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Deccan wars
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Deccan wars
The Deccan wars, also known as Mughal–Maratha wars, were a series of military conflicts between the Mughals and the Marathas after the death of Maratha Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1680 until the death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Shivaji was a central figure in what has been called "the Maratha insurgency" against the Mughal state. Both he and his son, Sambhaji (or Shambuji, typically), alternated between rebellion against the Mughal state and service to the Mughal sovereign in an official capacity. It was common practice in late 17th-century India for members of a ruling family of a small principality to both collaborate with and rebel against the Mughals.
Upon Shivaji's death in 1680, he was immediately succeeded by Rajaram, his second-born son by his second wife. The succession was contested by Sambhaji, Shivaji's first-born son by his first wife, and quickly settled to his benefit by the murders of Rajaram's mother and the loyal courtiers favouring Rajaram's succession, and by Rajaram's imprisonment for the following eight years. Although Sambhaji's rule was riven by factions, he conducted several military campaigns in southern India and Goa.
In 1681, Sambhaji was contacted by Muhammad Akbar, son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who was keen to partner with the Marathas in order to assert his political power against his ageing father's continuing dominance. The prospects of an alliance incited Aurangzeb to move his household, court and army to the Deccan. Akbar spent several years under the protection of Sambhaji but eventually went into exile to Persia in 1686. In 1689 Sambhaji was captured by the Mughals, and executed at the age of 31. His death was a significant event in Indian history, marking the end of the golden era of the Maratha kingdom. Sambhaji's wife and minor son, later named Shahuji, were taken into the Mughal camp, and Rajaram, who was now an adult, was re-established as ruler; he quickly moved his base to Gingee, far into the Tamil country. From here, he was able to frustrate Mughal advances into the Deccan until 1700.
In 1707, Emperor Aurangzeb died. Although by this time the Mughal armies had regained total control over lands in the Deccan, their forts had been stripped bare of valuables by the exiting Marathas, who thereafter took to raiding Mughal territory in independently operating "roving bands". In 1719, Sambhaji's son, Shahu, who had been raised in the Mughal court, received the rights to the chauth (annual tax at 25% of the revenue) and sardeshmukhi (additional 10% levy) over the six Deccan provinces in exchange for maintaining a contingent of 15,000 troops for the Mughal emperor.
Sambhaji was born in 1657 to Shivaji and his first wife, Saibai. He was trained in the art of warfare from a young age and was known for his bravery and military skills. After Shivaji's death in 1680, Sambhaji ascended to the throne of the Maratha Empire, which was resisting Mughal dominance.[citation needed] In the first half of 1681, several Mughal contingents were dispatched to besiege Maratha forts in present-day Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
At the time, the Mughal empire was experiencing tension between Emperor Aurangzeb and his son Sultan Muhammad Akbar. The Maratha Chhatrapati Sambhaji provided shelter to Akbar, which angered his father. On 8 September 1681, after settling a dispute with the royal house of Mewar, Aurangzeb began his journey to the Deccan to conquer the Maratha lands, as well as the sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda. He arrived at Aurangabad, the Mughal headquarters in the Deccan, and made it his capital. Mughal contingents in the region numbered about 500,000. It was a disproportionate war in all senses. By the end of 1681, the Mughal forces had laid siege to Fort Ramsej. Despite the onslaught, the Marathas prepared and defended against the attack, and it took the Mughals seven years to take the fort. Also in December 1681, Sambhaji attacked Janjira fort, but his first attempt failed. At the same time one of the Aurangzeb's generals, Husain Ali Khan, attacked Northern Konkan. Sambhaji left Janjira and attacked Husain Ali Khan and pushed him back to Ahmednagar. Meanwhile, Aurangzeb tried to sign a deal with the Portuguese to allow trade ships to harbour in Goa. This would have allowed him to open another supply route to Deccan via the sea. Upon learning this, Sambhaji attacked the Portuguese territories and forced them back to the Goan coast, but the viceroy of Alvor was able to defend the Portuguese headquarters. By this time the huge Mughal army had started gathering on the borders of Deccan.[citation needed] These actions heralded a large, sustained conflict in southern India.
In late 1683, Aurangzeb moved to Ahmednagar. He divided his forces in two and put his two princes, Shah Alam and Azam Shah, in charge of each division. Aurangzeb ordered Shah Alam to attack South Konkan via the Karnataka border while Azam Shah would attack Khandesh and northern Maratha territory. Using a pincer strategy, these two divisions planned to encircle the Marathas from the south and north to isolate them. Initially, this plan went quite well. Shah Alam crossed the Krishna river and entered Belgaum. From there he entered Goa and started marching north via Konkan. As he pushed further, Marathas forces continuously harassed him, ransacked his supply chains, and reduced his forces to starvation. Finally Aurangzeb sent Ruhulla Khan to his rescue and brought him back to Ahmednagar. The first pincer attempt therefore failed.[citation needed]
After the 1684 monsoon, Aurangzeb's other general Shahbuddin Khan directly attacked the Maratha capital, Raigad. The Maratha commanders successfully defended Raigad. Aurangzeb sent Khan Jehan to help, but Hambirao Mohite, commander-in-chief of the Maratha army, defeated him in a fierce battle at Patadi. The second division of the Maratha army attacked Shahbuddin Khan at Pachad, inflicting heavy losses on the Mughal army.[citation needed]
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Deccan wars
The Deccan wars, also known as Mughal–Maratha wars, were a series of military conflicts between the Mughals and the Marathas after the death of Maratha Chhatrapati Shivaji in 1680 until the death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Shivaji was a central figure in what has been called "the Maratha insurgency" against the Mughal state. Both he and his son, Sambhaji (or Shambuji, typically), alternated between rebellion against the Mughal state and service to the Mughal sovereign in an official capacity. It was common practice in late 17th-century India for members of a ruling family of a small principality to both collaborate with and rebel against the Mughals.
Upon Shivaji's death in 1680, he was immediately succeeded by Rajaram, his second-born son by his second wife. The succession was contested by Sambhaji, Shivaji's first-born son by his first wife, and quickly settled to his benefit by the murders of Rajaram's mother and the loyal courtiers favouring Rajaram's succession, and by Rajaram's imprisonment for the following eight years. Although Sambhaji's rule was riven by factions, he conducted several military campaigns in southern India and Goa.
In 1681, Sambhaji was contacted by Muhammad Akbar, son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who was keen to partner with the Marathas in order to assert his political power against his ageing father's continuing dominance. The prospects of an alliance incited Aurangzeb to move his household, court and army to the Deccan. Akbar spent several years under the protection of Sambhaji but eventually went into exile to Persia in 1686. In 1689 Sambhaji was captured by the Mughals, and executed at the age of 31. His death was a significant event in Indian history, marking the end of the golden era of the Maratha kingdom. Sambhaji's wife and minor son, later named Shahuji, were taken into the Mughal camp, and Rajaram, who was now an adult, was re-established as ruler; he quickly moved his base to Gingee, far into the Tamil country. From here, he was able to frustrate Mughal advances into the Deccan until 1700.
In 1707, Emperor Aurangzeb died. Although by this time the Mughal armies had regained total control over lands in the Deccan, their forts had been stripped bare of valuables by the exiting Marathas, who thereafter took to raiding Mughal territory in independently operating "roving bands". In 1719, Sambhaji's son, Shahu, who had been raised in the Mughal court, received the rights to the chauth (annual tax at 25% of the revenue) and sardeshmukhi (additional 10% levy) over the six Deccan provinces in exchange for maintaining a contingent of 15,000 troops for the Mughal emperor.
Sambhaji was born in 1657 to Shivaji and his first wife, Saibai. He was trained in the art of warfare from a young age and was known for his bravery and military skills. After Shivaji's death in 1680, Sambhaji ascended to the throne of the Maratha Empire, which was resisting Mughal dominance.[citation needed] In the first half of 1681, several Mughal contingents were dispatched to besiege Maratha forts in present-day Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
At the time, the Mughal empire was experiencing tension between Emperor Aurangzeb and his son Sultan Muhammad Akbar. The Maratha Chhatrapati Sambhaji provided shelter to Akbar, which angered his father. On 8 September 1681, after settling a dispute with the royal house of Mewar, Aurangzeb began his journey to the Deccan to conquer the Maratha lands, as well as the sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda. He arrived at Aurangabad, the Mughal headquarters in the Deccan, and made it his capital. Mughal contingents in the region numbered about 500,000. It was a disproportionate war in all senses. By the end of 1681, the Mughal forces had laid siege to Fort Ramsej. Despite the onslaught, the Marathas prepared and defended against the attack, and it took the Mughals seven years to take the fort. Also in December 1681, Sambhaji attacked Janjira fort, but his first attempt failed. At the same time one of the Aurangzeb's generals, Husain Ali Khan, attacked Northern Konkan. Sambhaji left Janjira and attacked Husain Ali Khan and pushed him back to Ahmednagar. Meanwhile, Aurangzeb tried to sign a deal with the Portuguese to allow trade ships to harbour in Goa. This would have allowed him to open another supply route to Deccan via the sea. Upon learning this, Sambhaji attacked the Portuguese territories and forced them back to the Goan coast, but the viceroy of Alvor was able to defend the Portuguese headquarters. By this time the huge Mughal army had started gathering on the borders of Deccan.[citation needed] These actions heralded a large, sustained conflict in southern India.
In late 1683, Aurangzeb moved to Ahmednagar. He divided his forces in two and put his two princes, Shah Alam and Azam Shah, in charge of each division. Aurangzeb ordered Shah Alam to attack South Konkan via the Karnataka border while Azam Shah would attack Khandesh and northern Maratha territory. Using a pincer strategy, these two divisions planned to encircle the Marathas from the south and north to isolate them. Initially, this plan went quite well. Shah Alam crossed the Krishna river and entered Belgaum. From there he entered Goa and started marching north via Konkan. As he pushed further, Marathas forces continuously harassed him, ransacked his supply chains, and reduced his forces to starvation. Finally Aurangzeb sent Ruhulla Khan to his rescue and brought him back to Ahmednagar. The first pincer attempt therefore failed.[citation needed]
After the 1684 monsoon, Aurangzeb's other general Shahbuddin Khan directly attacked the Maratha capital, Raigad. The Maratha commanders successfully defended Raigad. Aurangzeb sent Khan Jehan to help, but Hambirao Mohite, commander-in-chief of the Maratha army, defeated him in a fierce battle at Patadi. The second division of the Maratha army attacked Shahbuddin Khan at Pachad, inflicting heavy losses on the Mughal army.[citation needed]
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