as well as a political necessity, with him. To the end of his life and throughout the reign of Shambhuji, hostilities continued between the
Marathas and the Siddis, intermittently, indecisively, but with great bitterness and fury. Gross cruelty and wanton injury were practised by each side on the captive soldiers and innocent peasantry of the other, and the country became desolate. The economic loss was more keenly felt by the small and poor State of the Abyssinians than by the Marathas, and the Siddis at times begged for peace, but did not succeed, as they were not prepared to accept Shiva's terms of ceding their all to him.
In September 1671, Shivaji sent an ambassador to Bombay to secure the aid of the English in an attack on Danda-Rajpuri. But the President and Council of Surat advised the Bombay factors "not to positively promise him the grenadoes, mortar-pieces, and ammunition he desires, nor to absolutely deny him, in regard we do not think it convenient to help him against Danda-Rajpuri, which place if it were in his possession would prove a great annoyance to the port of Bombay." (F. R. Surat, 87.)
§ 7. Naval war, 1672-1675.
In the latter part of 1672, Aurangzib sent a fleet of 36 vessels, great and small, from Surat to assist the Siddi of Danda-Rajpuri by causing a diversion by sea. This squadron did Shivaji "great mischief,
