the Marathas who were disheartened by the fall of their leader; "a river of blood flowed." Shivaji greatly mourned the death of Pratap Rao and repented of his angry letter. The dead general's relatives and dependents were well provided for, and his daughter was married to Raja Ram, the favourite son of the king.
Anand Rao, a lieutenant of Pratap Rao, rallied the disheartened army of his chief. Shiva appointed Hansaji Mohite*[1] commander-in-chief in succession to Pratap Rao, gave him the title of Hambir Rao, and ordered him not to return alive without defeating the enemy. At this Hambir Rao went off with the whole body of his cavalry far into Bijapur territory in search of Bahlol. Dilir Khan with the Mughal army advanced promptly to the succour of his brother Afghan, Bahlol Khan. But Hambir Rao, not daring to fight two such large forces, retreated towards Kanara, making forced marches of 45 miles a day. The two Khans, unable to overtake the mobile Marathas, gave up the pursuit and turned,— Bahlol to Kolhapur and Dilir to Panhala, whence, after a
- ↑ * The new commander-in-chief's name is given as Hasaji (Hansaji) Mohite by both Sabhasad and Chitnis. The latter adds (p. 126) that Hasaji attacked Bahlol's army when dispersed in pursuit, converted the defeat into a victory, and chased Bahlol back to Bijapur. But Narayan Shenvi, writing from Raigarh, only a month later, on information supplied by Shiva's ministers, states that Anand Rao rallied the leaderless army after the fall of Pratap Rao.
