History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c79.s1.5

v5.c79.s1.5

The position of the Berad country, midway between Bijapur and Golkonda, and the martial but predatory character of its people made it very necessary for Aurangzib to keep it under his control. Bijapur is only 72 miles west, the rich and holy city of Kulbarga is 50 miles to the north, and the important strategic post of Malkhed (the gate to the Haidarabad kingdom) is some 45 miles north-east of Sagar. The whole of the country bounded by these three towns, and even Bidar (60 miles north-east of Kulbarga) and Raichur (in the south, across the Krishna), lay within easy range of the raids of these unsubdued savages. Having lost their dominion at the surrender of 1687, their chiefs had now no resource left to them except to rebel, build new strongholds among the hills, and rob the Mughal territory around in imitation of the Marathas and afterwards in concert with them. The examples of the profitable defiance of the imperial power set by Dhana Jadav and Santa Ghorpare were not lost upon the Berad leaders. The Kulbarga district was kept in constant disturbance and the roads were closed to caravans by persistent but elusive bands of Berad horsemen for many years after the fall of Sagar. [Akhbarat.]