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1677] and diplomatic skill had facilitated and confirmed the conquests achieved by the swords of these men: Raghunath and Janardan Narayan Hanumante, until recently the uncrowned kings of Tanjore; Prahlad Niraji, the resident ambassador at Haidarabad; Kesho Pant, and Nilo Moreshwar and Gangadhar Pant the auditors (majmuadars.) With them were mingled the more retiring and studiously unostentatious figures of the Kayastha writers : Nila Prabhu, the accomplished Persian draftsman (munshi), Balaji Avji, that jewel of a secretary (chitnis) whom Shivaji loved to keep close to his person; and also, but of another caste, Shamji Nayak, the Keeper of the Seal.

But none of them attracted so much attention as the moving spirit of all this host. In the centre of a brilliant throng of ministers and generals, rode a short spare figure, rendered still thinner by his recent illness and the fatigues of an unbroken march of 300 miles. His quick beaming eyes were glancing right and left, and a natural smile played on his long light brown face distinguished by a Roman nose. The assembled citizens gave cheers for "Shiva Chhatrapati;" flowers made of gold and silver were showered on him from the balconies crowded with ladies and the roadside alike. Every now and then the women came forward and waved lighted lamps round his person with verses of welcome and blessing. Nor was Shiva less liberal. In his turn he kept showering handfuls of gold and silver among the