thousand Bhils of Ramnagar held the jungles and passes through that State and opposed the Marathas, who vainly offered them a bribe of one lakh of Rupees for a safe passage (middle of October 1674.)*[1]
By the end of the month, the baffled Maratha army, after provisioning their forts in that region, marched away to join Shiva near Aurangabad, and Surat breathed freely again. They had found an easier prey in another quarter. Late in October, a large army commanded by Shivaji in person crossed the Ghats into the Deccan plateau, skirted Bahadur Khan's camp, which was "hotly alarmed," looted several towns near Aurangabad, and then burst into Baglana and Khandesh, where they continued for more than a month (Nov. to middle of Dec.) Among other places they pillaged and burnt "Dungom"(Dharamgaon, 10 m. north of Erandol) and its English factory.Qutbuddin Khan Kheshgi bravely opposed the raiders, but his small force was routed with the loss of 3 to 4 hundred* men, and he fled to Aurangabad for refuge. (F. JR. Surat 87, Surat to Bomb. 28 Oct., 1664; Vol. 107, Bomb, to Surat 2 Nov., 1674; Dungom to Surat, 10 Dec.; O. C. 4062.)
It was probably on his return from this raid that Shiva encamped near Junnar, but a shot from a 22 feet narrow-bore gun on the walls of Shivner
- ↑ * F. R. Surat, 3, Consult. 6 Aug.; Vol. 87, Surat to Bomb. 6 Aug. and 22 Oct., 1674; O. C. 4062.
