History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c61.s6: § 12. Money loss of the Bijapur invasion.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c61.s6
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§ 12. Money loss of the Bijapur invasion.
v4.c61.s6.1
Jai Singh's invasion of Bijapur was a military failure. Not an inch of territory, not a stone of a fortress, not a pice of indemnity was gained by it. As a financial speculation it was even more disastrous. Only the most complete success could have justified such a costly adventure immediately after the war with Shivaji had thrown the pay of the Mughal army into arrears for six months. In addition to the thirty lakhs of Rupees from the imperial treasury, Jai Singh had spent more than a *krore* out of his own pocket. (*Dil.* 56.) His own letters prove that his avowed weapon for the conquest of Bijapur was gold, and he expected to win the kingdom by buying every Bijapuri captain at his own price. As he wrote to the Emperor, "It is necessary to detach three races from the enemy, *viz.* the Afghans, who form more than half the army of Bijapur, the Abyssinians (about 2000 brave troops), and the Mahdavi sect, foremost in raising tumult, more than 3000 horse. When these have joined us, the Bijapuri generals will be broken-winged and unable to carry out any exploit. Many of them should be given cash rewards and many jagirs in our old territory." (*H.A.* 90 *b.*) And, again, "As soon as our army enters this kingdom, many Deccanis will have to be enlisted in our service and every one of them will require money...Till the conquest of Bijapur, the spending of money according to expediency is very necessary." (*H.A.* 74 *b.*)
v4.c61.s6.2
At first Aurangzib had objected to such lavish expenditure on mere speculation and doubted whether the enterprise would not end in utter loss like the Balkh and Qandahar adventures of his father's reign. Jai Singh replied that Bijapur was not like those desert lands; after its conquest all the cost of the war would be recovered from the soil. Haji Shafi Khan, the diwan of the Deccan, used to object and delay in granting jagirs to the Bijapuri deserters; but Jai Singh complained to the Emperor against this obstructionist subordinate and had him removed from the province. (H.A. 91 a and Dil. 62.)
v4.c61.s6.3
Profuse as Jai Singh’s payments were, they were exceeded by the engagements he made on behalf of his master. Every petty Muslim captain or Maratha chieftain, who offered to desert from Bijapur, was promised a title and a high mansab in the Mughal service, besides a large cash bounty for equipping his retainers. (Dil. 62.) The number of the traitors thus recommended was so large, that the keeping of Jai Singh’s promises would have drained the imperial treasury more thoroughly than the failure of a campaign. Aurangzib in anger rejected all the Rajah’s recommendations after granting the first few.