History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c63.s16: § 24. Dilir captures Bhupalgarh.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c63.s16
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§ 24. Dilir captures Bhupalgarh.
v4.c63.s16.1
Dilir Khan next marched to the fort of Bhupalgarh,* (20 miles n. w. of Jath and 45 miles s. w. of Pandharpur) situated among the Majra hills, which Shivaji had built as a storehouse of his property and the refuge of the families of his subjects in the neighbourhood during his wars with the Mughals. By great labour the imperialists dragged some guns to the top of a neighbouring height during the night and next morning began to batter the walls and towers. The assault was launched about 9 A.M. and the Mughals fought with vigour till noon, when they captured the fort, after heavy slaughter on both sides. Vast quantities of grain and other property and large numbers of people were captured by the victors. Seven hundred survivors of the garrison were deprived of one hand and then set free; the other captives were evidently sold into slavery.
v4.c63.s16.2
∗ Bhupalgarh described in Bom. Gaz. xix. 455-456 (ten miles s. e. of Khanapur in the Satara district; the modern name of the village is Banur).
v4.c63.s16.3
Before this Shivaji had sent 16,000 horse to relieve the fort. They arrived too late, but hovered on the four sides of the Mughals. Suddenly they learnt that Iraj Khan and Bajaj Rao [Nimbalkar] were bringing provisions from Parenda to the besieging army, and then they immediately hastened to intercept the convoy. But Dilir Khan detached Ikhlas Khan with 1,500 cavalry to the aid of Iraj Khan. Twelve miles from Bhupalgarh he overtook the Marathas. Ikhlas Khan's small force was enveloped and he took refuge in a walled village and repelled the Maratha assault with his back to the wall, doing great havoc among the enemy with his artillery, and slaying nearly one thousand of Shivaji's men Then large reinforcements arrived from Dilir Khan, at whose approach the Marathas fled Dilir then went back to Bhupalgarh, burnt everything that he could not carry off, dismantled its fortifications, and returned to Dhulkhed
v4.c63.s16.4
The fugitive Marathas, however, scored a success Near Karkamb (30 miles south of Parenda), they fell in with Iraj Khan, looted all his grain and the property of his troops, and forced him to flee with a few men into a small fort hard by, where he was afterwards relieved by his kinsman, Mir Muhammad Khan, the qiladar of Parenda
v4.c63.s16.5
The fall of Bhupalgarh took place on 2nd April, 1679 Then followed a period of puzzling intrigue and counter-intrigue between the Mughal viceroy and the Bijapur nobility, and also quarrels between Masaud and Sharza Khan, Masaud and Dilir, and Masaud and his favourite Venkatadri About the middle of this year Shivaji sent to Aurangzib a well-reasoned and spirited letter of protest against the jaziya, which was drafted by Nila Prabhu in eloquent Persian (Hist of Aurangzib, iii Ch 34 Appendix)