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History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s4: Gondwana

History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s4

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Contents

Gondwana

§ 19. The Gond people and their mediæval kingdoms.

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The old highway from Agra to Khandesh and Berar passed through the country of the Gonds, a primitive people of nomadic habits and predatory instincts. This land of Gondwana covers much of the modern Central Provinces, and stretches from Bhopal in the west to Sambalpur in the east, and from Bundelkhand to the Painganga (the northern frontier of the Nizam's dominions), on both sides of the Vindhya range and its eastern prolongation. In the northern half of this region a great kingdom had been established in the 16th century by the Gond Rajah of Garha. But Akbar's generals dismembered the kingdom and sacked its capitals Garha and Chauragarh. The later Rajahs made submission to the Mughal Emperor and reigned at Chauragarh, with diminished power and territory. Here Prem Narayan, the ruling chief, was killed and his treasure plundered by Jhujhar Singh Bundela, in 1634; but the Rajah's son Hriday Shah killed Jhujhar and recovered his capital, with Mughal help (1635); as we have seen in vol. i. ch. 2.

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The dynasty now rapidly declined, petty intrigues divided the royal house and weakened its power, and the succeeding chiefs confined themselves to an obscure life within the narrow limits of Mandla and a small territory round it. The country north of the Narmada ceased to have any strong Gond power.

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The predominance among the Gonds now passed to the chiefs of Deogarh, in the centre of Gondwana and south of the Narmada river. This city stood on the southern slopes of the Satpura range, some 60 miles north of Nagpur, and faced the plain country stretching southwards to the Deccan plateau. But its territory was extended by vigorous rulers in the late 17th century far to the right and left. Eighty-five miles south of Nagpur lay Chanda, the seat of another Gond Rajah, who was the constant enemy and rival of the house of Deogarh. These were the only Gond States that counted for anything in the reign of Aurangzib, and their accumulated treasure, herds of elephants, and collection of gems locally quarried, made them objects of cupidity to the Mughal Government.

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§ 20. Early Mughal relations with Gond Rajahs.

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A ready excuse for invasion was supplied by the fact that they had not sent any present to the Delhi Emperor. In 1637 a Mughal army, released from operations in the Deccan, entered Gondwana, levying contributions from the local chiefs. It stormed Nagpur, the seat of the Deogarh Rajah Kukia, who had refused to pay any tribute. The fort was restored to him on his agreeing to pay a large cash indemnity and an annual tribute of one and one-third lakhs of Rupees.

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But the tribute fell into arrears, and in 1655 a Mughal army marched into Deogarh territory and forced the Rajah (Kesari Singh) to make an abject submission. He joined the imperial army in the Deccan with a body of his retainers and did excellent service in the war against Golkonda and Bijapur.

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The tribute was withheld during the disorder caused by the war of succession; the arrears amounted to 15 lakhs at the end of 1666. But Aurangzib was now firmly settled on his throne, and had just become free from his wars with Shivaji and Bijapur.

§ 21. Invasion of Deogarh and Chanda by Aurangzib.

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An army under Dilir Khan marched into Gondwana in January 1667. Manji Malar,[*] the Rajah of Chanda, had been refractory and done some acts of lawlessness. But on the arrival of the Mughal army at Mandura on his frontier (Feb. 1667), he offered submission through his wazir Nāgia, and then waited on the Khan, appearing before him like a captive, unarmed and with a chain tying his neck to his waist. He presented Dilir Khan with a thousand gold coins, Rs. 2000, two horses, and an elephant for his own sake, and paid a fine of 7,000 mohars and 5 lakhs of Rupees to the imperial Government, and also promised a war contribution of one kror of Rupees payable within two months, partly in cash and partly in kind (especially in the form of gems and elephants), besides five lakhs of Rupees payable to Dilir Khan as fee for his mediation! The annual tribute was fixed at 2 lakhs. The Rajah further agreed to destroy the forts of Manik-durg (his strongest place) and Bhanauli (on the Deogarh frontier). Dilir Khan stayed there for two months, during which he realised 77 lakhs of Rupees out of the promised contribution. But as the peasantry had fled away and the land turned desolate from the residence of the invaders, so that the collection of more money out of the country became impossible, Dilir Khan was induced to move (29 April 1667) from Chanda territory into Deogarh. [Alamgirnamah, 1022—1027.]

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∗ His name according to the *Alamgirnamah*, p. 1022. In the list given in the C. P. Gazetteer (p. 142), Bir Shah reigned over Chanda from 1647 to 1672. Malar may be a copyist's error for *Ballal*, which was affixed to the names of several Chanda Rajahs. *Mandura* is probably Pandhurna, 26 miles south of Deogarh, and in the Chhindwara district. Nandura, 20 m. e. of Malkapur in Berar, is unlikely. *Manikdurg*, now Manikgarh, 24 miles south of Chanda, and in the Nizam's territory. *Bhanauli* is probably Maniali, 35 m. e. of Amraoti.

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Kuk Singh,* the Rajah of Deogarh, was frightened by the fate of the Chanda chieftain. He came to the Mughal camp and humbly waited on Dilir Khan, agreeing to pay three lakhs as fine, and deliver 18 lakhs within a fixed period, out of which six lakhs were to be paid in two months. He further promised to pay his annual tribute (of one lakh of Rupees) regularly without delay. But before the money could be collected, Dilir, under urgent orders from the Emperor, left the country (on 17th September) and marched to Aurangabad to join Prince Muazzam in an attack on Adil Shah. In the meantime the Chanda Rajah had paid 8 lakhs more. [Alamgirnamah, 1027-1030.]

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∗ The name given in Alamgirnamah, p. 1027. He was a different person from the Kukia Gond who was reigning in 1637 and who had been succeeded by his son Kesari Singh in 1640.

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The Deogarh Rajah, however, did not keep his promise, and in August 1669 Dilir Khan had to repeat his invasion. The Mughals overran Deogarh, the Rajah fled, and was captured after an arduous chase. The conquerors occupied the country, wishing to annex it and bring it under the direct rule of the imperial Government. Mughal garrisons were placed in Nagpur (now renamed Bhagpur), Katanjhar, and Deogarh (renamed Islamgarh). A qazi, mufti, sadr, mir adil, clerks of the chabutra of justice, and other officers of a regular province of the empire were ordered to be sent to Deogarh from the Deccan. As for the land revenue, Aurangzib wisely ordered that first the ravages of war should be healed, cultivation restored, and the peasants conciliated, and then the old assessment of the Gond times enforced. The campaign had been a severe one; large numbers of horses had perished of hardship. The Emperor promoted the chief officers and presented 200 horses to this force. [*Akhbarat*, 4 and 5 Sep. 1669.]*

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Early next year Dilir Khan received urgent orders to settle the business of Deogarh quickly on some satisfactory basis and hasten to the viceregal camp at Aurangabad, as Shivaji had again raised his head in the Deccan [*Akh*. 26 Jan., 1670.] The Gond Rajah with his entire family (two brothers and one sister) embraced Islam,† as the price of restoration to his kingdom, and on 29th March Dilir Khan left Nagpur for the south. [*Akh*. 20 April 1670 ; *M. A.* 102.]

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† According to *Akhbarat*, 9 May 1670, he took the name of Islam-yar on conversion, and Deogarh was ordered to be designated in future as *Islamgarh*. He was a different man from Bakht Buland, who was made Rajah of Deogarh in March 1686. [*M. A.* 273.]

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But the attitude of the Gond Rajah was not changed with this change of religion under temptation. He continued refractory; and at the end of the year Khan-i-Zaman had to make a rapid march to Deogarh and warn its ruler to be more loyal or he would be punished. [*Akh*. 10 Jan. 1671.]

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A petty Gond chieftain, Bhupal Singh, who ruled over Chaukigarh (now in the Bhopal State), rose in 1669, and gathering together some 8,000 horse and foot began to plunder. We find him still in rebellion in January 1671. The Emperor tried to weaken his power by offering the zamindari of Chaukigarh to his brother Murardas (Jan. 1670) and later on to Pur-zor Singh and Shyam Singh (Jan. 1671) on condition of their turning Muslim. [*Akh.*]*

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∗ *Chhatraprakash*, canto 10, describes this campaign, but calls the Mughal general Bahadur Khan and attributes his victory solely to a single charge made by Chhatra Sal Bundela alone!

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A gap in the surviving news-letters of Aurang-zib's Court has left us in darkness as to Deogarh history during the next fifteen years. But, in March 1686, one claimant to this State was converted to Islam with the title of Rajah Bakht Buland and given the throne. (*M. A.* 273.) He lived to extend the area, power and prosperity of his kingdom very largely, and to give the greatest trouble to Aurangzib in the last years of his reign.

§ 22. Later history of Chanda, 1667-1701.

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We now resume the history of Chanda from 1667. Bir Shah, the Rajah who had made peace with Dilir Khan in 1667, was killed by a Rajput retainer in a private brawl, probably in 1680, as we find his successor Ram Singh visiting the Emperor on 30 Nov. 1681. This Ram Singh was deposed in October 1683 and the throne given to Kishan Singh. But the old Rajah refused to yield possession to his rival. So, a Mughal force under Itiqad Khan invaded Chanda, and defeated Ram Singh, who fled to the hills with 200 horsemen, leaving his family behind. The Mughals entered his capital on 2nd Nov. 1684, and installed Kishan Singh. On 19th November Ram Singh returned with three men and tried to force his way into the palace, but was killed by the guards. [M.A. 216, 239, 250.]*

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∗ Chaukigarh henceforth continued in the hands of Muslim Gond chieftains, e.g., on 9 July 1694, Talamand (originally named Nawal Gond) succeeded his brother Daulatmand on its gadi. His brother, Husain, is reported on 27 May 1695 as raiding villages in Hushangabad. [*Akhbarat.*]

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Rajah Kishan Singh continued to serve in the imperial army with his contingent for many years, and loyally assisted the Mughal forces in their operations against the rebel chief of Deogarh. [Akh. 12 Jan. 1693, 12 May 1695, 9 April 1696.] He died in July 1696, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Bir Singh, then 20 years old, on the same annual tribute as before. [Akh. 22 Aug. 1696.] In August 1700 Bir Singh was summoned to the Emperor's camp as his tribute had fallen into arrears. A civil officer named Brindaban, who was sent to Chanda to realise the imperial dues, took bribes from the Rajah and neglected his duty. So, Aurangzib ordered Bir Singh to be arrested (27 Nov. 1700) and sent to him. The arrest was effected by the governor of Berar in January or February 1701. [Akh. 16 Mar. 1701.] He reached the Emperor's camp on 27 April 1701 and paid one lakh into the Berar treasury.

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∗ Hari Singh, the brother of Chhatra Singh, the zamindar of Garha-Mandla, visited the Emperor on 9 May 1683, and a robe was sent to him on 3rd Dec. 1684, when he is designated as zamindar of the place, evidently in succession to his brother.

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§ 23. Bakht Buland of Deogarh asserts his independence.

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In June 1691, Bakht Buland was deposed by the Emperor, and the throne of Deogarh was given to another Muslim Gond named Dindar, who was in the imperial camp at the time (M. A. 340). For some years after, Bakht Buland was kept under surveillance, first in charge of the imperial Paymaster (1693), and later in that of the provost (kotwal) of the camp, on a daily allowance of two Rupees (1694). On 25th August 1695, he had audience of the Emperor and recovered his freedom by giving security for his future conduct, though the Emperor remarked "He will run away; keep a watch on him." The guard round his tent was removed and we find him serving in the Emperor's army in the Deccan as late as April 1696. His son, Muhammad Ali, came from Deogarh, and was presented to the Emperor on 23rd March of that year.

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At this time trouble began again in Deogarh. Dindar proved defiant, and a Mughal force under Sadr-ud-din (the faujdar of Punar, 42 m. s. w. of Nagpur) with the help of the Chanda Rajah Kishan Singh, captured Deogarh and drove Dindar into flight (March 1696). Kan Singh, the second son of Kishan Singh, secured the throne of Deogarh by turning Muslim (under the name of Rajah Neknam) and promising to pay up Dindar's arrears of tribute, besides a present of 17 lakhs of Rupees. [Akh. 15 April 1696.] We find Neknam welcomed at the imperial Court in November 1700 and married to a captive daughter of Rajaram, the late Maratha king, in January, 1704, [*Akh.*] by order of Aurangzib.

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Bakht Buland now lost all hope of his restoration. The time was opportune for a bold stroke, to test fortune by a throw of the dice, as Deogarh and Chanda had both changed their rulers in the same year (1696), and their new Rajahs were mere lads. Besides, the old Gond nobility of Deogarh were not likely to take kindly to the junior prince of the rival house of Chanda placed by the Emperor on their throne.

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Bakht Buland, therefore, slipped away from the imperial army, returned to Deogarh, and raised the standard of rebellion with remarkable pertinacity, resourcefulness and success. The Emperor, in impotent anger, ordered his name to be changed from Bakht Buland ('Fortunate') to Nagun Bakht ('Luckless'). [*K. K. ii. 461; Akhbarat.*]

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The rebel's activity spread over a wide area. In October 1698 we find him roving and levying blackmail in Berar, his nearest hunting ground,—and writing to the zamindars of Hushangabad (who were Mughal vassals) to pay him revenue, otherwise he would raid that district. In April 1699 he was reported to have captured a rival raider named Krishna Savant in Berar.

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Firuz Jang was ordered to move from Berar and punish the rebel. A detachment from his army under his brother Hamid Khan Bahadur defeated Bakht Buland and captured Deogarh (June). Rajah Bir Singh of Chanda was ordered to go to Deogarh with his retainers and re-establish his younger brother Neknam on the throne. [Akhbarat, 5 and 6 July, 1699, M.A. 404.] The rebel escaped from his doomed capital and entered Malwa with a vast force. Passing through the Dhamuni district, he marched to Garha, whose Rajah Narendra Shah (the great-grandson of the murdered Prem Narayan) had been dispossessed by his Afghan vassal Abdul Hadi. Bakht Buland routed Hadi's forces, slaying 500 of the Afghans, captured his son, occupied the kingdom, and restored Narendra Shah to his ancestral throne at Garha. [Akh. 2, 6, and 12 July, 5 Aug. 1699.]

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But the Mughals kept up the pursuit. [Akh. 5 Aug.] In July the governor of Khandesh seized the family of Bakht Buland's supporter, Sadat Afghan, and thus forced the last-named to submit. In November 3,700 of the Gond rebel's troopers came over to the Mughal service. [Akh. 5 Aug., 4 Dec. 1699.]

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Meantime Bakht Buland had been trying to repair his losses. In July he sent Rs. 30,000 to Chhatra Sal with a request to recruit a body of the famous Bundela musketeers for him. In October, he sent two envoys to Rajaram in Satara fort, to invite him to Deogarh, in order to create a diversion in Aurangzib's rear; but the Maratha king declined under the advice of his generals. [Akh. 18 Aug., 25 Oct.] In January 1701 Aladad, who is described as a deposed zamindar of Deogarh, fled from confinement in Punar and joined Bakht Buland, by whom he was lodged in his capital. [Akh. 12 Feb.] Early in the following March, Bakht Buland and his uncle Nawal Shah, the zamindar of Jāmgarh, in concert with the Marathas assembled a force of 4,000 troopers and 12,000 infantry, and attacked Ali Mardan Khan, the governor of Berar. They were defeated with great slaughter, Nawal Shah being killed and Bakht Buland wounded, while the Mughals lost 200 killed. [Akh. 16 March.] The subahdar took up the pursuit of the rebels by way of Kolapur (16 m. west of Amraoti), and fought another sharp battle defeating the Maratha allies of the enemy near Dariāpur, 28 miles west of Amraoti. [Akh. 5 May, 1701.] Risings by Bakht Buland's Muslim allies are reported in February 1703 (near Ujjain under Abbas) and January 1704 (under Sayyid Abdul Qadir).

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§ 24. Growth of Deogarh under Bakht Buland.

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"During Bakht Buland's reign the rich lands to the south of Deogarh, between the Wainganga and Kanhan rivers, were steadily developed. Hindu and Muhammadan cultivators were encouraged to settle in them on equal terms with Gonds, until this region became most prosperous." [Eyre Chatterton, Story of Gondwana, 46.] "He employed indiscriminately Muslims and Hindus of ability to introduce order and regularity into his immediate

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domain. Industrious settlers from all quarters were attracted to Gondwana, many towns and villages were founded, and agriculture, manufactures, and even commerce made considerable advances." [C. P. Gaz. lxxxiv. and 68.]

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Aurangzib could not subdue, him, and still less could that Emperor's degenerate successors. On the death of Aurangzib, the Deogarh chief extended his kingdom; the Seoni district was ceded to him by Narendra Shah as the price of his aid against the latter's cousins who had called the Marathas in. He also annexed the ancient historical Gond principality of Kherla. [C. P. Gaz. 284, 302.] The glory of Deogarh departed on the death of his successor Chand Sultan (1739), and the Maratha house of Nagpur secured the kingdom.

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