History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c61.s1: § 1. Causes of war with Bijapur.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c61.s1
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§ 1. Causes of war with Bijapur.
v4.c61.s1.1
When appointing Jai Singh to the Deccan, Aurangzib had instructed him to punish both Shivaji and the Bijapur king. But the Rajput general had pleaded, "It would not be wise to attack both these fools at the same time;" and so, he had at first directed all his forces against Shivaji alone (H.A. 68 a). By the treaty of Purandar (June, 1665), the Maratha chief was shorn of two-thirds of his dominions and reduced to the rank of an obedient vassal. It was now the turn of Adil Shah to feel the weight of the Mughal arm.
v4.c61.s1.2
His faults were many. By the treaty of August 1657, he had bound himself to pay to the Emperor one krore of Rupees as indemnity and to cede Parenda fort with its dependent territory and the Nizam-Shahi Konkan; but he had taken advantage of the illness of Shah Jahan and the consequent war of succession to evade the fulfilment of his promise. True, at Aurangzib's grand coronation he had presented 8½ lakhs as part of his tribute and in January 1665 he had handed over seven lakhs of Rupees in cash and six caskets of jewels to the Mughal envoy at his Court. But these amounted to only a small fraction of the total indemnity and he still delayed the delivery of the promised fort and territory. In November 1660, the Mughals had, no doubt, gained possession of Parenda, but it was effected in despite of Adil Shah and only by bribing his local governor.
v4.c61.s1.3
The Bijapur king, when opening his great attack on Shivaji in 1660, had solicited co-operation from the Mughal Government, promising to pay a further subsidy. The Emperor had agreed, and Shaista Khan's attack on Shivaji's forts at the time had made a useful diversion in favour of the Bijapuris, and Adil Shah had in consequence succeeded in recovering Panhala, Pawangarh and many other forts from the Marathas. But Ali Adil Shah II. failed to pay the promised subsidy and even went so far as to claim that it was *he* who had assisted Shaista Khan (by sending an army into Adil-Shahi Konkan against Shivaji) and got from the Khan a promise that ten *lakhs* of his old war indemnity would be excused as the price of this assistance!
v4.c61.s1.4
During Jai Singh's recent campaign against Shivaji, the Bijapur Sultan had no doubt sent an army under Khawas Khan to co-operate with the Mughals. But Jai Singh's mind was never free from the fear of a treacherous move by these pretended allies, and he accused the Bijapuri general of fighting against the Marathas in a slack and half-hearted manner. "Adil Khan in his folly played false with me. He outwardly sent an army into Shiva's territory; but as he considered the utter destruction of Shiva to be harmful to his own interests and wished Shiva to stand as a wall between the imperial troops and the Bijapuris,—he made a secret alliance with the Maratha chief and helped him with lands, money, and other requisites. He also induced the king of Golkonda to enter into this policy and send money to that infidel, while he was all the time sending letters breathing loyalty to the Emperor." (A.N. 910-913, 397; H.A. 66a, 79a, 70a; B.S. 399-401).
v4.c61.s1.5
The truth of the matter is that never since the reign of Akbar did the Mughal Government once abandon the ambition of annexing the Deccan, and the Sultans of Bijapur and Golkonda could never forget this cardinal fact of 17th century Indian politics. They, therefore, naturally looked round for allies, and after 1663 found in Shivaji their only efficient bulwark against the Mughals. It was impossible for them to enter heartily into any plan for "rooting Shiva out."
v4.c61.s1.6
The aim of the Mughals is clear from Jai Singh's secret despatch to Aurangzib: "The conquest of Bijapur is the preface to the conquest of all Deccan and Karnatak." The war with Shivaji being over, the vast Mughal army assembled under Jai Singh's command was standing idly, and profitable employment had to be found for it. An invasion of Bijapur offered the best means of doing this. (H.A. 90a, 74a; A.N. 913.)