History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c37.2

v2.c37.2

The struggle between the Afghans and the Mughals was prolonged from 1576, the date of the death of Dāūd Shāh Kararānī at the battle of Rajmahal, to the final return of Rāja Mān Singh from the north-eastern *Ṣubāhs* in 1606. The first separate *Ṣubāhdār* for Orissa was not appointed till 1607 in the reign of the Emperor Nūruddīn Jahāngīr. All accounts ascribe the Musalman conquest of Orissa to Sulāimān Kararānī.¹ As the Mughal army arrived on the borders of Orissa only eight years after the fall of the last of the real *Gajapatis*, the Afghans had no time to consolidate themselves in Orissa. After the battle of Rajmahal they practically became the hunted and the Mughals the hunters, though the general apathy and neglect of the Mughal officers permitted them to linger on in Orissa and south-eastern Bengal till the end of Akbar's reign. Mughal rule in Orissa can hardly be said to have begun during the life time of Akbar. From 1576 till the death of the great Emperor in 1605, nearly thirty years were spent by Mughal officers of Bengal in trying to stamp out the rebellious spirit of the Afghans in that province and in Orissa. In the course of Mun'im Khān Khān-i-Khānān's war with the Afghans of Bengal we hear first of all that Khān Jahān Lodī governed Orissa for Dāūd.¹ During the period of internal dissensions between the Mughal officers in Bengal, Dāūd tried to regain his independence and the Khān-i-Khānān was compelled to march to Chittua in the Medinipur district as Dāūd had arrived at Haripur. The Mughal army entered Orissa by another route and foiled Dāūd’s attempts to block the road by entrenchment. Dāūd was defeated in the ensuing engagement at Tukaroi on the 3rd March 1575.² The name of the battle-field is given as Bajhorah, Bachhorah, Bashorh or Bachhorh in the *Tabaqāt-i-Akbarī* and *Mantkhab-ut-Tawārīkh*. In the *Akbarnāmā* and *Ma’aṣir-ul-‘Umarā* it is called Takarohi or Takaroi. Blochmann identified it correctly with Moghulmari on the road from Medinipur to Jalesar. Tukaroi (spelt Tookaroe) lies two miles from Moghulmari on the south bank of the Suvarṇarekhā (*’Aīn*, Eng. trans. Vol. I. pp. 375-76). Rājā Toḍar Mall and Shāham Khān were sent in pursuit of Dāūd. That unfortunate monarch was joined by Jahān Khān and taken to Katak. Dāūd sent Fattū, Shaikh Niẓām and other officers to treat. The Khān-i-Khānān sent Hāshim Khān and Quṭluq Qadam Khān to settle the terms of peace. The summary of the terms of peace were that Dāūd should come and accept service under the Mughals after sending his best elephants and other presents. After serving for some time he was to appear in Court. For the time being one of his relatives was to act as his representative. Dāūd appeared before Mun’im Khān on the 12th April 1575, presented some good elephants and handed over his nephew Shaikh Muḥammad the son of Bāyazid as hostage.¹