1673]
STRUGGLE FOR KANARA.
229
defeated at this time, by Bahlol Khan at Bankapur and by Sharza Khan at Chandgarh (midway between the towns of Belgaum and Savant-vadi) and forced to quit Kanara.
§8. Battles with Bahlol Khan : Umrani and Nesari.
It was probably in November or December of this year, while Shivaji was campaigning in Kanara, that Bahlol Khan*[1] marched from Bijapur with a large army (12,000 men according to the Maratha chronicle) to protect the Miraj-Kolhapur district, and cut Shiyaji's northern line of communication with his
- ↑ * Battles of Umrani and Nesari: Sabh. 78-79 (reads Jesari for Nesari); B. S. 399-400 (full about Umrani, but silent about Nesari); Chit. 126 (has Babse Navari for Nesari.) Dig. 271 (meagre.) Z. C. names the place Nivti. Narayan Shenvi writes from Raigarh, 4th April, 1674, "Pratap Rai fell in the encounter of Shivaji's army with Bahlol Khan in a narrow passage between two hills, who with six horsemen more were slain, being not succoured by the rest of the army, so that Bahlol Khan remained victorious." (F. R. Surat, Vol. 88.) Umrani is 36 m. w. of Bijapur (Ind. At., 40 S. E.) According to Duff's authorities, Pratap Rao's appearance near Bijapur induced the Regent to recall Bahlol from Kolhapur and the latter general was intercepted by the Marathas at Umrani on the way to Bijapur. There is no Jesari in the maps. A critic suggests Nesari, 18 m. n. w. of Belgaum city (Sh. 41 N. W.) It is no doubt situated in "a narrow passage between two hills," but there are several objections to this identification. Nesari stands 83 miles s. w. of Panhala in a straight line, across rugged hills, so that the distance by the actual route
