300
HISTORY OF LNDIA.
[Book il.
•iiy
A^ix^74^ as the founder of a new national dynasty, he lived in regal state, changed the name of his officers from Persian to Sanscrit, and became strictly ol>ser^'ant
of all the rites of Hindooism.
These proceedings must have
given mortal offence to Aurun*^-
"■■^ zebe; and, accordingly, wlien the
Mahrattas were engaged in making concjuests from Bejapoor, the Moguls seized the oppor- tunity to make an incursion into their territory. Sevajee deemed it too unimportant to require his presence, and contented himself with retaliating by sending de- tachments which plundered Can- deish and Berar ; and proceeding beyond the Xerbudda,'which had never before been crossed by a Mahratta force, carried his devas- tations as far as Baroach, in Gujerat. For some time his thoughts had been fixed on the south. There the jaghire which his father acquired in Mysore was held by a younger brother under the nominal supremacy of Bejapoor. It properly formed part of Sevajee's patrimony, and he determined to obtain it either in virtue of his legal claim or by compulsion. The distance, however, was too great to allow him to set out for it without taking precautions. The territory of the King of Golconda partly intervened, and in order not to leave his rear exposed it was necessary to come to an understanding with him. This was not difficult, as they agreed in regarding the King of Bejapoor and the Mogul emperor as common enemies. After making overtures, which were favourably received, Sevajee set out at the head of 30,000 horse and 40,000 foot. On the way he halted at Golconda, and concluded an alliance by which, in return for defence against a Mogul or Bejapoor invasion, a train of artillery, and a subsidy in money, he agreed to share with the king all the territory he should conquer beyond his father's jaghire. Continuing his route, he crossed the Toongabudra at Kurnool, proceeded south-east to Cuddapah, then passed
Tower of Victory, Chittoor.' — Ferg>;sson's lliuiioo Architecture.
Sevajee's expedition into the Mysore.
' The Kheerut Khumb, or Tower of Victory, was erected in 1439, to conimemorate a victory over the coinbiued armies of Malwah and Gujerat by Rana Khurubo, who reigned in Merwar, 1418-6S. It stands on a terrace 42 ft. square ; it is 172 ft. iu height ; and
each of the four faces is at the base 35 ft. in length. There are nine stories, and on the summit is a cnjiola. The whole is one mass of the most elaborate sculpture, executed in white marble, and representing various subjects of Hindoo mythology. — Thornton,6'nz India.
