SIVAJI AND SAMBHAJI.

377

swooped down upon his enemies, exacted tribute, or forcedthem to come to terms. He then paid off his soldiery by a Hispart of the plunder; and, while they returned to the sowing or tactlcs -reaping of their fields, he retreated with the lion’s share to hishill forts. In 1659 he lured the Bijapur general into anambush, stabbed him at a friendly conference, and exter-minated his army. In 1662-64, Sivaji raided as far as theextreme north of the Bombay Presidency , and sacked theimperial city of Surat . In 1664 he assumed the title of King Coins(Raja), with the royal prerogative of coining money in his own mone y-name. 1

The year 1665 found Sivaji helping the Mughal armiesagainst the independent Musalman State of Bijapur. In 1666he was induced to visit Delhi . Being coldly received by the VisitsEmperor Aurangzeb , and placed under restraint, he escaped to ^gg 1 ’the south, and raised the standard of revolt. 2 In 1674, Sivajienthroned himself with great pomp at Raigarh , weighing him- Enthronesself in a balance against gold, and distributing the precious ’

counterpoise among his Brahmans. 3 After sending forth his D;ec]hosts as far as the Karnatik in 1676, he died in 1680. 1680.

The Emperor Aurangzeb would have done wisely to have Aurang-left the independent Musalman Kings of the Deccan alone, ^ t s a kenuntil he had crushed the rising Maratha power. Indeed, a policy,great statesman would have buried the old quarrel between the l6 S8-iyoy.Muhammadans of the north and south, and united the wholeforces of Islam against the Hindu confederacy which wasrapidly organizing itself in the Deccan. But the fixed resolveof Aurangzeb ’s life was to annex to Delhi the Muhammadankingdoms of Southern India. By the time he had carried outthis scheme, he had wasted his armies, and left the Mughal Empire ready to break into pieces at the first touch of theMarathas.

Sambhaji succeeded his father Sivaji in 1680, and reigned Sambhaji ,till 1689. 4 His life was entirely spent in wars with the Portu- i68o_8 9 -guese and Mughals . In 1689, Aurangzeb captured him. TheEmperor burnt out his eyes with a red-hot iron, cut out thetongue which had blasphemed the Prophet, and struck off hishead.

His son Sahu, then six years of age, was also captured, and Sahu,kept a prisoner till the death of Aurangzeb . In 1707 he was I7 ° 7 ’

1 Grant Duffs History of the Marathas, vol. i. p. 146.

2 Idem, vol. i. chap. v. adfinem. 3 Idem, vol. i. pp. 191-193.

4 For the career of Sambhaji , see Grant Duffs History of the Marathas,

vol. i. pp. 220-261.