History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s6.1

v5.c74.s6.1

The year 1690 opened very badly for the imperialists in the Karnatak. While the coming of Rajaram gave an impetus to Maratha activity in December 1689, next month the Mughal cause suffered a temporary eclipse from the rebellion of the old Haidarabadi local officers lately taken over into the Emperor's service. Muhammad Sadiq, the foremost among them, brooded over his removal from the local command; Yachapa Nayak and Ismail Maka, too, found out that the profuse promises made to them when the Emperor annexed Golkonda territory and sought their adhesion, were not intended to be kept and that they were sure to be replaced by former servants of the Emperor and doomed to unemployment or humbler offices. So they deserted their new master, made an alliance with Rajaram (through the mediation of Nilo Moreshwar Pinglé, the Peshwa) and began to usurp the country and collect the revenue. The imperial representatives, from Madras to Kunimedu, were hopelessly outnumbered and defeated and forced to flee to the European settlements on the coast. The governor Askar Ali Khan himself had to send his family and many of his followers to Madras for refuge (April). The rebellion was extinguished only at the approach of Zulfiqar Khan as the supreme Mughal commander a few months later. He had been detached from the imperial Court at Koregaon at the end of November 1689, marched by way of Raichur, Karnul, Nandiyal, Kadapa, and Garamkonda, and then descended into the Karnatak plain (about June 1690), fighting and capturing many forts on the way and reaching Conjeveram in August and the environs of Jinji at the beginning of September. [Dil. ii. 98b ; Madras Diary, 1 and 22 Sep. 1690]. Rajaram had sent his own troops with the contingents of his allies, Tanjore Trimbak Rao and Yachapa Nayak, north-westwards into the Karnatak plateau to prevent the Mughal general's descent into the eastern plains, but the terror of his name was too great and they returned "without doing anything." [Z. S.]