Page:Shivaji and His Times.djvu/194

174 died, and even went into mourning for him. Then, when the suspicion of the Mughal officers on the way had been thus lulled asleep, and some months had elapsed, he wrote to Mathura for him, and the three brothers with their whole family migrated to Maharashtra, carrying Shambhuji, disguised as a Brahman kinsman, with them.

At a certain outpost on the road, the Mughal officer suspected that Shambhuji was not of their family or caste; but his Brahman protectors dined with him to prove their kinship, and the danger was passed. (Chit. 120; Dig. 255-256; T. S. 25a; Dil. 61 gives a variant.) Shiva royally rewarded the faithful three — Krishnaji, Kashi Rao and Visaji, — gave them the title of Vishwas Rao (Lords Fidelity) and a lakh of gold pieces, and settled on them an annual revenue of 10,000 hurt. The devoted companions of his own escape were similarly rewarded. (Sabh. 57.) Shivaji's escape from captivity caused lifelong regret to Aurangzib. As the Emperor wrote in his last will and testament: "The greatest pillar of a Government is the keeping of information about everything that happens in the kingdom, — while even a minute's negligence results in shame for long years. See, the flight of the wretch Shiva was due to carelessness, but it has involved me in all these distracting campaigns to the end of my days." (Anec. §10.)

We now turn to Jai Singh's anxieties, plans, and