Later Mughals v2.c14.s21: Sec. 46.—The Mahrattas in Gujarat.
Later Mughals v2.c14.s21
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Sec. 46.—The Mahrattas in Gujarat.
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After Shivaji's death in 1680, the first appearance of the Mahrattas in the subah of Gujarat seems to have been in the year 1702 when they levied a contribution from Surat; this was followed in 1705 by an irruption of 15,000 horsemen who defeated the faujdars at Baba Piara ford on the Narmada and carried slaughter wherever they went. Order was restored to some extent by Prince Azam Shah, who was at once appointed governor. From Alamgir's death (1707) up to the accession of Muhammad Shah (1719), the Mahrattas do not seem to have made any invasion on a large scale; but in the interval they had by small yearly expeditions succeeded in obtaining the chauth or fourth share from a great part of the province. The Mahrattas assert that their right to this tribute was confirmed at Dihli in 1719, when the deeds for the chauth on the six provinces of the Dakhin were executed. But this assertion is totally unproved and probably quite unfounded. From 1720, when Baji Rao succeeded his father Balaji in the office of Peshwa or chief minister of the Mahratta State, began a series of vigorous and sustained encroachments on the Mughal Empire north of the Narmada. This was in pursuance of a matured and far-reaching plan. As Baji Rao said to Rajah Sahu, "Let us strike at the trunk of the withering tree; the branches will fall of themselves. Thus should the Mahratta flag fly from the Krishna to the Indus." Thereupon the Rajah exclaimed enthusiastically: "You shall plant it upon the Himalayas!"
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At this period arose the practice of assigning to particular officials or commanders the attack on particular provinces. To the Peshwa were assigned Khandesh and part of the Balaghat, and later on, the operations in Malwa and the country to the north of it as far as the Jamuna. Khandi Rao Dhabariya, the senapati or commander-in-chief, realized the dues in Baglana, or the country between the Tapti and the Narmada, and also in Gujarat.
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At the battle of the 9th August, 1720, near Balapur, between Sayyid Alim Ali Khan and Nizam-ul-mulk, the troops of Khandi Rao Dhabariya had fought well on behalf of the Sayyid. One officer, Damaji Gaikwar, had especially distinguished himself; and on the senapati's recommendation Rajah Sahu made this man second in command with the title of Shamsher Bahadur. In 1721 Damaji died and was succeeded by his nephew Pilaji Gaikwar,—who thus became the principal Mahratta leader in the attacks upon Gujarat. Another man of note was Udaji Puar, son of Wiswas Rao, who had lately risen to notice and made many distant expeditions into Malwa as far as Dhar and into Gujarat, in the latter plundering as far as Luniwara.* There was also Kanthaji Kadam Bande, an active partisan who took a prominent part in the raids into Gujarat.
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During the reigns of Bahadur Shah (1707-1712) and Farrukh-siyar (1712-1719), order had been more or less preserved by successive governors; among the most notable of whom were Ghazi-ud-din Khan Firuz Jang and Maharajah Ajit Singh Rathor. It was in this period that Haidar Quli Khan Isfaraini's first connection with the province arose. He was in charge of the important city and port of Surat from Dec. 1715 to June 1718. In 1720 on the overthrow of the Sayyids, to whose party he belonged, Ajit Singh was replaced as we have seen by this Haidar Quli Khan. He gave way in turn to Nizam-ul-mulk's representative Hamid Khan in February 1723. [M. U. iii. 765.] But as Haidar Quli Khan contested his successor's rights, the province was left by him in the charge of his nominee, one Shujaat Khan. By a fresh turn of the wheel, Nizam-ul-mulk lost his appointment to this province, which was conferred on Sarbuland Khan Mubariz-ul-mulk. The new governor's first act was to re-appoint Haidar Quli Khan's nominee, Shujaat Khan, as his deputy. As this man and his brothers now become chief actors in our narrative, it will be well to give some account of them before we proceed further.
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∗ About 68 m. n. e. of Ahmadabad.
Shujaat Khan and His Origin.
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One Shujaat Khan (Shaikh Muhammad Shah Faruqi),* was long connected with Gujarat, and in 1112 H. (1700-1) died while governor of that province. One of his principal officers was Kazim Beg. This man had six sons. Of these one was killed fighting the Kolis, a jungle tribe, during the government of Ibrahim Khan (1705-1708); and during Haidar Quli Khan's rule at Surat, two others lost their lives, one in an attack on some rebels at Jamu, the other in the course of his duty as faujdar of Surat. The three sons who were left became favourite officers of Haidar Quli Khan, he furthered their interests in every way, and obtained titles for them. Muhammad Masum, who had married the daughter of Shujaat Khan (Shaikh Muhammad Shah) was created Shujaat Khan; the two others were made Rustam Ali Khan and Ibrahim Quli Khan.