Page:Shivaji and His Times.djvu/272

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252
SHIVAJI.
[CH. IX.


After the coronation was safely over, Jija Bai died on 18th June, in the fulness of years and happiness, leaving to her son her personal property worth 25 lakhs of hun, "some say more." When the period of mourning for her was over, Shivaji sat on the throne a second time, to celebrate his purification after her funeral. (Dutch Records.)

§7. Cost of the Coronation.

The total cost of the coronation, including the sums distributed in gifts and alms, is put down by Sabhasad at the incredible figure of one krore and 42 lakhs of hun. The Dutch merchant Abraham Le Feber, writing from Vingurla only four months after the event, quotes the popular report that "this ceremony and distribution of largess cost 150,000 pagodas." He evidently means the money spent in the 12 days' general alms-giving from the 7th to the 18th, and not the special gifts to the ministers and other officers, Brahmans and priests. But even when all these are taken into account, together with the price of the throne and ornaments, made for the occasion and the cost of feeding the assemblage, the total expenditure cannot be put higher than 10 lakhs of hun or fifty lakhs of Rupees.

§8. Loot of Bahadur Khan's camp and extensive contest with the Mughals.

The coronation exhausted Shivaji's treasury and he was in need of money to pay his troops. It was,