Battle of Surat According to ' History of The Marattas ' a book written in 1826 by James Grant Duff a Capt . in British India Regiment ( page - 198 ) , ' Surat was attacked by Shivaji on 5 Jan 1664 . This was a wealthy port city in Mughal empire for the sea trade of the era . This city was well populated mostly Hindus and very miror number of Muslims , specially the official in the Mughal administration of the city . The attack was so sudden that the inmates had no chance flee . The plundered was continued for six days , two third of the city was burnt and turned in to smoke in the air for many days . The loot was then transferred to Raigad fort ' . Background . As Shaista Khan was in Deccan now Maharashtra for more than three years , the financial condition of the state was dire . So to improve his finances , Shivaji planned to attack Surat , a key Mughal power centre , and a wealthy port town which generated a million rupees in taxes . Battle . Composition of Mughal forces . The defences of the city were poor , as the local Subedar , Inayat Khan appointed by Aurangzeb appointed only 1000 men at arms in his service . After sacking the Mughal garrison Shivaji attacked the port of Surat and set the local shipping industry ablaze . Composition of Maratha forces . Shivaji was assisted by notable commanders along with cavalry of 8000 or more . Movement and clash of forces . When Shivaji arrived at Surat he demanded tribute from the Mughal commander and a small army stationed for port security , which was refused . The Mughal Sardar , not the bravest , was very surprised by the suddenness of the attack and not willing to face the Maratha forces , he hid himself in the fort of Surat . However , there was an attempt of life on Shivaji by the emissary sent by the Mughal sardar . So Shivaji took the city and put it to the sack . Surat was under sack for nearly three days , in which the Maratha army looted all possible wealth from Mughal and Portuguese trading centers . The Maratha soldiers took away cash , gold , silver , pearls , rubies , diamonds and emeralds from the houses of rich merchants such as Virji Vora , Haji Zahid Beg , Haji Kasim and others . The business of Mohandas Parekh , the deceased broker of the Dutch East India Company , was spared as he was reputed as a charitable man . Similarly , Shivaji did not plunder the houses of the foreign missionaries . The French traveller Francois Bernier wrote in his " Travels in Mughal India " : The total number of prisoners executed during the raid was 4 ; the hands of another 24 were cut off . Shivaji had to complete the sacking of Surat before the Mughal Empire at Delhi was alerted and could not afford to waste much time in attacking the British . Thus , Sir George Oxenden was able to successfully defend the British factory , a fortified warehouse - counting house - hostel . Outcome . All this loot was successfully transported to Maharashtra before the Mughal Empire at Delhi could get the news of the sacking of Surat . This wealth later was used for developing & strengthening the Maratha Empire . News in London Gazzet on 20 Feb 1672 Casualties . One Englishman named Anthony Smith , was captured by the Marathas , he was forced to witness cruel methods of torture inflicted upon prisoners who were ordinary and innocent subjects of the Mughal Empire , Anthony Smith even mentioned how Shivaji ' s raiders maimed and executed those prisoners by cutting off their hands and heads . When the Mughal Army finally approached on the fourth fateful day , Shivaji and his followers galloped southwards into the Deccan . Only the well organized British led by George Oxenden and the Portuguese survived the onslaught , but the city itself never recovered . References . Bibliography