Siege of Kondhana
| Siege of Kondhana | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mughal-Maratha Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Maratha Empire |
 Mughal Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Shivaji Netaji PalkarPrataprao Gujar |
Jaswant SinghRao Bhau Singh Hada | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 60-70 Killed | 700 Rathores and Mughals killed | ||||||
Jaswant Singh, who had been left in charge of the Mughal army in the Deccan after Shayista Khan's departure, began the Siege of Kondhana (later renamed Sinhgad by Shivaji) in November-December 1663. Despite the prolonged siege, there was little vigorous effort to capture the fort. A major assault was launched on April 14, 1664, but it was repelled, and the siege was ultimately lifted on May 28, 1664. Shivaji inspected the fort on May 30.
While Jaswant Singh was occupied with the siege of Sinhgad, Shivaji executed a daring raid. From January 6 to 8, 1664, he struck approximately 300 kilometers behind enemy lines and plundered Surat, the wealthiest port in India.[1][2][3]
Background
[edit]Shivaji meticulously gathered intelligence about Shayista Khan’s camp before setting out on horseback with a select force. On April 5th, 1663, he arrived in Pune, leaving cavalry detachments along the route to ensure a safe retreat. After dismounting and leaving their horses with a detachment under Sarjerao Jedhe near the Mula River, Shivaji and his men infiltrated the city. The exact method of their entry is not clear from authentic sources, but Khafi Khan’s colorful account suggests a plausible scenario. According to this account, Maratha soldiers posing as wedding guests and captured Maratha prisoners were allowed into the city, by passing security.[1][2][3]
Once inside, Shivaji’s men armed themselves and accessed the palace through a small door that had been sealed with bricks and mud. The raid occurred during Ramadan, and while some cooks were preparing the pre-dawn meal, they were quickly neutralized. Maid servants alerted Shayista Khan, who was in his bedchamber, leading to a chaotic confrontation. Shayista Khan was injured, losing several fingers, and narrowly escaped with his life. The raid resulted in the deaths of Shayista Khan’s eldest son, son-in-law, around 40 to 50 men, and a few women. Shivaji’s losses were six killed and 40 wounded.[1][2][3]
The raiding party escaped through a small gate, rejoined their cavalry, and reached Sinhgad the next day. Jaswant Singh, who was camped near Pune, was suspected of having colluded in the raid.[1][2][3]
Shayista Khan, deeply shaken by the raid, relinquished command of the Deccan to Jaswant Singh and retreated to Aurangabad. By early May 1663, he was dismissed from his position and replaced by Prince Muhammad Muazzam. The news of Shivaji’s audacious attack spread across India, boosting his prestige.[1][2][3]
Aurangzeb, who was traveling from Lahore to Kashmir, learned of the incident with dismay. The Alamgir Nama, the official chronicle of his reign, briefly notes the raid as a result of Shayista Khan’s negligence, leading to the Emperor's displeasure and his subsequent dismissal.[1][2][3]
Philip Giffard’s brief but contemporary account from April 12th, 1663, provides details of the raid, noting that Shivaji, with 400 chosen men, infiltrated Shayista Khan’s camp, killed many of his entourage, and wounded Shayista Khan. Despite heavy losses on Shayista Khan’s side, Shivaji's forces only suffered minor casualties. The incident was widely believed to have occurred with the tacit consent of Jaswant Singh, though Shivaji claimed he had permission for the attack.[1][2][3]
Battle
[edit]After the recall of Shayista Khan, Jaswant Singh was tasked with maintaining Mughal authority and promptly laid siege to the Kondhana fort, a key Maratha stronghold. The initial assault on March 15, 1664, led by Sunder Das, was unsuccessful and resulted in the loss of twenty Rathor soldiers. On April 13, the Rathores attempted to breach the fort by mining the walls, causing a significant but insufficient damage and killing fifty to sixty Maratha defenders. Despite this, they were unable to penetrate the fort.[1][4][2][5][3]
A more successful mining operation on May 6 led to a substantial breach in the fort's ramparts, and seven hundred Rathors scaled the walls, leading to a fierce battle with heavy casualties on both sides. However, the conflict continued without decisive gains. With the onset of the monsoon and no immediate prospects for capturing Kondhana, Jaswant Singh lifted the siege on June 1, retreating in failure.[1][4][2][5][3]
Jaswant Singh laid siege to the fort of Kondana. The Mughals tried to storm the walls of the fort. In the attack a number of Mughals and Rajputs lost their lives. Many lives were also lost as a result of the explosion of ammunition. It became impossible to conquer the fort. Despairing of success Maharaja Jaswant Singh and Rao Bhau Singh Hada raised the siege of Kondana (on 28 May 1664) and returned to Aurangabad.
— Bhimsen Saxena
Alamgirnama notes that "Not a single fort could be captured. The campaign against Shivaji ran into difficulties and languished."
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale. Shivaji His Life & Times. pp. 434–442.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.1. pp. 149–150.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Life Of Shivaji ( Keluskar Takakhav). pp. 230–236.
- ^ a b Dr. G.r. Parihar (1937). Marwar And The Marathas Part Ii. p. 6.
- ^ a b SETHUMADHAVRAO S. PAGADI. SHIVAJI - ENG - SETHUMADHAVRAO S. PAGADI. pp. 42–43.