History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s4.t2: § 21. Invasion of Deogarh and Chanda by Aurangzib.

History of Aurangzib, Based on Original Sources v5.c84.s4.t2

Language: English

§ 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.

Cites (1)

Chatraprakāś — Lāl Kavi, Hindi