History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c73.s4: § 4. Maratha recovery: capture of Rustam Khan, May, 1690.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c73.s4
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§ 4. Maratha recovery: capture of Rustam Khan, May, 1690.
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But, in 1690, the Marathas began to show signs of recovery from the effects of the disastrous fall of their late king, which had stunned them for a year and a half. On 25th May 1690 they gained their first signal victory under their new popular chiefs.
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Sharza Khan (son of Sayyid Iliyas), a former Bijapuri general, who had come over to the Emperor's side in 1686 and been created Rustam Khan, was roving in the neighbourhood of Satara with his family and troops, planning how to capture that fort for the Emperor. The Maratha leaders,—Ramchandra, Shankaraji, Santa, and Dhana,—fell upon him in concert. The Khan sent his son Ghalib to the front to oppose them. The youth was hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed in weapons.* Karnataki foot-musketeers (probably Berads) formed the enemy's vanguard and fired their pieces with deadly accuracy, wounding the elephants in the Mughal front line, which turned and fled away trampling down their own men. Rustam Khan hurried up to the spot to restore the fight, but a charge of the enemy's elephants caused the Mughal horses to shy and stampede. Rustam, however, made a stand and fought for some time, and on being gradually rejoined by his runaway followers he delivered a counter-attack on the enemy's advanced reserve, then led by Santa and Dhana. These two, following the usual Maratha tactics, pretended to give way and the Khan pressed impetuously on, driving his own elephant onwards accompanied by a few troopers. Just then the skirt of his dress was set ablaze by the enemy's fire. The Berad musketeers took advantage of the confusion by falling upon the imperialists' baggage and rear-guard and plundering them. The Mughal troops were distracted, and they dispersed, abandoning the fight.
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∗ *Dil* (ii. 146b.) "The Deccani soldiers carry no weapon besides the sword and the spear, and the Bijapuris (excepting the Marathas) do not even carry the spear...Though, in imitation of the men of N. India, they have procured artillery, they can really do nothing with it."
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Rustam himself, after receiving many wounds, fell down from his elephant and was carried off into captivity by Bābāji (? probably Mānāji) Moré. His right wing, under Ghalib, was hopelessly overpowered by the crowd of exultant Marathas, and he too was wounded and brought down from his elephant. Fifteen hundred of the Mughals fell on the field. The Maratha general in Satara fort now sallied out with his 5,000 men, enveloped the family of Rustam Khan, and carried off his mother, wife and some children into the fort. In addition to the Mughal general and his family, the Marathas made prize of 4000 horses, eight elephants and the entire camp and baggage of Rustam's army.
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After sixteen days, Rustam Khan ransomed himself by promising to pay one lakh of rupees, and leaving his mother and eldest son as security for the money. Two of his wives and two other sons had escaped during the plunder of his camp by putting on tattered old cloaks, veiling their faces, and giving themselves out to be the Khan's menial servants. A few followers guided them to a nook among the hills where they lay hidden for the day and afterwards made their way to the imperial thana of Karargaon,* walking in the guise of beggars. [Ishwardas 141a—143a, Z.S., M.A. 336.]
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The Emperor, on hearing of the disaster, immediately sent Firuz Jang with a large army to invest Satara and secure the release of Rustam. Siddi Abdul Qadir, when going from his fief of Lakhisar to join this force, was attacked by Rupa Bhonslé and wounded, fifty of his troops being killed and all his property looted by the enemy. [Ishwar, 142b.] These two strokes were followed up by Ramchandra and Shankaraji recovering the great forts of Pratapgarh, Rohira, Rajgarh and Torna, in the course of the same year (1690). [Z.S ; Chit. 53.] The Mughals, after their capture of Rajgarh (about July 1689) had placed it in charge of Abul Khair (son of Abdul Aziz, one of the slaves of the family of Bairam Khan), who had long been qiladar of Junnar. When the Marathas made a demonstration round it, Abul Khair lost heart and vacating the fort fled towards the Emperor's camp. For this desertion of duty he was banished to Mecca. [K. K. ii. 392.]*
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∗ Either Koregaon, 10 m.e., or Karar 30 m.s. of Satara.