History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c64.s13.1

v4.c64.s13.1

We must here turn to the history of Prince Akbar since January 1682, when he returned with Shambhuji leaving the siege of Janjira unfinished. Eight months had passed away since he had sought asylum with the Maratha king; but no grand expedition against the Mughals had been yet undertaken; on the other hand, strong enemy forces had in the meantime arrived and barred his way north, east and south-east. Unless they could be signally defeated he had no hope of making a dash to Northern India. And yet, Shambhuji was frittering away his strength in small predatory incursions here and there, or engaging in fruitless wars with the Siddis and the Portuguese, having "too many irons in the fire" to do anything effective, as the Surat factors rightly remarked in December 1683. The proper strategy for him should have been to concentrate all his forces against his chief enemy and deal a crushing blow at any of the main Mughal divisions, —at Ahmadnagar, Aurangabad, Junnar or Burhanpur—and thus clear the way for an invasion of the imperial dominions that would produce an important political effect. Akbar constantly urged such a policy on Shambhuji and asked him to a conference for elaborating the plan of such a campaign, but in vain. His host could not look at things from his point of view.