two months Firangji had defended his post with tireless energy, "incessantly showering shots, bullets and rockets at the besiegers." He had disputed every inch of the ground on the two days of assault. And now, hopeless of his master's aid (Dig. 217), he capitulated with honour. Shaista Khan greatly admired the gallant qiladar and pressed him to enter the imperial service on high pay. But Firangji refused
to prove false to his salt, and was allowed to go back to Shivaji with his army.*[1]
§5. Desultory fighting, 1661-63.
The capture of Chakan was followed by the return of Shaista Khan to Puna, where he took up his residence, while his detachments continued to improve the Mughal hold on N. Konkan. This long period of inactivity on the part of the Mughal viceroys main army has been very plausibly ascribed by Grant Duff (i. 194) to reluctance on the part of Shaista Khan to face again the heavy loss inevitable in the siege of Maratha hill-forts.
The next time that we hear of the Mughals is
- ↑ * According to Dilkasha, 37, Shivaji had not more than 3,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry, when besieged in Panhala. Chitnis Bakhar, 97, says that Firangji on returning to Shivaji was at once sent to Bhupalgarh as qiladar. But Digvijay, 217, says that, on being dismissed by Shiva for capitulating to a Muslim, Firangji in disgust joined Shaista Khan, who made him a 5-sadi and thanahdar of Malkargaon (parganah Chakan), but Shivaji brought him back by force through Netaji Palkar.
