History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s2: § 2. Harji Mahadik, the Maratha viceroy of the Eastern Karnatak.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s2
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§ 2. Harji Mahadik, the Maratha viceroy of the Eastern Karnatak.
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The great Shivaji in his expedition of 1677-78 had conquered the Bijapuri Karnatak from the Palar to the Kolerun river. Over this vast territory he placed Raghunath Narayan Hanumanté as viceroy, with Jinji for his seat of government and subordinate governors under him at Kunimedu (13 miles north of Pondicherry) and Mahmudi Bandar (or Porto Novo.)
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Shambhuji, soon after his accession, dismissed and imprisoned Raghunath* (early in January 1681), and sent his own sister's husband Harji Mahadik to govern Jinji with Shamji Nayak Pundé as his lieutenant or partner in power. The two arrived there with their troops in March 1681 and took charge of the government. Five months afterwards, Shamji was thrown into prison, evidently on suspicion of complicity in the plots formed against Shambhuji in Maharashtra by Annaji Datto and his party. Henceforth Harji Mahadik ruled the Eastern Karnatak with undivided power, and circumstances soon afterwards made him practically independent of his master. The Maratha king's absorption in vice, the baneful predominance of the favourite Kavi-kalas in his council, the consequent disorder in the kingdom, and the increasing Mughal pressure on Maharashtra under the personal direction of Aurangzib, all tended to extinguish Shambhuji's authority in the far-off province of Jinji and to make the local viceroy his own master. Harji extended his power over the neighbourhood,* gave himself the airs of a king, assumed (at least in popular speech) the title of Maharajah, and neglected to send the surplus revenue to his sovereign at Raigarh.
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∗ The Madras Diary, 8 January 1681, records the popular report that he was seized and put in irons by Santaji Bhonslé on hearing a (false) rumour that Shambhuji had been cut in pieces by one of his great commanders and that Rajaram was seated on the throne. In Dec. 1682 Raghunath returned to Maharashtra and was locally employed by Shambhuji as a majmuadar. He died at Balni on the 4th May following (Z. S.)
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∗ In March 1683 he went with his army to help the Nayak of Trichinopoly in defeating an invasion by the chief of Seringapatam, in which the Mysore general and 2000 horses were captured. (Z. S.) The ruler of Trichinopoly was driven into the arms of the Jinji Government by his eternal hostility to the king of Tanjore, while Shivaji's conquests in central and eastern Mysore made the chief of Seringapatam the ally of Shivaji's enemy, the Rajah of Tanjore. Vyankoji died in January 1685 and was succeeded on the throne of Tanjore by his son Shahji II. (Z. S.)
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The fall of Bijapur (12th Sep. 1686) and the impending siege of Golkonda (which actually began on 28th January 1687) roused Shambhuji to a full sense of the danger which now began to threaten his richest possession, the golden land of Karnatak, from the extension of Mughal dominion in that direction. In October 1686 he sent Kesho Trimbak Pinglé with 12,000 horse, outwardly to strengthen his garrisons in the Karnatak, but with secret instructions to seize and depose the refractory Harji Rajah and assume the government of Jinji in the king's name. There was even a popular belief that Harji was thinking of securing his position by disowning Shambhuji's authority and declaring himself a tributary vassal of the all-conquering Mughals on their arrival in the Karnatak. (Orme's Frag., 155.)
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Kesho Trimbak arrived near Jinji on 11th February 1687. (Z.S.) Aurangzib, on hearing of the march of this large enemy force eastwards across the peninsula, could not at first divine its exact destination, but regarded Mysore as its objective. In order to forestall them in the occupation of the Bijapuri territories in that quarter, of which he now considered himself the lawful heir, he quickly detached Qasim Khan from his siege-camp before Golkonda. The Khan by rapid marches and vigorous attacks forced Bangalore* to surrender in June 1687, and on 27th September next gained by bribery the important fort of Penukunda (75 miles north of Bangalore and once the capital of the fallen Vijaynagar kingdom).
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∗ The Z. S. is confused here, and I suggest that the text should be rearranged to mean that the Mughal general was
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The Marathas in the Karnatak were too much divided by internal quarrels to hinder his progress. Kesho Trimbak naturally wished to assume immediately the high post to which he had been nominated by the king, and it was probably his impatience that caused his secret orders to leak out. We find that in March it was publicly known at Cuddalore that Harji Rajah had been dismissed and that Kesho was to be the new viceroy (Madras Diary, 26 March). But his hopes were doomed to disappointment. Harji having learnt the real object of Kesho's mission from his friends at Court, had effectually secured Jinji fort in his own hands and made the local army absolutely devoted to himself. Kesho, finding the game lost, pretended that he had never had any such hostile aim, and began to obey Harji's authority openly. Then, with a view to exacting tribute from the petty local chiefs and checking the progress of the Mughals, he marched into Mysore at the head of 18,000 horse, after getting Harji's contingent to reinforce his own. But here
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aided by the chief of house. The date of the or 10th July, as that ye month.
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he could effect nothing, and soon returned to the neighbourhood of Jinji, reaching Trinomali (23 miles west of that fort) about 10th November.