Shivaji and His Times c9.s1: §2. Campaign of Bahadur and Dilir, 1671-72. Battle of Salhir
Shivaji and His Times c9.s1
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§2. Campaign of Bahadur and Dilir, 1671-72. Battle of Salhir
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The Emperor was dissatisfied with Mahabat Khan for the poor result of his campaign in the first quarter of 1671 and his long spell of inactivity afterwards, and suspected him of having formed a secret understanding with Shivaji. So, he sent Bahadur Khan and Dilir Khan to the Deccan next winter. They marched from Surat into Baglana, laid siege to Salhir (now in Maratha hands), and leaving Ikhlas Khan Miana, Rao Amar Singh Chandawat and some other officers to continue the siege, proceeded towards Ahmadnagar (Oct.). (*Dil.* 107; O. C. 3567; *Jedhe.*)
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From the environs of Ahmadnagar, Bahadur Khan advanced towards Supa (in the Puna district), while Dilir Khan with a flying column recovered Puna, massacring all the inhabitants above the age of 9 years, (end of December 1671.) Early in January 1672, Shivaji was at Mahad, draining his forts of men to raise a vast army for expelling the invaders from the home of his childhood.* But the pressure on Puna was immediately
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But the Mughals did not recover Salhir, though Sabh. 73 says so. They only captured Javla, Markandagarh, Anchalagiri, and Ahivant in Vaishakh (April 1671), acc. to *Jedhe.*
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∗ F. R. Surat 106, Bombay to Surat, 13 Jan. and 20 Jan. 1672. The town taken by Dilir Khan is spelt in the English Factory Records as Puna
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afterwards removed and Bahadur Khan was recalled from this region by a severe disaster to the Mughal arms in Baglana. There, the division left to besiege Salhir was attacked by a large force of Marathas under Pratap Rao, Anand Rao and the Peshwa (Moro Pant). After an obstinate battle, Ikhlas Khan and Muhakam Singh (the son of Rao Amar Singh Chandawat) were wounded and captured with 30 of their principal officers, while Rao Amar Singh and many other commanders as well as several thousand common soldiers were slain, and the entire siege-camp was taken by the enemy.* Shortly afterwards Moro Pant captured Mulhir, and then putting fresh men, munitions and provisions in the two forts, they hurried back to Konkan unmolested. This took place at the end of January and the first week of February, 1672. Shivaji’s prestige and confidence in his own power were immensely increased by these successes. Surat was now in constant terror of him, as he entirely dominated Baglana.
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From the English records we learn that Shiva now “forced the two generals (viz., Bahadur and Dilir), who with their armies had entered into his country, to retreat
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Chackne (from the usual practice of tacking two places together in one sub-division) and described as “a place of great concern in a very large plain in the heart of all Shivaji’s upper country.” This description suggests Puna and not Chakan; but we have no direct evidence that Shivaji got back Puna and Chakan from the Mughals by the treaty of 1665 or that of 1668. The English record a rumour, which we know was baseless, that the capture of this place Dilir Khan killed Kartoji Gujar, the Maratha Lieutenant-General, (i.e., Pratap Rao.)
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∗ On the Maratha side also many soldiers were slain and only one chief of note, Surya Rao Kankre, a comrade of Shivaji’s youth. Sabh. 74; Jedhe; Dil. 107; Ishwardas, 60b; F. R. Surat 87, M. Gray to Bombay, 15 Feb. Vol. 106, Bombay to Surat, 16 Feb., 1672; K. K. ii. 249.
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with shame and loss."* But the Persian accounts are silent about it. We can, however, be sure that the Satnami rising in March and the rebellion of the Khaibar Afghans in April next, made it impossible for the Emperor to attempt the recovery of his prestige in the Deccan, and Shiva was therefore left the master of the situation throughout the year 1672. (M.A. 115-116.)
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Bahadur Khan returned from Baglana with failure, encamped for some time on the bank of the Bhima, and then went back to Ahmadnagar to canton for the rains. About May 1672 Mahabat left the Deccan for Hindusthan, and a month later Muazzam did the same. Bahadur Khan was appointed commander-in-chief and acting viceroy of the Deccan, in the place of these two, becoming substantive subahdar in January 1673 and holding that office till August 1677. (Dil. 108-109; M.A. 121.)
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§3. Maratha occupation of the Koli country, 1672.
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So greatly was the spirit of the Marathas roused by their victory over Ikhlas Khan, capture of Mulhir, and expulsion of Bahadur and Dilir from Puna, that their activity continued unabated even during the hot weather and the rainy season of this year. On 5th June, a large Maratha army under Moro Trimbak Pingle captured Jawhar from its Koli Rajah, Vikram Shah, and seized there treasure amounting to 17 lakhs of Rupees. The place is only 100 miles from Surat, and adjoins the Nasik district, from which it is separated by the Western Ghats. Advancing further north, he threatened the other Koli State of Ramnagar* which is only sixty miles south of Surat. The Rajah, Som Shah, fled with his family (about 19th June, 1672) to Chikli, six miles s. e. of Gandavi and 33 m. s. of Surat. Even Gandavi was deserted by the people in fear of the coming of the Marathas. But the invaders speedily retreated from Ramnagar on hearing that Dilir Khan was assembling his forces for a campaign. Heavy rain stopped the activity of the Marathas for a few days. But soon afterwards Moro Pant, with his army raised to 15,000 men, returned to the attack, and took Ramnagar in the first week of July. Its Rajah took refuge in the Portuguese territory of Daman.
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∗ O. C. 3633, Surat to Co., 6 April, 1672. Ramaji Pangre's heroic battle with Dilir near fort Kanera (Sabh. 73) must be placed here.
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The annexation of Jawhar and Ramnagar gave the Marathas a short, safe and easy route from Kalian up Northern Konkan to Surat, and laid that port helplessly open to invasion from the south. The city became subject to chronic alarm, whenever any Maratha troops were heard of even 60 miles off, at Ramnagar.