The numerous creeks on the Bombay coast had developed among many low-caste Hindus of the region (such as the Kolis, Sanghars, Vaghers and the Maratha clan of Angrias) hereditary skill in seafaring and naval fight. The "Malabar pirates" were a terror even to the English. From them*[1] Shiva recruited his crew, and he afterwards added to them a body of Muslims, notably a discontented Siddi named Misri and Daulat Khan.
Shivaji's navy immediately took to plundering the coast of Kanara and Goa, and brought to him vast quantities of booty in the manner of his land-forces. They often fought the Siddi fleet, but the latter retained its supremacy on the whole. (Sabh. 68.) We may here record what little is definitely known about Shivaji's mercantile marine. Soon after getting possession of the ports in North Konkan, he began to engage in foreign trade on his own account. Early in 1660 he captured at Rajapur some of the junks of Afzal Khan and turned them to his own use. In February 1663 the English at Surat report that he was fitting out two ships of considerable burden for trading
- ↑ * "The Bhandari [caste of husbandmen] are found in most parts of the Ratnagiri district, but chiefly in the coast villages. They supplied the former pirate chiefs with most of their fighting men. A strong, healthy and fine-looking set of men they are fond of athletic exercises and do not differ from the Marathas and Kunbis." (Bom. Gaz., x. 124.) For the Koli pirates, ix. Pt. i. 519-522; and the Angrias, i. Pt. ii. 87-88: xi. 145.
