THE STORY OF ICHALKARANJI
become a political necessity.
Rajaram rose to the occasion in a remarkable way, for whilst he was as brave as his elder brother Sambhaji had been, those who came in contact with him recognised that he was less vicious and far more considerate. His masterly discernment in choosing reliable men for posts of responsibility and trust brought to the fore all the noble qualities that have always naturally distinguished the Mahrattas, but which have all too often been allowed to remain uncultivated or even deliberately repressed. Thus it was that the eventful period of twenty years, stretching from 1687 to 1707, definitely established that great kingdom whose foundations had been laid by Shivaji, and in spite of the fortunes, power and prestige of the Moghuls and the ambitious Aurangzeb, it was in this brilliant period that Mahratta statesmen and military leaders proposed and carried out operations which will always redound to the credit of Maharashtra.
Among the foremost of these great men were Santaji Rao and Naro Pant, working in conjunction with Ramchandra Nilkanth and Dhanaji Rao. In this War of Independence, the tactics of guerilla warfare which had been introduced by Shivaji were perfected by Santaji and Dhanaji Rao, and it was this method of fighting that finally brought about the defeat of the so-called invincible army of Aurangzeb and that raised the
15
