History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c62.s5: § 7. Dilir Khan and Bahlol invade Golkonda, 1677.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c62.s5
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§ 7. Dilir Khan and Bahlol invade Golkonda, 1677.
v4.c62.s5.1
Aurangzib accepted this proposal, which was recommended by Dilir Khan. Bahadur was accordingly recalled, and left the province early in September 1677. The prime minister Asad Khan was then sent to Aurangabad with a large army to put matters straight and also to keep a vigilant watch, as the Emperor wanted to guard against the possibility of the establishment of an irresistible Afghan domination in the Deccan, at a time when the N. W. Frontier Pathans were imperfectly subdued. (Dil. 157.) But Asad Khan soon afterwards returned to the Emperor's side, and Dilir continued to officiate as viceroy of the Deccan till October 1678.
v4.c62.s5.2
The departure of Bahadur Khan is a convenient point at which we can pause and look collectively at the Mughal gains in the Deccan during the first twenty years of Aurangzib's reign. As we have already seen (Vol. I. Ch. 11), he had in 1657 annexed Kaliani and Bidar in the north-eastern corner of the kingdom of Bijapur. The fort and district of Parenda in the extreme north had been gained by bribery in November 1660. Sholapur had been acquired by treaty in July 1668. And now Naldurg and Kulbarga were annexed. Thus, the vast tract of land enclosed by the Bhima and the Manjira eastwards up to an imaginary line joining Kulbarga to Bidar (77° E. longitude) passed into Mughal hands, and the imperial boundary on the south reached the north bank of the Bhima, opposite Halsangi, within striking distance of Bijapur city,—while south-eastwards it touched Malkhed, the fortress of the western border of the kingdom of Golkonda. The various Mughal gains were thus linked together into a compact unit.
v4.c62.s5.3
But neither Bahadur's policy of war with the Afghan party at Bijapur, nor Dilir's opposite course of fraternizing with them, brought the Mughals any nearer success in getting possession of that kingdom. The former viceroy merely annexed a belt of land along its northern border, and the latter merely plundered its territory.
v4.c62.s5.4
Nor did the Mughals attain any better success in their attack on Golkonda which followed immediately afterwards. During their siege of Kulbarga (June 1677), Qutb Shah had massed his troops on his western frontier, under his commander-in-chief Muhammad Ibrahim, with orders to be watchful; but there was no conflict. After the Mughals had effected their conquests in this corner of Bijapur, they turned to settle accounts with Golkonda. They threatened (middle of August) Qutb Shah with invasion unless he seized and delivered up to them Shivaji and Shaikh Minhaj,—the last of whom had taken much money from the Mughal viceroy by promising to join him, but had ended by going over to Golkonda. A little later they demanded from the Sultan one *krore* of Rupees and 10,000 horse, as a fine for his having assisted Shivaji. He replied by offering to pay only five *lakhs*. Then Dilir and Bahlol tried to redeem their promise to the Emperor by setting out on an invasion of Golkonda (September.) From Kulbarga, the last Mughal outpost, they advanced to Malkhed, 24 miles eastwards, the first enemy fort on the Golkonda frontier, which they took in one day.