he ordered the magistrate to inquire strictly about the conduct of the inspector in connection with the case.
During his trial Gobindalal was wondering what could make the witnesses say what was quite conflicting with what they had said before the magistrate; but when he happened to cast his eyes on Madhabinath he understood the whole affair. After his discharge he was once more taken to the jail where he had to await the order for his release. As he was about to be removed Madhabinath went up and whisperingly told him in his ear where he was putting up, and to see him without fail after being let off from jail. But after his release Gobindalal never saw him. And Madhabinath, alter waiting for him a few days, was at length obliged to return to his daughter to Haridragram.
(To be continued)
Translated by D. C. Roy.
THE RISE OF SHAHJI BHONSLA
(A corrective of the legendary history current among the Marathas).
True Chronology.
| A.D. | |
| 1594. | Shahji born. |
| 1600. | Ahmadnagar captured and Bahadur Nizam Shah imprisoned by Akbar. |
| 1601. | Burhan Nizam Shah set up by the nobles as king at Parenda. Becomes puppet of Malik Ambar about 1609. |
| 1604. | Shahji married to Jija Bai. |
| ?1609. | Malik Ambar recovers Ahmadnagar; loses it in 1617. |
| 1623. | Shambhuji born. |
| 1626, 14 May. | Malik Ambar dies; Fath Khan succeeds as wazir. |
| 1626,„ 22 Sep. | Ibrahim Adil Shah dies; Muhammad Adil Shah succeeds. |
| 1627. | Shivaji born. |
| 1627.„ 29 Oct. | Jahangir dies. |
| 1628. | Shahji raids Mughal Khandesh unsuccessfully. |
| ?April 1630. | Nizam Shah imprisons Fath Khan; Hamid Khan becomes wazir. |
| ?June 1630.„ | Lakhji Yadav murdered. |
| ?July 1630.„ | Shahji conquers Puna and Konkan. Is attacked by Bijapur. |
| ?Dec. 1630.„ | Shahji joins Mughals. |
| ?Mar. 1631. | Mughals besiege Parenda unsuccessfully. |
| ?Dec. 1631.„ | Burhan Nizam Shah releases Fath Khan. |
| ?Feb. 1632. | Fath Khan murders Burhan, and crowns Bahadur Nizam Shah. |
| ?June 1632.„ | Shahji deserts Mughals. |
| ?Nov. 1632.„ | Fath Khan offers submission to Shah Jahan. Shahji joins Bijapuris. |
| 1633. February, | Mughals besiege Daulatabad, Shahji attacks them. |
| 1633.„ 17 June. | Daulatabad (with Bahadur Nizam Shah) capitulates. |
| 1633. Aug. | Murari weighs an elephant at Tulapur. |
| ?Sept. | Shahji sets up Murtaza Nizam Shah II. |
| Nov. | Shahji raids environs of Daulatabad and Bidar; is pursued back. |
| 1634. February, | Shuja besieges Parenda. Raises the siege in May. |
| 1634. November, | Shahji creates disturbance near Daulatabad. Is expelled and chased by Khan-i-Dauran in Jan.—Feb. 1635. |
| 1635. | Civil war between Khawas Khan and other Bijapuri nobles. |
| 1635.„ Oct.-Nov. ? | Khawas Khan murdered. Murari Pandit executed. |
| 1636. Feb.-May. | Shahji attacked by Khan-i-Zaman and Shaista Khan. He besieges the Mughals in Junair city. |
| 1636.„ May, | Treaty of Peace between Shah Jahan and Bijapur. |
| 1636.„ June-Oct., | Final Mughal campaign against Shahji, who makes surrender of Murtaza and forts and enters Bijapur service. |
THE rise of the Bhonsla family is closely connected with the dissolution of the Ahmadnagar kingdom, within whose territory lay their homes, Ellora, Chamargunda, and finally Poona, and to whose service belonged Shahji, his father-in-law Lakhji Yadav, and many of their relatives. The declining fortunes of the dynasty greatly added to the value of able and enterprising leaders of mercenary bands and gave them splendid opportunities of winning wealth, power, and large estates for themselves.
In August 1600 Akbar had captured the capital Ahmadnagar and sent its king Bahadur Nizam Shah (a nephew of the famous Chand Bibi) to a State-prison. But the entire kingdom was far from being conquered or even nominally occupied. That task required 36 years more. Soon after the fall of the capital, the Nizam Shahi nobles retired to the provinces, to
