History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c73.s8: § 11. Minor operations till the end of 1695.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c73.s8
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§ 11. Minor operations till the end of 1695.
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On 2nd August 1694, the Court learnt that Santa and Dhana were out near fort Waru-garh (25 m. e. of Satara) and had detached some troops to invest Mahimangarh (10 m. s. of Warugarh), and closed the road. A Mughal column was now ordered there to clear the district. In the meantime, Bidar Bakht had been sent to the Kanarese district of Belgaon. The strong rock-fortress of Nargund (30 m. n. e. of Dharwar) was besieged by the prince's lieutenant Khan-i-Zaman Fath Jang (June 1694), who had constant fights with the enemy's field forces. A month later the Khan delivered an assault on it in person, but "no one followed him, and in disgust he abandoned the siege."* The prince sent Rajah Udwat Singh of Urchha to replace him. Evidently the fort afterwards came into Mughal hands,† as we find its name changed to Bahadur-nagar in a newsletter of November next.
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† It must have been secured by bribery and not by force of arms. Bidar Bakht gained two other forts in the same region,—Parasgarh and Ramdurg,—by the same means.
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Throughout 1694 and 1695, though the Maratha bands were active and the Berads troublesome all over the Western Deccan, nothing decisive or noteworthy was done on either side, till the end of 1695, when Santa defeated and killed two first-rate Mughal generals, Qasim Khan and Himmat Khan.
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About November 1694, the Maratha nationalist leaders wreaked vengeance on a traitor to their country's cause, who had served as the agent of the Mughal power. The fort of Kāri‡ was held by Trimbak as deputy governor, assisted by Yadav Shamraj and Mahadji Baji. A Maratha inhabitant of Junnar named Dogé came there on behalf of the Mughals, bribed Rayaji Bahulkar, and through his connivance gained the fort by scaling the walls with rope-ladders unopposed. During this attack, Doge captured Trimbak and Moro Narayan, while Yadav and Mahadji escaped with their families by the back-door. But towards the end of 1694 Shankaraji organised the recovery of Kari. From the fort of Rajgarh he sent Shivdev, with Chandji Kadam of Bhorap and the contingents of several forts in that region, to invest Kari. Dogé and his men evacuated the fort under a promise of safety, but the victors seized them in violation of their word. Dogé was kept a prisoner, but the lesser men, who had their families with them, were released by Trimbak and Moro. Hearing of the success, Shankaraji himself went to Kari, gave the traitor Rayaji Bahulkar a good beating, and confined him in the citadel of Rajgarh. [Z. S. I have rearranged the events here.]
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∗ The fort is on a hill, rising 800 feet from the plain. The lower sides of the hill are covered with prickly pear. To about half way up, the hill rises from the plain at an even slope of 35 to 40 feet. In the upper half the rocks rise sheer, in some places in tiers of natural scarps. A committee of British officers reported "This fort is one of the strongest in the Bombay Karnatak, and if well defended its capture would require much time and trouble and a large invading force." (Bom. Gaz. xxii. 776—7.)
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‡ Kari, 8 m.s. of Bhor, and very close to Rohira fort.
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§ 12. Santaji Ghorpare's movements, 1694-95.
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On 26th November 1694 Santa was reported as out in Haidarabad territory, with Himmat Khan pursuing him, though the latter's troops were constantly leaving his banners and sneaking back to the imperial base camp to avoid the hardships of campaigning. Then Santa turned towards Bijapur, but on 30th November Himmat brought him to an action near Panur, and drove him into flight with the loss of two of his captains. Continuing the pursuit, Himmat again came upon Santa (about 7th Dec.) near Naldurg, and again defeated him with many losses on both sides. Santa retired to his base in the Mahadev hills. But at the end of the month he was out again in the Raichur district, with Himmat Khan's flying force on his heels, and was again driven away with heavy casualties on both sides, as usual.*
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About the middle of May 1695, Santa visited Parli to celebrate the marriage of two sons of his brother Bahirji (then absent in Jinji). At the end of this month he came back to the Mahadev hills by way of Bhupalgarh. One of his followers named Madhav Narayan, with his family and 300 retainers, left him and entered the Mughal service through the qiladar of Parenda. In July the Marathas blockaded the Mughal outpost of Khatau. Hamid-ud-din Khan was sent against them, but at the end of the next month (August) he found himself dangerously outnumbered by the enemy who had placed three armies in the field. The Emperor pushed up reinforcements. Hamid-ud-din then (September) detached Fathullah to burn the village below forts Chandan-Wandan. Santa, hearing of it, went to attack Fathullah; but Hamid-ud-din hastened in support of his lieutenant. The Marathas were repulsed and driven into the fort, after losing a son of Dhana and another officer. The Mughals burnt the village and brought away 200 mares and some Deccani swords &c. as prize of war. Amrit Rao now left Santa and came over to the Mughals with 500 men.
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∗ Z. S. says that in Kartik, Shaka 1096, (9 Oct—7 Nov. 1694) Shankaraji the Sachiv sent Santa Ghorpare to the Eastern Karnatak, telling him "Go with your troops and do our king's work. Go, hastening in light kit [or alone] to the Rajah. Remain there with honour. Raise the siege of Jinji. Do not act faithlessly." He took oaths from him to this effect and sent with him Yesāji Malār as mutaliq (plenipotentiary deputy.) With him were joined Hanumant Rao Nimbalkar sar-i-lashkar and other sardars, making a total of 25,000 troopers. These two formed the above concert at the darbar (office) of Shankaraji, and agreed to manage the revenue matters [together] and remain [mutually] faithful.
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Such was the chequered history of the contest with the Marathas* in Western India till near the end of the year 1695. It was no longer a simple military problem, but had become a trial of endurance and resources between the Mughal empire and the indigenous people of the Deccan.
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∗ These desultory and indecisive fights have been described in some detail in this chapter to serve as an illustration of the task before the Mughal army. In future such minor operations will be either passed over silently or merely mentioned in a few words.