History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c61.s3: § 4. Jai Singh's military resources and preparations.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c61.s3
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§ 4. Jai Singh's military resources and preparations.
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His diplomatic web having been thus subtly woven, Jai Singh collected the sinews of war. The imperial forces* under his banners numbered about 40,000 troopers, to which must be added local auxiliaries. Shivaji sent him 2,000 troopers whom his son as a 5-hazari was bound by the regulations to supply, and 7,000 expert infantry of his own. The Maratha contingent was commanded by Netaji Palkar, reputed in the Deccan as "a second Shivaji." Jai Singh thought that Shivaji could be more usefully employed in capturing forts and making diversions in other parts of the Bijapur territory than in accompanying the imperial army. He had the highest opinion of Shivaji's skill as a general and wrote to the Emperor; "In this expedition he can render very valuable services......His attendance in the present campaign is very necessary." Khafi Khan (ii. 192) also bears witness to Shivaji's usefulness, saying "Shiva and Netaji were noted masters and experienced hands in the art of capturing forts."
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∗ A.N. 988 gives Jai Singh considerably above 31,500 cavalry; Manucci (ii. 141) 50,000 horsemen; Dil. (p. 55) 61,000; B.S. (p. 405) 70,000 cavalry and many *ahsham*; Khafi Khan (ii. 191) 25,000 troopers. The Maratha contingent, H.A. 81a. Jai Singh's praise of the Maratha auxiliaries, H.A. 84b, 76b, 81a; also A.N. 1002.
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Before setting out on the campaign, the Rajah asked for 40 to 50 large pieces of cannon to be sent to him from the Deccan fortresses,—at least 30 pieces in addition to the seven already with him, as Bijapur was defended by the famous Malik-i-maidan and other artillery of long range and large calibre. The Chief of Imperial Artillery was requested to send him powder, shot and rockets in quantity sufficient for such an important undertaking. Imperial orders on the local officers were also solicited for the supply of provisions regularly during the whole campaign. (H.A. 64 b, 74 a.)
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He was impatient to begin the war. "Our army is sitting idle and the enemy are using this respite to strengthen themselves. The delay of a day now is equivalent to the loss of a year." (H.A., 74 a.) He knew that his success depended on attacking Bijapur by surprise before Adil Shah had time to make preparations for defence. He learnt from his correspondents at Bijapur that "the enemy's troops are disunited and quarrelling among themselves; the fort of Bijapur has no protective works, no materials or provisions for standing a siege; and as soon as the imperial army arrives in that tract most of the Adil-Shahi chiefs and officers will enter the imperial service, and this fact will bring Adil Shah down on his knees." (H.A., 85 a.)
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Such an opportunity must not be allowed to slip away. But Jai Singh could not move one inch without money. He had spent more than 22 lakhs during the three months' war with Shivaji and now (in October, 1665) his mansabdars' and artillerymen's salary was six months in arrears, and they were starving. Moreover, large sums would be needed in buying deserters from Bijapur as soon as the campaign opened. So, he pressed the Emperor to send him money quickly. (H.A., 74 b.)
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§ 5. Jai Singh starts against Bijapur.
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He had at first decided to start on 20th October. But "the treasure ordered from the provincial treasury of Malwa had not yet arrived, and there was no sign of its having even started." (H.A. 74.) At last on 12th November, twenty lakhs of Rupees reached him. Another ten lakhs was placed with the diwan of the Deccan at his call. Jai Singh immediately paid the salary due to his troops and started on the 19th from the foot of fort Purandar, and advanced rapidly without waiting for the arrival of the big guns and siege materials from Parenda. (H.A. 81 b—82 a, 85 a.)
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The imperial vanguard, consisting of 7,500 troopers, was led by the renowned warrior Dilir Khan with all the artillery of the army. In the Centre, 12,000 strong, rode Jai Singh himself, while the Right and Left wings were commanded by Daud Khan and Rajah Rai Singh Sisodia respectively, each at the head of 6,000 cavalry. Shivaji's contingent, 9,000 strong, formed the left of the Centre. In addition to the line of front skirmishers (qarawwal), the advanced reserve (iltimsh) and rearguard, there were two divisions for protecting the two flanks, who marched at a long distance parallel to the main army. (A.N. 988.)* Two days after the start, Abdul Muhammad Miana, an Afghan noble of Bijapur who had been disappointed at his cousin being preferred to the headship of his clan, came over to the Mughals. But the main body of Afghans in the Adil-Shahi service, with their chief Abdul Karim Bahlol Khan, remained loyal, and Jai Singh’s gain was slight. (A.N. 989; H.A. 82 b—83 a, 84 a.)
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∗ The campaign against Bijapur is given fully in A N 988—1021. The original despatches are H A 85a—93b (Jai Singh to Aurang-zib) repeated in 213b—215a and 231a—233a (letters of Udiraj) The Bijapur historian's narrative (B.S. 406-427) is incomplete, one sided and meagre in several points I cannot make anything of the vague references to this campaign (?) in Tankh-i Ali II (Probably the
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During the first month of the campaign Jai Singh’s march was an uninterrupted triumph. From Purandar to Mangalvide, a fort 52 miles north of Bijapur, the invaders advanced without meeting with any opposition. The Bijapuri forts on the way were either evacuated in terror or surrendered at call to Shivaji’s men who had been detached from Jai Singh’s army to capture them; Phaltan, 35 miles s. e. of Purandar was entered on 7th December. Thathora 13 miles south-west of Phaltan on the 8th, Khatav about a week later, and Mangalvide itself about the 18th. The invaders marched on, and then on 24th December had their first contact with the enemy, because the Bijapuri king had wisely concentrated all his forces near his capital and suffered the Mughals to penetrate unmolested thus far from their own frontier. In the night of the 24th, the Bijapuri scouts, in the favourite fashion of the Deccanis, fired rockets into the Mughal camp.
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¹ I.O.L. M.S. is corrupt or fragmentary.) First battle : H.A. 86b—87a, not in B.S. Second battle : H.A. 87, B.S. 409. Third battle : A.N. 998—999 only. Fourth battle : H.A. 93b, B.S. 410, Dil. 57. Fifth battle : H.A. 88, not in B.S. K.K. ii. 196 (full.) Storia, ii. 141 and Dil. 55—57, too short. For the events after 27th January 1666, Jai Singh’s letter-book and B.S. are entirely silent, and our only source of information is the Alamgir-namah. For the date of the first battle H.A. differs from A.N. by one day.
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§ 6. First battle, 25th Dec., 1665.
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Next day, a detachment under Dilir Khan and Shivaji marched ten miles from the imperial camp and fought a Bijapuri army of 12,000 men under the famous generals Sharza Khan and Khawas Khan and their Maratha allies, Jadav Rao of Kalian and Vyankaji the half-brother of Shivaji. The Deccanis evaded the charges of the heavy cavalry of Delhi, but harassed them by their "cossack" tactics, forming four divisions and fighting loosely. After a long contest, Dilir Khan's tireless energy and courage broke the enemy by repeated charges, and they retired in the evening leaving one general and 15 captains dead on the field, and many flags, horses and weapons in the Mughal hands. But as soon as the victors began their return march, the elusive enemy reappeared and galled them severely from the two wings and rear. The Mughal rearguard, under Netaji bore the brunt of the attack and was pressed so hard and so incessantly that Jai Singh had to reinforce it strongly. The enemy were at last shaken off, after Jadav Rao had been shot dead. The Mughal loss, also, was heavy.
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A day earlier a capable general on the imperial side had been killed. Jai Singh had deposited his heavy baggage and other property in the fort of Mangalvide and placed a garrison there under Udit Singh Bhadauria as qiladar and Sarfaraz Khan as faujdar of the environs. At dawn, 24th December, Sharza Khan with 6,000 cavalry came to the fort by forced marches. Sarfaraz Khan, disobeying Jai Singh's instructions, sallied out to fight him and was slain. The remnant of his force fled back to the fort, and when the pursuing Bijapuris came within range of the fort guns, they were scattered with a volley from the walls.
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After a two days' stay, Jai Singh resumed his march on 27th December, and next day in the afternoon, when approaching the halting place, he heard of the enemy's presence in force a mile off. Leaving his camp under proper guard, he marched up and offered them battle. The Deccani horsemen, as usual, tried to envelop the Mughals, breaking into several loose bodies, each of which attacked its immediate opponent at the first sign of any weakness or disorder in the ranks of the latter. They began with a distant fire of rockets and matchlocks. But the Mughals, as was their wont, were eager to come to close grips, and charged gallantly with sword and spear, while the Deccanis gave way but kept up a Parthian fight for the six miles they were chased.
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§ 7. Jai Singh stopped near Bijapur.
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Next day, 29th December, Jai Singh arrived within 12 miles of Bijapur.* This was destined to be the furthest point of his advance, for here the first stage of the war ended and the second stage began, in which the Mughals were outnumbered and outmanœuvred by the Bijapuris, totally lost the initiative, and lived like a besieged camp as long as they continued in hostile territory. By this time Ali Adil Shah II.'s military preparations had been completed, all his vassals from far and near had gathered under his banners, a wise plan of combined defence and reprisal had been sketched, and his capital and its environs had been rendered impregnable to attack.
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The fort of Bijapur was now in a strong posture of defence. Its walls had been repaired, and large quantities of provisions and material laid in, and its regular garrison strengthened by 30,000 Karnataki infantry,—renowned for their fighting quality. In addition to this, the country round, for a radius of six miles, had been remorselessly laid waste ; the two large tanks of Nauraspur and Shahpur, each of which could have supplied the needs of an entire army, had been drained dry; all the wells in the environs had been filled up with earth; every building had been razed to the ground and every tree cut down, so that "not a green branch or shade-giving wall was left standing" to afford shelter to the invaders. At the same time a picked force under the noted generals Sharza Khan and Siddi Masaud had been sent off to invade the imperial dominions and create a diversion in Jai Singh's rear, while the main Bijapuri army hovered round that general's camp.
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∗ In Dil 56 and 199, the place is called Makhanah, which may be either Makhnapur, 10 m n of Bijapur, or, more probably, N a (g) than, 8 m n. n e. of the city.
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Jai Singh at once recognized that the chance of taking Bijapur by a coup de main was gone. And he was not prepared for a regular siege, as, in his eagerness "to grasp the golden chance [of attacking Bijapur while undefended and torn by domestic factions], he had not summoned big artillery and siege material from Parenda fort but had arrived near Mangalvide by rapid marches." And now his position was critical. Twenty thousand Bijapuris faced him in the open, while they could easily draw reinforcements from their capital. There was also a rumour, which soon proved to be true, that a large army was coming from Golkonda to the help of Adil Shah. "On account of the devastation of the environs of the fort, Jai Singh's army was faced not only with thirst, but also with starvation, as the pack-oxen of the grain-carriers (*banjaras*) accompanying the army could not get enough fodder and drink on the way." His council of war advised a retreat.
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§ 8. *Mughals begin to retreat, 5 Jan., 1666.*
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Therefore, when within 12 miles of Bijapur, Jai Singh decided to turn back in order to expel the enemy's raiding parties from the imperial territory. After a seven days' halt, which was marked by another running fight between the patrols on the two sides, the Mughal general began his retreat on 5th January, 1666, the Bijapuris hanging on his rear.* He reached Sultanpur (on the Sina), 16 miles south of Parenda on the 27th and halted there for 24 days. His intention was to rest between the forts of Sholapur and Parenda, leave his heavy baggage behind, and advance against Bijapur a second time with a lightly-equipped and mobile division.
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The news of his return march had an immediate effect: the Bijapuri division under Sharza Khan evacuated the imperial territory and joined the army under Abdul Muhammad (the wazir) which was following Jai Singh. But in this month of January, four great misfortunes befell the Mughals. First, when about the 12th, a brave Afghan captain named Sikandar (the brother of Fath Jang Khan) was convoying provisions material and munitions to the army of Jai Singh, a superior Bijapuri force under Sharza Khan slipped round Jai Singh and after covering 5 days' march in two days, surprised him at a place (Degaon, according to Dilkasha, 57) eight miles south of Parenda. To the enemy's invitation to desert to them, this loyal officer replied, "The only place where I can meet you is the battle field." Hopelessly outnumbered, he disdained to flee, dismounted, and fought with bow and sword, and then "with daggers and finally with his bare fists," till he was cut down. His son and some clansmen were picked up wounded and held as prisoners at Sholapur, and all his rich convoy was plundered. Jai Singh ascribed this disaster to the disloyal negligence of the commandant of Parenda.
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∗ Jai Singh's retreat from Bijapur starts 5th Jan. 1666—in five marches reaches the bank of the Bhima—battle of 11th Jan. (A N. 1000), halt for 4 or 5 days near Mangalvide—marches towards Parenda about 16th Jan.—battle of Lohri on the bank of the Bhima on 22nd Jan.—arrives at Sultanpur, 27th January. (H.A 233, 214b—215a) I cannot find Lohri in the Atlas, but there is a Laha 23 m s of Parenda. Or, it may be Bhosri, 9 m due west of Sultanpur. (Sh 39 S E)
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§ 9. Doings of Shivaji and Netaji.
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Then, on the 16th, Shiva who had at his own request been detached to make a diversion in the west by attacking fort Panhala, met with a dismal failure. Five days after parting from Jai Singh* on the bank of the Bhima, he had reached Panhala and assaulted it three hours before dawn. But the garrison were on the alert and a thousand Marathas fell down, killed or wounded. When the rising sun lit up the scene, Shivaji found it madness to continue the struggle, and retired baffled to his own fort of Khelna (Vishalgarh), 27 miles westwards. But his troops continued to ravage that quarter and succeeded in drawing and detaining there 6,000 Bijapuris under Siddi Masaud and Randaula Khan. (H.A. 84 b.—85 a.)
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About the 20th came the evil news that Netaji, Shivaji's chief officer, who was dissatisfied with his master probably at the inadequate recognition of his valuable services and gallant feats of arms, had deserted to Bijapur for a bribe of four lakhs of hun and led raiding parties into Mughal territory. Jai Singh could not afford to lose such a man, and so he lured him back (20th March) with many persuasive letters and the acceptance of all his high demands, viz., the rank of a 5-hazari, jagir in the settled and lucrative old territory of the empire (as distinct from the unsettled, ill-conquered and ever-ravaged new annexations in the Deccan), and Rs. 38,000 in cash. (H.A. 94 a.) For this offence the Maratha general had soon to make a severe atonement; he was suddenly arrested at Dharur (October 1666), sent to Delhi in chains, and there forced to embrace Islam as the only means of saving his life (February 1667.) [A.N. 987, 1009, 1021, 1033.]
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∗ "The unexpected failure before the fort of Bijapur gave rise to dissensions in the Mughal camp. The party hostile to Jai Singh, which was led by Dilir Khan, ascribed his ill success to the lukewarmness or treachery of Shivaji, and demanded that he should be imprisoned as a punishment. Jai Singh saw the danger in which Shivaji stood among the defeated and sullen Mughal soldiery. To send him out of the reach of his enemies he gladly accepted the proposal that the Marathas contingent should make a diversion in the western provinces of Bijapur. Dilir's design to murder Shivaji is attested by Manucci (ii 137) and the English Factory Records (My Shivaji and His Times, 3rd ed., p 130)
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The fourth misfortune of the Mughals was the sending of 12,000 cavalry and 40,000 infantry by the Sultan of Golkonda under his trusty eunuch Raza Quli (surnamed Neknam Khan) to assist Adil Shah. Arrived near Bijapur, they were welcomed by the wazir and passed in review before Ali, who received their salute from the Ali Burj. The two armies fraternized amidst grand rejoicings (about 31st January), and then they moved on Jai Singh from two sides, in order to crush him between them. (A.N. 1006; B.S. 413-414.)