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162 Shaista Khan in the very bosom of his harem amidst a ring of 20,000 Mughal troops, and escaped unscathed. Popular report credited Shiva with being a wizard with "an airy body," able to jump across 40 or 50 yards of space upon the person of his victim. The private audience was refused.

Shivaji next tried to win over the prime-minister, and paid him a visit, begging him to use his influence over the Emperor to send him back to the Deccan with adequate resources for extending the Mughal empire there. Jafar Khan, warned by his wife (a sister of Shaista Khan) not to trust himself too long in the company of Shiva, hurriedly ended the interview, saying "All right; I shall do so." Shiva knew that he meant to do nothing. (Sabh. 50-51; A. N. 970; Chit. 113.)

He was now thrown entirely upon his own resources. At the same time his position became worse than before. Fulad Khan, the police chief of Agra, by imperial order placed a large guard with artillery round Shiva's mansion, and he now became a prisoner in appearance as well as reality. "This made the Rajah lose heart; he felt sad and lamented long, clasping Shambhuji to his breast." In this state he passed three months.

We now turn to the policy of the imperial Government and the action of Jai Singh during this