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38 at Shivaji's usurpations and Shahji's supposed connivance at them.

Zahur, son of Zahuri, in his Muhammad-namah (pp. 371-372), written by order of Muhammad Adil Shah, gives the following earliest and most correct account of the incident: — "When the siege of Jinji was protracted and fighting continued long, the cunning Shahji sent an agent to Nawab Mustafa Khan begging leave to go to his own country and give repose to his troops. The Nawab replied that to retire then would be equivalent to disturbing [the work of the siege.] Then Shahji sent to say that grain was very dear in the camp, that the soldiers could not bear the privation and labour any longer, and that he would retire to his own country without waiting for permission [from the commander-in- chief.] The Nawab, being convinced that Shahji meant mischief and would show fight, had him arrested with such extreme cleverness and good arrangement that no part of his property was plundered, but the whole was confiscated to Government."

A later but very reliable Persian history of Bijapur, viz., Basatin-i-Salatin (309-311), supplies some additional information: — "Shahji, withdrawing his head from obedience to the Nawab Mustafa Khan, began to oppose him, till at last the Nawab decided to arrest him. One day he made Baji Rao Ghorpade and Jaswant Rao Asad-Khani get their forces ready and sent them very early in the morning to Shahji's