Delhi. These aims included even the conquest of Delhi, so as to make the whole Indian sub-continent safe for the Hindu religion, and no more destruction of temples and idols was to be tolerated. This statement of the Maratha Chhatrapati's aims is not confined to a few rare documents, but runs through most of the writings detailing the political transactions of the Maratha Government of that period. Animated by a desire to avenge their wrongs, the Maratha bands spread over the vast territories from Khandesh to the south coast, over Gujarat, Baglan, Gondwana, and the Karnataka, devastating Mughal stations, destroying their armies, exacting tribute, plundering Mughal treasures, animals and stocks of camp equipage. Through imminent peril Rajaram had won his goal and at Jinji had sustained that which scholars like C.A. Kincaid call, "a siege hardly shorter than that of Troy with the skill and valour and more than the fortunes of Hector". Rajaram had created armies, planned campaigns, governed distant provinces. Well-nigh unbearable though his burden was, he had nobly and worthily borne it. Through an endless darkness he had kept alive the flickering flame of his country’s independence; and when Aurangzeb thought he had at last crushed him for ever, Rajaram had re-appeared in his own kingdom and had once again hurled defiance at the northern invaders. When the council for planning the next course of action opened at Satara, Hukumatpanah Ramchandrapant, supported by his lieutenants, Parashuram Trymbak and Shankar Narayan, advanced to the Chhatrapati's seat and were lauded for their administration during the exile of Rajaram. Rajaram lauded the services of the Maratha Houses of Atole, Dabhade, Pawar and Patankar and distributed to them and to others dresses of honour suited to their rank and achievements and disclosed his strategy. Rajaram meant to let Aurangzeb wear out his army besieging the Deccan forts, while he and his lieutenants invaded with large bodies of horse the Mughal territories further than they had been invaded for many years. Thus while the Mughal emperor was trying to destroy Maratha bases, the Marathas would retaliate by destroying his. Rajaram declared: "The enemy’s power is weakened, our troops no longer fear to meet the emperor’s. Our task is reaching its close. By the blessing and merit of my father, the divine Shivaji, fortune will crown our efforts with victory". Death Rajaram led a large Maratha force to attack the Mughal city of