Nilkanth Ranjhekar, Nilo Sondev Accountant- General (majmuadar) vice Balkrishna Pant, and Netaji Palkar as Master of the Horse (sar-i-naubat.) Two new posts, those of Surnis (Superintendent of
Correspondence) and Waqnis (News-writer) were created and given to Abaji Sondev and Gangaji Mangaji respectively.*[1] The cavalry now mustered 10,000, out of whom 7,000 were mounted on Government horses and the rest on their own; the Mavle
infantry numbered 10,000 and their commander was Yesaji Kank. (Sabh. 11.) The forts, new and old, held by Shivaji at this time were forty. (A. N. 576.) In June 1657 the newly-founded kingdom was blessed with the birth of an heir to the throne, the ill-fated Shambhuji.
We may conveniently pause here and take note of the exact size of the infant Maratha kingdom. At the cautious outset of his independent-career (1647-48), Shivaji's territory consisted of his father's jagirs and his own early annexations from Bijapur. These together covered the southern half of the Puna district, and their northern boundary was the old Mughal frontier, — a line running diagonally from the north-western to near the south-eastern corner of that district and avoiding the Mughal forts Junnar, Visapur, and Parnir; i.e., for some distance the Ghod river
- ↑ * The reading of the Mahad MS. of Sabh. (II n) has been accepted here. Chit. 34 (Annaji Datto and not Abaji Sondev as Surnis); Shed. 20. Dig. 186-188 gives a long list in which official appointments of different periods seem to be mixed up.
