History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c79.s5: § 11. Berads evacuate Wagingera.
History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c79.s5
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§ 11. Berads evacuate Wagingera.
v5.c79.s5.1
The Berads now found that further struggle was hopeless. Stationing a body of musketeers to keep firing on the Mughals outside the front gate all the day, Pidia fled out of the back-door at night, "with the Maratha companions of his day of adversity."
v5.c79.s5.2
When night came and the sound of musketry from within died down, some Mughal soldiers entered the fort to find out the true state of things. They saw the place entirely deserted. Then began the wild scene of confusion, rapine and burning which is always witnessed whenever an enemy fort is entered by soldiers and camp followers in the absence of any commanding officer and a strong police guard. The few imperialists who were first within Wagingera set fire to the houses.*
v5.c79.s5.3
The flames were visible for miles around, proclaiming the fall of the enemy's stronghold. Daud Khan and some other nobles verified the fact of Pidia's flight; they did not remain in the fort that night, but went to Nusrat Jang's tents to congratulate him on the final success of his operations.
v5.c79.s5.4
It was well that they went outside. For, at the news of the fort being vacated, there was a wild rush of camp followers, common soldiers and all the ruffians of the camp, in the hope of plunder before the Government agents should come and attach the property. The fire from the burning roofs spread to a powder magazine, and there was a terrible explosion. "Many people were blown up into the air, and their corpses could not be found. After two or three days, a second magazine exploded." [Dil. ii. 153a.]
v5.c79.s5.5
Wagingera was captured, but its chieftain had escaped and lived to give trouble to the victors.† Thus, all Aurangzib's labours for these three months were lost. Nusrat Jang and his lieutenant Dalpat Rao were suspected by the Emperor of collusive help in the flight of Pidia, and they fell into disgrace, getting rewards quite inadequate for such a glorious feat and being soon afterwards sent away to a distance to punish rebels and guard the road.*
v5.c79.s5.6
∗ *Dilkasha* (eye-witness). But *M. A.* says that the Berad rearguard of musketeers set fire to their houses and property in the evening, before leaving the fort. (Unlikely.)
v5.c79.s5.7
† We may summarise here the further history of the Berads: In 1706 Pidia and Hindu Rao captured Penu-konda
v5.c79.s5.8
The siege of Wagingera was the last military undertaking of the great Emperor Aurangzib, with all the resources of the empire of Delhi at his command. It supplies the most graphic illustration of the utter decline and weakness of the great State which Akbar had founded and Shah Jahan had carried to the highest pitch of wealth and splendour. For these two reasons its history has been fully narrated here.
v5.c79.s5.9
and made its Mughal qiladar a prisoner. The Berads seized fort Allur, 28 m. from Kulbarga, but Tarbiyat Kh. recovered it. About April 1706 Pidia was chased by Sarafraz Kh., evidently in the Berad country, and Jagia (the present chief of Sagar) who had been loyally helping the imperialists was rewarded. [M. A. 513.] In July 1706 the Marathas again threatened Wagingera, [Ibid, 516] and a force had to be detached to the place under Tarbiyat. In the civil war between Dhana and Hindu Rao (Jan. 1707), Pidia deserted his former ally and joined Dhana in the attack on Sindur. [Dil. 158a.]
v5.c79.s5.10
∗ Dil. ii. 153a and b. The official history, however, conceals the fact and represents that the Khan and all his followers were promptly and highly rewarded. [M. A. 505, 506.] But Tarbiyat Khan and the imperial eunuchs even, who, on the showing of this very official history, had done absolutely nothing at the siege, were lavishly rewarded for the fall of Wagingera, while the real captors got only modest promotions and gifts. Nusrat Jang had acquired a bad name at Jinji for collusion with the enemy.