Page:The Oriental Biographical Dictionary.djvu/253

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Sidi 241 Shabib feVelits that took place in the reign of that monarch, for many believed him entirely innocent of the charge. Sidi 'Ali Kapudan, ty'<H^ iS'^-"} or Captain of the fleet of Sultan Sulaiman I, empsror of Constantinople. He is the author of the work called " Mirat-ul Mumalik," or Mirror of Countries, containing a description of his journey overland from the Indian shores to Constanti- nople ; and of the " Muhit," that is the Ocean, a Turkish work on Navigation in the Indian Seas. This work the author finished at Ahmadahad the capital of Gujrat in Decemher, 1554 A. D., Muharram, 962 A. H. It was translated by the Baron Joseph von Hammer, Professor, Oriental Languages, at Vienna, and communicated through the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1837. Simi Naishapuri, tSJj^^^ a very learned Musalman of Naishapiir. It is said that in one night and day, he composed 3,000 verses. He flourished in the time of Prince 'Alauddaula (the son of Baisanghar Mirza) who reigned at Hirat 1447 A. D. Sina, Abu Sina or Avieenna, vide Abu Sma. Sirati, t^iri'") ^ po^t who wrote Kasidas, of which some are panegyrics on Sadik Khan and his son Jafar Khan Razi, kings of Persia, the latter of whom was murdered in 1785 A. D., 1199 A. H. Seibuya, an author who received this name on account of his keeping an apple (seib) in his hand, and smelling it often, hut his proper name was Ahii Bashar 'TJmar. He died iu 796 A. D., 180 A. H., aged 32 years. See Kutrib. Seindhia, for Eajas of the Seindhia family, vide Eanoji Seindhia. Seiwaji or Siwaji, LS^i>i**^ a celebrated chief of the Bhosla family and founder of the Marhatta States in the Dakhin, of whose origin we have the following account. Bhim Sen, rana of Udaipur, the first in rank among the Hindu princes, had a son named Bhag Singh by a con- cubine of a tribe very inferior to his own. On the death of his father, Bhag Singh finding himself despised and neglected by his relations, the Sisodhia raj puts, who from the low caste of his mother, regarded him only as a bastard, and not of their tribe, became weary of the indig- nities shewn him ; and moved from Udaipur to Khandesh where he embraced the service of a Zamfndar, named Eaja 'AH Mohan. He afterwards retired into the Dakhin, where he purchased a tract of land near the present Marhatta capital of Puna, and settled upon it as Zamindar, in which situation he died. Bhag Singh had four sons, two of whom, MaUuji and Bambujf, being of an enter- prising spirit, entered into the service of Jadho Rae, a Marhatta chief of distinguished rank at the court of Bahadur Nizam Shah. Malldji had a son named Sahji or Bauji who married the daughter of Jadho Rae, and thus the Bhosla family became incorporated with the Marhattas, and are commonly esteemed as such in Hindu- stan. Sahji, after the death of his father, left Ahmadnagar with his followers and entered into the service of Ibrahim 'Adil Shah, king of Bijapur, who gave him a jagir in the Karnatic, with a command of ten thousand horse. Soon after this in May, 1627 A. D. his son Sewajf, after- wards so celebrated in the Dakhin, was bom, from the daughter of Jadho Rae Marhatta. Sahji having disagreed with his wife, sent her, with the infant Sewajf, to reside at Puna, of which, and the vicinity, he had obtained a grant. Sewaji though neglected by his father was pro- perly educated, and at the age of seventeen excelled in every accomplishment. Military fame was his first j 61 passion ; and the government of Bijapur being now weakened by intestine divisions and the encroachments of the Mughals, he had soon an opportunity of signaliz- ing himself among other rebels. He raised a banditti, and plundered the neighbouring districts, and having now taken possession of the jagir, raised more troops, successfully levied contributions on several Zamindars, and much extended the limits of his territories. At this crisis the prince Aurangzeib, governor of the imperial territories in the Dakhin, was meditating the overthrow of his brother Dara Shikoh, the favourite son of the em- peror Shah Jahan, who was now in a dangerous state of health. For this purpose he was preparing an army to march to Agrah ; and, observing the enterprizing genius of Sewaji. sent him an invitation to his service. Sewaji pretending to be struck with horror at the rebellion of a son against a father, received the prince's messenger with indignity, drove him from his presence, and ordered the letter he had brought, to be tied to the tail of a dog. Aurangzeib for the present stifled his resentment, but never would forgive Sewaji's insolence, and hence may be dated his tedious war in the Dakhin, and finally the ruin of the Mughal empire by the Marhattas. Aurangzeib having left the Dakhin in 1658 A. D., 1068 A. H., Siwaji resolved to turn the inactivitv of the imperial troops, and the weakness of the Golkanda and Bijapur princes, to the utmost advantage. He took the strong fortress of Rajgarh, which he fixed upon as the seat of his govern- ment. The Bijapur government having in vain desired his father Sahji, (who disclaimed all connection with him) to repress the excesses of his son, at length sent against him a considerable force under a general named Afzul Khan. Sewaji with artful policy invited him to come and receive his submission. Afzul Khan advanced with- out opposition to his tent, when he was stabbed by the treacherous Zamindar in embracing him. Upon a signal given, the Marhattas rushed from an ambuscade, attacked the unsuspecting army of Bijapur, which, deprived of their chief, was quickly defeated. Sewajf plundered their rich camp, and by this victory became master of all Kokan, the Zamfndars of which flocked to acknowledge his authority, to save their possessions. The strong fortress of Sitara and other places also opened their gates to receive him. In the course of only three years, Sewajf became a powerful prince, his authority being acknowledged over almost the whole coast of Marwar. He built palaces and erected fortifications in every part of his country ; gave much trouble to the em')eror 'Alam- gfr ; reigned more than twenty years, and h-i't a character which has never since been equalled or approached by any of his countrymen. He died on the 14th April, 1680 A. D., 24th Eabi" I, 1091 A. H., but according to Elphinstone's History of India, on the 5th April the same year, aged 53 years. His funeral pile was administered with the same sacrifices as had been devoted the year before to the obsequies of the Maharaja Jaswant Singh of Jodhpur; attendants, animals, and wives, were burnt with his corpse. He was succeeded by his son Sambha or Sambhajf. Seoji or Shioji, ts'^ji*^) a grandson of the renowned Jaichand, the last Eathor monarch of Kanauj. Ho with a few retainers migrated in the year 1212 A. D., and planted the Eathor standard in Marwar. His successors in process of time, by valour, and by taking advantage of the times, enlarged the state, and in 1432 A. D., Jodha Eao of Marwar, founded the modern capital of Jodhpur, to which he transferred the seat of govcrnm -nt from Mandor. The name of Marwar is a corruption of .Maruwar, also called Marii-deis, or '■ the region of death." An- ciently, and properly, it included the entire western desert, from the Satlaj to the ocean. Shabib, f*!i*^ '^iji iu' the son of Tezfd, the son of N^fm, was a Kharajite. It is related that his