History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c64.s15: § 21. Rebellions against Shambhuji; Mughal operations from July 1683.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v4.c64.s15
- Language
- English
§ 21. Rebellions against Shambhuji; Mughal operations from July 1683.
v4.c64.s15.1
It is now time to take up the history of the doings of the Mughals where we dropped it, about April 1683. From the following July the prospects of the imperialists in the Deccan began to brighten. Akbar was estranged from Shambhuji and meditating flight from India. The Marathas became plunged into a long war with the Portuguese. The Mughals profited by these circumstances. The Emperor's indecision and cautious inactivity ended;
v4.c64.s15.2
his suspicions of his sons seemed to have abated; and a vigorous offensive was opened in many directions. We shall here briefly summarize the main incidents as far as accurately known.
v4.c64.s15.3
Shambhuji's profligacy capriciousness and violence and the decline and disorder in his Government created a general discontent among his officers and vassals. Aurangzib's bribes aggravated the evil, and there were frequent desertions from the Maratha service. Early in 1682 (or probably late in 1681) Avji Pandit* was dismissed by the Maratha king and was then engaged by the Portuguese. From Gorbandar he went to Bombay in April 1682 and thence by way of Surat to the Mughal Emperor's Court (in June.) (F.R. Surat 90, Surat to Bomb. 24th April and 1 June, 1682.) On 6th April, Chimnaji, zamindar of Kharg-garh, who had deserted Shambhu, had audience of the Emperor. (M.A. 218.) On 26th July 1683, Qazi Haidar, Shivaji's munshi, did the same, (M.A. 234), and was created a 2-hazari and a Khan, and later on (1706) rose to be chief Qazi of the Empire. In Nov. 1684, a Rajah under Shambhuji, intending to desert, went away to Nasik with his permission on a pretended pilgrimage; but Shambhu, detecting his real object, at once sent a large force after him which cut off the unsuspecting Rajah and most of his 2,000 retainers. [Dharangaon to Surat, 18 Nov.] In 1683 he had also a dispute with the Rajah of Sunda, who had evidently withheld tribute, so that Shambhuji had to threaten him through a Brahman envoy. (Surat to Karwar, 19th May 1683, in F.R. Surat 91.)
v4.c64.s15.4
∗ This Avji Pandit could not have been Avji Ballal the son of Shivaji's chitnis Balaji Avji, who was a Prabhu Yet he was a person of importance, as a Bombay letter of 27 Nov 1680 informs us "Avji Pandit a person of great esteem and quality in Shivaji's time com manded the army next under Moro Pandit, he came to the island on the 20th instant with a letter from Shembhuji complaining of our harbouring the Siddi " [O M 116] I conjecture that he was Avji Mahadev, a Karkun mentioned in Sabhasad Bakhar, 4th ed, p 103
v4.c64.s15.5
Khem Savant (ruler of Kudal and a vassal of Shambhuji) rebelled against him and took the side of the Portuguese, who reinforced him with three hundred men of their own. Khem Savant now roamed over Savant-vadi, burning and robbing many places in the Maratha kingdom immediately north of Goa, (Feb. 1685.) He with two other rebels, named Dulva Nayak (of Phonda) and Ram Dalvi, had taken refuge in Portuguese territory and Shambhuji had promised to pardon them in the Luso-Maratha treaty of January 1684. But as they were without employment, hunger drove them to renew their lawless disturbances. The three rebels mustered a force of 15,000 men between them and with the active backing of the Portuguese after the disruption of the above peace, they made Goa a safe base for their operations and kept South Konkan and Kanara in turmoil, "so that the Rajah's people are in a miserable condition in several parts of his country." [Karwar to Surat, 19 Feb. 1685.]
v4.c64.s15.6
The contagion spread. The whole coast region was up in arms against Shambhuji. As the Surat factors write (21st April), "Shambhuji Rajah's affairs on this coast are in no good condition, the Mughal pressing hard upon him hath made some of his own people to rise up against him." In the same month we learn, "the desai of Kadra is in rebellion and has robbed some merchants and burnt several houses belonging to the Rajah's [i.e., Shambhuji's] people, and the subahdar with his people have been there and burnt his house, and he is flown into the woods for refuge, but is daily expected to return and do more mischief, for he is assisted by the Dalvi, who is still in rebellion with the desais about Phonda and those parts. And it is now reported that Seyacka [=Sharza Khan] doth take part with ditto rebels, and is come to Ramghat with 6,000 horse, part of which are already down the Ghat,—which has made Ramchandra Pandit and Dharmaji Pandit [the local Maratha governors] fly away in such haste that they have left some of their elephants behind them....It is thought the Dalvi will come suddenly to take this country" [Karwar to Surat, 8 Apr. 1685, in O.M. 118.] In January next (1686) we have the same sickening tale of dissolution of Government.
v4.c64.s15.7
All the Mughal divisions operating against Akbar had, as we have seen, been recalled to the Emperor's side early in April 1683. Shihab-ud-din Khan, who had been posted near Junnar, came to the Court in June. In the enforced inactivity of the rainy season (June and July) all the army chiefs were summoned to the imperial headquarters at Aurangabad and a council of war was held which matured a grand plan of campaign for attacking the enemy by means of several independent army corps from different points simultaneously.
v4.c64.s15.8
The Mughal offensive was opened at the end of the rainy season, about the middle of September. A few days after 15th September, Shah Alam marched out of Aurangabad with a grand army* to penetrate into Savant-vadi and South Konkan by the Ramghat pass, while Shihab-ud-din was sent to Puna (Oct.), from which he made a raid on Nizampur in the Kolaba district across the Ghats (27 Dec.) Prince Azam, who had been sent against Bijapuri territory (on 20th August), returned to Court in October and was transferred to Nasik (Nov.), to guard the northward road to Baglana and Khandesh, the Siddi cruised off Vingurla watching Akbar's movements (Oct.), the Emperor himself marched further south to Ahmadnagar (Nov.) and another army corps (under Khan-i-Jahan) was advanced from Bidar to Akalkot to watch the Golkonda and Bijapur frontiers and prevent those Powers from making any diversion in aid of the Marathas. [M.A. 236, 239.]
v4.c64.s15.9
∗ 45,000 horsemen (Storia, ii. 272); 20,000 cavalry (K. K. ii. 291.)
v4.c64.s15.10
The time was well-chosen. Shambhu was in the thick of his war with the Portuguese and had concentrated all his resources against Goa (Nov.) to strike a decisive blow. Aurangzib had already made an alliance with the Portuguese, promising them the lands that they might wrest from the Marathas, while on their part they agreed to give him naval aid and allow his provision-boats to pass up their rivers to feed the Mughal army of invasion, though they could be never wholly free from the fear that he would treacherously try to seize Goa. (Storia, ii. 260—278.)