History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c63.s13: § 19. Diplomatic preparations for the Karnatak expedition.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c63.s13
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§ 19. Diplomatic preparations for the Karnatak expedition.
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The political situation in the neighbouring countries was eminently favourable to the design. The Mughal Emperor had, no doubt, returned to Delhi on 27th March, after a two years' absence in the Panjab, but his best troops were still engaged in controlling the revolted hillmen of the N. W. frontier. At Bijapur the Afghan leader Bahlol Khan, who had seized the guardianship of the boy-king Sikandar, alienated Bahadur Khan, the Mughal viceroy, who openly took the side of the Deccani Party and on 31st May opened a campaign against Bijapur which was to continue for more than a year. The rotten and tottering Adil-Shahi Government was in no position to trouble Shivaji at such a time.
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Over the Mughal viceroy of the Deccan, Shivaji's clever diplomacy won a complete triumph. Bahadur Khan had now grown weary of his more than two years' war with Shivaji, which had been chequered by as many defeats as successes and which seemed to promise no decisive end as far as he could look into the future. He had already coquetted with Shivaji for a friendly understanding and offered to make peace between him and the Emperor and get a command of 6,000 horse for his son Shambhuji (June, 1675.) And now, on the eve of opening the Mughal campaign against Bijapur, (May, 1676), it was as much his interest to make friends with the Marathas on his right flank as it was Shivaji's to secure Mughal neutrality in his rear during his invasion of the Karnatak. When two parties find a mutual advantage in being at peace, the terms are quickly settled.
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Shivaji sent his Chief Justice, Niraji Raoji, "a clever logician," to Bahadur Khan, with costly presents to induce him to promise neutrality during his projected absence in the Karnatak, the conquest of which was expected to take one year. Bahadur received a large bribe for himself in secret, and a certain sum in public as tribute for his master, and made a formal peace with the Marathas.
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With Golkonda close friendship and co-operation were secured. Madanna Pandit, the all-powerful wazir of Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, had already made a subsidiary alliance with Shivaji, promising him an annual tribute of one lakh of hun for the defence of the realm. Prahlad Niraji, a shrewd diplomatist, had been posted at Haidarabad as Maratha envoy. Shivaji decided to get from Golkonda the expenses of the campaign and the assistance of an auxiliary force, by promising a share of the conquest. But he was careful to avoid the least show of force, and trusted to his personal magnetism and power of persuasion in winning Qutb Shah's alliance.
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§ 20. Shivaji's alliance with Golkonda and conquest of the Karnatak.
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Qutb Shah having agreed to receive him, Shivaji started from Raigarh at the beginning of January 1677, and advanced due east by regular marches, at the head of 50,000 armed men, arriving at Haidarabad early in February. Abul Hasan, being very favourably impressed by Shivaji's personal charm, character and ability, and the strength and discipline of his army, bade his wazir grant him whatever he wanted. After some discussion a secret compact was made regarding the coming campaign. The Sultan was to pay Shivaji a subsidy of 3,000 hun a day, or four and a half lakhs of Rupees a month, and send an army of 5,000 men in charge of one of his generals (*sar-i-lashkar*), Mirza Muhammad Amin, to co-operate in the conquest of the Karnatak. A train of artillery with material was also supplied by Qutb Shah, and probably a large sum of money as advance payment of the promised subsidy. In return for this aid, Shivaji promised his ally such parts of his conquests in the Karnatak as had not belonged to his father Shahji. The defensive alliance against the Mughals was strengthened anew with solemn oaths taken by Shivaji in the presence of Qutb Shah, while the latter promised to pay his annual tribute of one lakh of hun regularly and to keep a Maratha ambassador at his Court.
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The territory annexed by Shivaji in the Karnatak in the course of 1677 and 1678 was estimated to yield 20 lakhs of hun a year and included a hundred forts, taken or built by him. In August 1678, the Madras factors write, "Shivaji by his deputies has a full and quiet possession of all these countries about those two strong castles of Jinji and Vellore, which are worth 22 lakhs of pardoes or 550 thousand pounds sterling per annum, at five shillings the pardoe, in which he has a considerable force of men and horse, 72 strong hills and 14 forts [in the plain],—being 60 leagues long and 40 broad." (Diary and Consult. 1678-79, pp. 105-106.) But gold, and not land, was his chief object. The whole of the Karnatak was "peeled to the bones" by his system of organized plunder and exaction.∗
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∗ "With a success as happy as Cæsar's in Spain, he came, saw and overcame, and reported so vast a treasure in gold, diamonds, emeralds, rubies and wrought coral that have strengthened his arms with very able sinews to prosecute his further victorious designs." (H. Gary to Co, dated Bombay, 16 Jan., 1678. O C. 4314) Pardoe = chakram, a gold coin worth Rs 2·3.
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§ 21. Shivaji's return from the Karnatak.
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After his marvellous success in the invasion of the Karnatak, Shivaji left the Madras plains (early in November, 1677) and entered the Mysore plateau, conquering its eastern and central parts. From Sera in the heart of the Mysore kingdom (December, 1677), he marched to Kopal, 125 miles north, the fort of which he took, then turned 35 miles westwards to Gadag, and 24 miles south of the latter to Lakshmishwar in the Dharwar district, (capturing the forts at both these places). Bankapur, 20 miles s. w. of Lakshmishwar, was besieged unsuccessfully, about the middle of January, 1678. From this place Shivaji retraced his steps northwards, and arrived in the Belgaum district.
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Soon afterwards he had a very great disappointment,—the greatest in his life, which we describe in the words of the Rajapur factors in their letter dated 3rd April. "Jamshid Khan, since the death of his master the Nawab [Bahlol Khan, on 23rd Dec., 1677], found himself incapable of longer holding out, agrees with Shivaji to deliver up [the fort of Bijapur and the person of Sikandar Adil Shah] for 600,000 pagodas. Siddi Masaud, having intelligence of this, feigns a sickness, at last death, and causes a handol publicly to be sent away with part of the army to Adoni, the residue (of his troops)
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about 4,000 sent to Jamshid, pretending that since the leader was dead, if he would entertain them they would serve him. He presently accepts their service and receives them into the Fort, who within two days seized his person, caused the gates to be opened and received the Siddi in alive."
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The news of the transfer of the Adil-Shahi capital to Siddi Masaud (21st February) reached Shivaji at Turgal, and he swerved aside to the west and returned to his own stronghold of Panhala in the first week of April, 1678.