Chap. IV.] THE MAHRATTAS. 293
ling should thus presume to place himself on a footing of equality with him, a d. icsr and attempt to take advantage of a jocular expression for the purpose of claiming affiance with his family. A quan-el ensued ; but Malojee continued to insist that the affiance had been made, and ultimately made good his point by obtaining advancement which placed him on an equality with Jadu, and thus obviated the main objection to the marriage. Shahjee, thus become the son-in- law of Jadu, took a prominent part in the war which extinguished the indepen- dence, or ratlier closed the existence of the Mahometan kingdom of Ahmed- nuggur. Though on this occasion he belonged not to the winning but the losing party, he managed so well for him.self as to become master of all tlie western portion of that kingdom between its capital and the sea. Nominally this teiri- tory now belonged to the King of Bejapoor, to whose share it fell when the Moguls made a partition of the kingdom of Ahmednuggur. Shahjee, therefore, was now in the King of Bejapoor's service ; and being sent on an expedition to the south, greatly distinguished himself by making conquests in the territory of Mysore. He was rewarded for this service with a large jaghire, including within its limits the important towns of Sera and Bangalore.
By his marriage with Jadu's daughter, Shahjee had several sons. The eldest Sevajee. accompanied him to Mysore, and died there; the second, born in May, 1627, and named Sevajee, had been left at Poonah with a Brahmin, Dadajee Condu, who, during Shahjee's absence, managed his Bejapoor jaghire. The training which young Sevajee here received determined his futui'e character. He became at once a zealous Hindoo, and an expert and fearless warrior. His principal associates were the horsemen retained in his father's service, or the moun- taineers inhabitinjj the neighbourinfj Ghauts. Under the influence of such companionship he soon shook off the authority of Dadajee, and was suspected of being in league with marauding parties. Having acquired a body of adher- ents, and perceived how carelessly some of the hill-forts belonging to Bejapoor were guarded, he made himself master of one of considerable strength, called Torna, situated among the Ghauts, twenty miles south-west of Poonah. It liad previously been under the charge of the revenue officer of the district; and when the government of Bejapoor complained, he succeeded by artifice and money in obtaining a confirmation of his seizure. Shortly after, when, by the erection of a new place of strength in the vicinity, a new alarm liad been ex- cited, the government made their complaint to Shahjee, who immediately or- dered his son to desist from encroachment. Instead of complying, he threw off the paternal authority, as he liad done that of his guardian, and not only with- held the revenue of his father's jaghire, but seized upon two forts situated witliin it. Hitherto he had feigned submission to the King of Bejapoor, but he now felt strong enough to throw oflf the mask. His fii-st act of open hostility He conquere was the plunder of a convoy of royal treasure in the Concan. Feeling himself '* °"'^" thus committed, he continued his aggi-essions, and ere long was in possession of
