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1655] never really contradicts Sabhasad; it does not categorically deny that Shiva's envoy murdered Chandra Rao or that Shiva had authorised the deed. It merely accuses Chandra Rao of implacable hostility to Shivaji, but tells us nothing of what actually happened at the fatal interview. And yet on its slender— or rather non-existent basis, Mr. Kincaid's brilliant imagination builds up the following scene which he presses upon the public ignorant of Marathi as the true and attested story of the Javli affair:

"From the recently discovered Mahabaleswar account, it is clear that Shivaji repeatedly strove to win More to his side, that More as often tried treacherously to take Shivaji prisoner, and that he eventually fell in a quarrel between him and Ragho Ballal Atre, while the latter was delivering him an ultimatum. Shivaji was thus clearly innocent of More's death."

"What happened [at the interview with More] is obscure. It is probable that Shivaji's envoy charged Balaji [i.e., Chandra Rao More] with double dealing and that the latter complained of Shivaji's invasion [i.e., occupation of Mahabaleshwar in force.] High words were exchanged, swords were drawn and Ragho Ballal Atre and Sambhaji Kavji killed More and his brother... Shivaji had not authorised his envoy's acts." (Kincaid and Parasnis, History of the Maratha People, i. 272, 150-151.)

I trust that the astonishing method of appraising evidence and drawing legitimate inferences exhibited