Mughal–Maratha Wars (The Deccan War)

The Mughal–Maratha Wars, also known as The Deccan War or The Maratha War of Independence, lasted from 1680 to 1707. They were fought between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal Empire. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb invaded the Maratha Enclave in Bijapur, which was built by the Maratha leader Shivaji in 1680, starting the conflict. After Aurangzeb's demise, the Marathas destroyed the Mughals in Delhi and Bhopal, and by 1758 had extended their empire to Peshawar.

Many Mughal contingents were sent to lay Siege to Maratha forts in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh in the first half of 1681. Aurangzeb was enraged because Sambhaji gave refuge to the emperor's rebel son, Sultan Muhammad Akbar. Aurangzeb began his expedition to Deccan to conquer the relatively young Maratha Empire in September 1681, after crushing the Mewari uprising. He established Aurangabad as his city, the Mughal capital in the Deccan. About 500,000 Mughal troops were stationed in the region. In every way, it was an unnecessary conflict. Fort Ramsej was besieged by Mughal soldiers before the end of 1681. The Marathas, on the other hand, did not surrender to the onslaught. The Mughals required seven years to conquer the fort after the invasion was well welcomed. Sambhaji attempted to invade Janjira in December 1681, but his first attempt failed. At the same time, Husain Ali Khan, one of Aurangzeb's generals, launched an invasion on Northern Konkan.

Husain Ali Khan was attacked and pushed back to Ahmednagar by Sambhaji, who had fled Janjira. Aurangzeb attempted to reach an agreement with the Portuguese that would allow commerce ships to dock at Goa. This would have allowed him to establish a sea-based supply route to Deccan. This information was given to Sambhaji. As a result, he invaded Portuguese territory and drove the Portuguese back to the Goan coast. The ruler of Alvor, on the other hand, was successful in defending the Portuguese headquarters. By this time, a massive Mughal force had gathered on the Deccan's frontiers. Southern India was clearly on the verge of a large-scale, long-term conflict.

Aurangzeb relocated to Ahmednagar in late 1683. He divided his army in half and assigned each division to one of his two princes, Shah Alam and Azam Shah. Azam Shah was to assault Khandesh and northern Maratha territory, while Shah Alam invaded the South Konkan via the Karnataka border. Using a pincer strategy, these two divisions planned to encircle and isolate the Marathas from the south and North. The beginning went off without a hitch. Shah Alam arrived in Belgaum after crossing the Krishna River. From there, he marched north through Goa and the Konkan. He was constantly raided by Marathas forces as he moved forward. They sabotaged his supply lines and starved his forces to death. Finally, Aurangzeb dispatched Ruhulla Khan to his aid and returned him to Ahmednagar. The first pincer attempt was unsuccessful. Following the monsoon of 1684, Aurangzeb's other general, Shahbuddin Khan, launched a direct attack on Raigad, the Maratha capital. Raigad was successfully defended by Maratha commanders. Aurangzeb dispatched Khan Jehan to assist him, but the Maratha army's commander-in-chief, Hambirao Mohite, beat him in a brutal fight at Patadi. The Maratha army's second division attacked Shahbuddin Khan at Pachad, causing the Mughal army to suffer serious losses. Shah Alam pushed south again in early 1685 via the Gokak-Dharwar route, but Sambhaji's men harassed him on the way, forcing him to give up and fail to finish the loop for the second time. Aurangzeb revised his strategy in April 1685. By sending expeditions to the Muslim kingdoms of Golkonda and Bijapur, he hoped to consolidate his dominance in the south. Both of them were Marathas' allies, and Aurangzeb despised them. By September 1686, he had broken his alliances with both countries, assaulted them, and seized them.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Marathas launched an offensive along the North Coast, attacking Bharuch. They avoided the Mughal army that was sent their way and returned with just minor damage. Diplomacy was used by the Marathas to gain control of Mysore. Negotiations were being led by Sardar Kesopant Pingle, but the fall of Bijapur to the Mughals shifted the tides, and Mysore was hesitant to join the Marathas. Several Bijapur sardars joined the Maratha army when Sambhaji successfully courted them. Sambhaji led the charge but was captured and murdered by the Mughals. Aurangzeb had his wife and son (Shivaji's grandson) hostage for twenty years.

Aurangzeb shifted his focus to the Marathas after Bijapur and Golkonda, but his first several attempts were ineffective. Finally, in January 1688, Sambhaji gathered his commanders at Sangameshwar in Konkan for a strategic consultation to decide on the ultimate strike to overthrow Aurangzeb from the Deccan. To promptly carry out the meeting's decision, Sambhaji sent most of his companions and stayed behind with a few of his trusted men, including Kavi Kalash. While Sambhaji was still present, one of Sambhaji's brothers-in-law, Ganoji Shirke, turned traitor and assisted Aurangzeb's commander Muqarrab Khan in locating, reaching, and attacking Sangameshwar. Despite being encircled on all sides, the comparatively tiny Maratha force fought back. Sambhaji was arrested on February 1, 1689, and a subsequent Marathas rescue effort was thwarted on March 11. He was executed for refusing to bow down to Aurangzeb. Sambhaji, on the other hand, was executed for killing and capturing Muslims, according to John F. Richards. A panel of ulema delivered the verdict.

By the end of 1689, the Marathas appeared to be all but dead to Aurangzeb. However, this would prove to be a near-fatal error. The death of Sambhaji reignited the Maratha warriors' enthusiasm, making Aurangzeb's goal difficult. Rajaram, Sambhaji's younger brother, was given the title of Chhatrapati (Emperor).  The Maratha commanders, led by Santaji Ghorpade, made the most audacious attack on the Mughal army in March 1690. Not only did they attack the troops, but they also ransacked the tent where Aurangzeb slept. Aurangzeb was fortunately abroad, but his private army and many of his bodyguards were slaughtered. However, there was a betrayal in the Maratha camp as a result of this. Suryaji Pisal's betrayal brought Raigad to its knees. Yesubai, Sambhaji's queen, and their son, Shahu I, were apprehended. This offensive was carried further south by Mughal armies led by Zulfikar Khan. Fort Panhala was attacked. The Maratha killedar of Panhala fought the fort valiantly and caused significant losses to the Mughal force. Finally, Aurangzeb had to come himself, and Panhala was handed over.

The Mughals would attack Vishalgad, Maratha ministers realised. They insisted that Rajaram leave Vishalgad for Senji (Gingee), taken by Shivaji during his southern conquests and would now serve as the new Maratha capital. Rajaram travelled south with Khando Ballal and his troops escorting him. The accomplishment of Rajaram's flight irritated Aurangzeb. He deployed a small army to keep Rajaram in check, keeping most of his troops in Maharashtra. This little troop was slain by two Maratha generals, Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav, who joined Ramchandra Bavadekar in Deccan. After defeating Panhala and Vishalgad, Bavdekar, Vithoji Chavan, and Raghuji Bhosale reorganised the Maratha army. Bavdekar, Pralhad Niraji, Santaji, Dhanaji, and Maratha sardars convened in the Maval region in late 1691 to modify the plan. Aurangzeb had conquered four main forts in Sahyadrais and dispatched Zulfikar Khan to conquer Fort Ginjee. As a result, according to the new Maratha strategy, Santaji and Dhanaji would launch offensives in the East, scattering the Mughal forces. Others would concentrate their efforts in Maharashtra, attacking a series of forts in southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka in order to split Mughal-conquered territory in half, providing a significant obstacle to enemy supply networks.  The Marathas could now extend this split into the sea, preventing any supply routes from Surat to the south, thanks to Shivaji's strong navy. From the Malwa plateau to the east coast, combat was now waged. To confront the Mughals' might, Maratha leaders used this technique. The Maratha stronghold in the mountainous terrains of Sahyadri was held by Maratha generals Ramchandrapant Amatya and Shankaraji Niraji. Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav destroyed the Mughals with cavalry operations. Santaji defeated Kasim Khan, a well-known Mughal general, in the Battle of Athani.

Aurangzeb had realised at this time that the conflict he had started was far more serious than he had anticipated. He made the decision to reorganise his forces and reconsider his approach. He issued an ultimatum to Zulfikar Khan, demanding that he seize Jinji or lose his titles. The Siege was tightened by Zulfikar Khan, but Rajaram managed to flee and was escorted to Deccan by Dhanaji Jadhav and the Shirke brothers. Haraji Mahadik's son assumed command of Jinji and fought gallantly against Julfikar Khan and Daud Khan until the city fell in January 1698. Rajaram had plenty of time to go to Vishalgad as a result of this. Jinji was taken in a Pyrrhic victory after substantial Mughal casualties. For seven years, the fort had done its job: it had kept a strong garrison of Mughal warriors occupied while incurring terrible losses. It had drained Mughal resources in the region, from the treasury to the supply chain. Marathas would soon be subjected to an unfavourable outcome brought on by their actions. Dhanaji Jadhav and Santaji Ghorpade had a simmering rivalry, which councilman Pralhad Niraji held in check. Dhanaji, on the other hand, felt bold following Niraji's death and attacked Santaji. One of Dhanaji's men, Nagoji Mane, assassinated Santaji. The news of Santaji's killing boosted Aurangzeb's and the Mughal army's morale. However, by this time, the Mughals had lost their reputation as a fearsome army. Despite the counsel of numerous of his veteran generals, Aurangzeb maintained the battle.

The Marathas regrouped and launched a counter-offensive. Dhanaji Jadhav was named commander-in-chief, and the army was divided into three divisions: Jadhav's, Parshuram Timbak's, and Shankar Narayan's. Near Pandharpur, Jadhav defeated a huge Mughal force, and Narayan defeated Sarja Khan in Pune. Khanderao Dabhade, who led a division under Jadhav, captured Baglan and Nashik, while Narayan's commander, Nemaji Shinde, won a huge victory at Nandurbar. Enraged by these defeats, Aurangzeb assumed command and began a new onslaught. He besieged Panhala and attacked the Satara fort. Prayagji Prabhu, a seasoned Maratha leader, fought Satara for six months before surrendering in April 1700, right before the monsoon. Aurangzeb's plan to clear as many forts as possible before the monsoon failed.

Rajaram died in March 1700. His queen, Tarabai, the daughter of Maratha commander-in-chief Hambirrao Mohite, assumed command of the Maratha army and fought for the next seven years.  Aurangzeb fought for every inch of the Deccan region after the Battle of Satara at considerable personal and financial cost. The Marathas expanded eastwards into Mughal areas Hyderabad as Aurangzeb drove west, deep into Maratha territory, conquering Satara (the Maratha capital). Aurangzeb fought a never-ending battle in the Deccan for more than two decades, losing nearly a quarter of his army in the process. In late 1701, signs of strain were seen in the Mughal camp. Julfikar Khan's father, Asad Khan, advised Aurangzeb to stop the battle and turn around. The expedition had already exacted a massive toll on the empire, far greater than had been intended, and it appeared that 175 years of the Mughal rule could be overturned due to the empire's involvement in an unwinnable war. Aurangzeb had spent four years bribing Maratha commanders to seize Torana, Rajgad, and a few other forts by 1704. He gradually realised that he had failed to capture the Maratha State despite 24 years of relentless warfare. In the North, where Mughal provinces fell one by one, the final Maratha counter-offensive gained traction. Because the royal treasuries had been drained and no soldiers were available, they could not defend themselves. The Narmada River was crossed in 1705 by two Maratha army groups. The first, led by Nemaji Shinde, went as far north as Bhopal, while the second, led by Khanderao Dabhade, went as far west as Bharoch. Dabhade fought and defeated Mahomed Khan's army of about fourteen thousand warriors with his 8000 men. This opened up the entire Gujarat coast to the Marathas. They tightened their hold on Mughal supply systems right away.

By 1705, the Marathas had wrested control of Central India and Gujarat from the Mughals. On the Malwa plateau, Nemaji Shinde beat the Mughals. Mughals began retreating from Maratha dominions in 1706. Aurangzeb felt despondent in Maharashtra. He began negotiations with the Marathas but unexpectedly ended them and marched on Wakinara, a minor country whose Naik kings traced their genealogy to the Vijaynagar empire's royal dynasty. His new adversaries had always despised the Mughals and had aligned with the Marathas. Jadhav marched into the Sahyadris and reclaimed practically all of the main forts in a short time, while Parshuram Timbak captured Satara and Parali, and Narayan took Sinhgad. Jadhav then turned around and went to Wakinara to aid the Naiks. The Naik royal family escaped Wakinara's fall.

Aurangzeb had given up all hope and was preparing to flee to Burhanpur. Jadhav attacked and beat Aurangzeb's rearguard, but with the support of Zulfikar Khan, Aurangzeb was able to reach his target. Unfortunately, on February 21, 1707, he died of a fever.

Following Aurangzeb's demise, the Marathas launched a northward advance. They marched to Delhi, crossing the Narmada, the customary border between the northern plains and the peninsula, and freeing Shivaji's grandson, Shahu, from Mughal captivity. The Maratha Empire had reached Delhi by 1757. The Mughal empire was divided into regional kingdoms, with the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Nawab of Oudh, and the Nawab of Bengal declaring their countries independent.