the army of Beejapoor, were, in a hundred years, to effect the total subversion of their empire.