Siege of Ahmednagar (1619)
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| Siege of Ahmednagar | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mughal Empire |
 Ahmadnagar Sultanate | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Khanjar Khan Darab Khan |
Malik Ambar Maloji | ||||||||
Earlier[clarification needed] Malik Ambar had ceded territories of Ahmednagar and Berar to Mughals however in 1617 A.D he broke the treaty with Mughals, In 1619 A.D he along with his Bargi troops commanded by Maloji laid a Siege to the Fort of Ahmednagar which he had lost to Mughals.[1]
Khanjar Khan the governor of the fort fled to Darab Khan the governor of Berar. There were three pitched battles fought between Mughals and Ambar in which Mughals emerged victorious but they were unable to take advantage of the victories as the Maratha troops of Malik Ambar gather again and carried out surprise attacks on them.[2] At the end they retreated towards Balapur and Malik Ambar within three months recaptured Ahmednagar and Berar.[3][4][5]
Siege
[edit]In quiet defiance, Malik Ambar waited for two years, waiting for the perfect moment to strike against his adversaries. During the time, Prince Shah Jahan was busy besieging Kangra in Punjab, and Emperor Jahangir was enjoying the scenic beauty of Kashmir. Their absence from the center of administration led to internal discord among the Mughal officers in the Deccan, marked with rivalry and petty disputes. [1][2]Taking this opportunity, Malik Ambar renewed his league with the Bijapur and Golconda rulers, and he made another attack.[6] He reorganized his light Maratha forces, mobilized an additional 60,000 men and trained them intensely. Pouncing on the Mughal occupied regions in Ahmadnagar as a surprise, he won those regions easily with lightning speed. He made the commandant Khanjar Khan, who held the fort, to retreat to the fortification with a force of Deccani soldiers.[3]
Commandant of the fort, Khanjar Khan, took his retirement while leaving a contingent of Deccani troops to besiege the fort. The main army was led by Malik Ambar and advanced further so that the Nizam Shahi territory extended up to the frontiers of Berar in the successful course.[4] The Mughal commanders, struck with fear, fled to the governor of Berar and Ahmadnagar; Darab Khan had taken office after the term had been completed for his brother Shah Nawaz Khan. The pursuing Marathas did not let them even breathe.[2]Despite winning two or three pitched battles against the Deccanis, the Mughals were not able to gain a permanent victory. [1]As soon as they won a battle, the Marathas regrouped, launched surprise attacks, and left the Mughal forces in dire straits. Within three months, all of their outposts were gone, Berar and Ahmadnagar came under the control of Malik Ambar.[3][4][5][6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Tamaskar, B. g (1978). The Life and Work Of Malik Ambar. Delhi., Idarah-i Adabiyat-i. pp. 112–113.
- ^ a b c Shyam, Radhey (1966). The Kingdom of Ahmadnagar. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 268–269. ISBN 978-81-208-2651-9.
- ^ a b c Mohamed Nasr. The Relations Of The Mughal Empire With The Ahmadnagar Kingdom 1526 1636. pp. 138–139.
- ^ a b c Chowdhuri, jogindra Nath (1940). Malik Ambar. pp. 91–92.
- ^ a b Ali, Shanti Sadiq (1996). The African Dispersal in the Deccan: From Medieval to Modern Times. Orient Blackswan. pp. 77–78. ISBN 978-81-250-0485-1.
- ^ a b Mahajan, V. D. (2007). History of Medieval India. S. Chand Publishing. pp. 316–318. ISBN 978-81-219-0364-6.