History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s8: § 10. Mughal army begins siege of Jinji.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c74.s8
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§ 10. Mughal army begins siege of Jinji.
v5.c74.s8.1
From Aurangzib's Court Zulfiqar Khan had reached Jinji early in September 1690, but he merely sat down before it. The investment of such a vast group of forts with the forces under him was out of the question, and he had no heavy guns nor enough munitions for a bombardment. About 19th September we find him asking for 200 maunds of powder and 500 soldiers from Madras, and the demand was soon increased to 500 maunds of powder, 500 great shot, 500 soldiers and 30 gunners. The English who owed him ground-rent for their settlement, sent him 200 maunds of powder and 300 iron shot. In November he demanded from the French agent in his camp, European munitions and gunners. Many European soldiers—of the English and other races—were tempted by offers of high pay to join his army, and he thus formed a corps of 100 white men.
v5.c74.s8.2
In April 1691, the Mughal army before Jinji had become so large and well-provisioned that the country around expected a speedy fall of the fort. [Madras Diary, 26 April.] But, in reality, the siege had made little progress in all these months. The Muhammadans could not prevent the victualling of the place, as a complete blockade was beyond their power; and "the Marathas recovering from their first consternation began to harass them incessantly." [Kaeppelin, 280.] In November 1690 three Maratha chiefs—Nimaji Sindhia, Mankoji Pandhré and Nagoji Mané—left the Mughal side in Western India, came to Rajaram with 2,000 horsemen, and took charge of the defence works at Chakra-kulam* in the lower fort. In the February following, Rajaram returned to Jinji. His first plan on coming to the Karnatak was to gain the help of the petty Hindu princes of the East Coast and lead a confederacy against the Mughal forces in Golkonda and Bijapur. But the mutual enmities of the local chieftains were so bitter that this proposal met with no support. Only his first cousin, the Rajah of Tanjore, aided him throughout the siege with men, partly from family affection and partly for cession of territory, money and provisions, and thus enabled him to defy the imperialists from within his stronghold for several years.
v5.c74.s8.3
∗ Z. S., which reads Chakra-puri. It is a tank (kulam) lying on the valley between Chandrayan and Rajgiri. [Gaz. i. 359.]