History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c75.s8: § 11. Events in Maharashtra during 1698.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c75.s8
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§ 11. Events in Maharashtra during 1698.
v5.c75.s8.1
Nothing remarkable seems to have happened in the second half of 1697, except a heavy flood of the Bhima river which washed away the Mughal camps at Pedgaon and Islampuri (19 July) and spread universal misery and ruin, and whose effects could not be repaired for months.
v5.c75.s8.2
But in January next, Jinji fell to the Mughals. Rajaram fled from it and reached Vishalgarh in Maharashtra in the following month. The Emperor immediately afterwards posted Bidar Bakht to the Panhala region in the south-west, while Azam continued to guard the northern route from his camp at Pedgaon and Firuz Jang held the Berad country in the south-east.
v5.c75.s8.3
The extant records for the year 1698 are meagre. It is not probable that any unusual activity was shown by the Marathas immediately after Rajaram's return home. He seems to have taken time to recover from the effects of the loss of Jinji and the extinction of the Government he had set up there, while the feud between Dhana Jadav and Santa's son Ranuji Ghorparé made a combined effort impossible for the present.* In September the Maratha Rajah's envoy Anaji visited an imperial minister with a letter from him begging for peace; but nothing came of it. Some of his followers at this time deserted his service in despair and joined the Mughals.
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§ 12. Rajaram's doings during 1699.
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Early in 1699 Rajaram set out on a tour of inspection in Konkan, visiting all his forts, and returned to Satara at the end of June, whence he went to Basantgarh about 20th July. In September he began to form plans for setting out on an extensive raid through Khandesh and Berar, in imitation of his father and elder brother. When the campaigning season opened in October, Aurangzib left Islampuri (on the 19th) to undertake the conquest of the famous hill-forts of Maharashtra in person; and in less than a week from that date Rajaram sallied out of Satara.
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Evidently Aurangzib's intention to besiege this fort first had leaked out, for, immediately after his starting from Islampuri, Rajaram removed his family from Satara to Khelna and himself coming out of Satara halted 8 miles outside it. Here two envoys of Buland Bakht, the rebel Gond Rajah of Deogarh, met him and invited him to Gondwana to cause a diversion in the Emperor's rear. The Maratha king had long been intriguing with the Gond chiefs; and now, setting aside the advice of Dhana Jadav and Dado Malhar to flee to Jinji once again, he decided upon making a bold counter-stroke by a raid into Berar and Gondwana.
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∗ In May 1699, Dhana was out in the Bidar district. On 4th June he passed by 22 miles of the imperial camp on his return via Haidarabad; a few days later Chin Qalich Khan and Zabardast Khan came up with him near Bhalavani, and after heavy casualties on both sides captured 200 mares and some flags and drums from him [Akhbarat.]
v5.c75.s8.8
From the environs of Satara, Rajaram sent one of his confidential servants back to the fort to fetch his turban-jewel (kalagi) and some other ornaments. On the return journey the man was killed and the jewels plundered. Taking this incident as an unhappy omen, the Rajah returned to the fort, but that very day a fire broke out there and burnt some houses. Finally, on 26th October, he left Satara in order to escape falling into the Emperor's hands. Dhana Jadav, Ramchandra, Dado Malhar and other generals, with 7,000 cavalry escorted him to Chandan-Wandan, while Ranuji Ghorparé (the son of Santaji) was posted at the foot of Satara with 4,000 troopers.