in the earlier part of 1661, when they took possession of Kalian Bhiundy. Shivaji was reported to be making preparations for recovering these posts during the following rainy season. But either the attempt
was not made or it failed, for these two places continued in the hands of the Mughals till February 1670, when the Marathas once more got possession of them. (Dil. 37-38; Orme MSS. vol. 155, pp. 1-21.)
For more than two years after these successes the Mughals kept their grip on the northern portion of Shivaji's dominions. Of these minor operations we have no exact information either from Persian or from Marathi sources. In March 1663, the Mughals gave a long and vigorous chase to Netaji, the Master of the Horse in Shiva's army.
He had led his cavalry in a raid into the imperial territory, but a Mughal force of 7,000 horse pursued him so closely that "he was fain to travel 45 or 50 miles a day and yet [had] much ado to escape with a small [part of the] booty he had got. They left not the pursuit till they came within five leagues of Bijapur." But Rustam-i-Zaman met the Mughals and induced them to give up the pursuit, "by telling them that the country was dangerous for any strange army to march in and also promising to go himself and follow him, by which deceit Netaji got away, though not without loss of 300 horse and himself wounded." (F. R. Surat, vol. 103, Gyffard to Surat, 30 March, and 8 April 1663.)
But within a month of meeting with this reverse to
