Battle of Dodderi | |||||||
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Part of Mughal–Maratha Wars | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
Unknown | 25,000 |
The Battle of Dodderi lasted three days and featured Maratha forces led by Santaji Ghorpad against the Mughal army, With support from the Nayak of Chitaldurg, Santaji's strategic attacks disrupted the Mughal advance, leading to the death of Mughal commander Qasim Khan. [3] The Mughals retreated to the fort of Dodderi, where they faced starvation and hard conditions due to a tight Maratha blockade. Mughal commander Khanazad Khan surrendered and agreed to pay a ransom of 100,000 rupees. [2] The battle is considered a decisive defeat for the Mughal Empire. [4]
The Marathas launched a surprise attack on the Mughal advance camp, plundering and setting tents on fire. Qasim Khan and Khanazad Khan rushed to the battlefield but were blocked by Maratha divisions. Despite courageous efforts by the Mughals, they faced overwhelming numbers and were terror-struck. The Marathas continued to humiliate them, depriving them of food and fodder for days. The Mughals, prepared for constant battle, were surrounded but the Marathas only appeared without engaging in combat for three days.
Burmappa Nayak's army attacked the Mughals, resulting in the death of many sardars and the wounding of Khudadad, Muhammad Murad Khan's son. Qasim Khan and Khanazad Khan, shaken by the situation, decided to retreat to the small fort of Dodderi. Despite being surrounded by the Marathas, they fought their way to the fort and managed to reach it by evening. However, the Marathas continued to humiliate them, leading to a bad situation inside the fort. With limited food and ammunition, the Mughals faced starvation and constant attacks from the Marathas. Qasim Khan died shortly after. Many soldiers deserted and joined the Marathas, who took advantage of the situation by selling goods to the besieged at high prices. The Mughals suffered from total starvation as the Marathas tightened their blockade, making living conditions unbearable.
The state papers of the Mughali Empire described the situation in the Dodderi fort during the battle as following:
“Its imperial garrison shut its gates upon their newly arrived comrades. The two Khans shared with the other officers the food they had brought with themselves, and the common soldiers found nothing to eat except the water of the tank; grass and gram for the elephants and horses could be had nowhere. As the night closed, the enemy completely encircled them. The imperialists (sic!) stood to arms ready to meet any attack - but for three days the Marathas only appeared in sight without lighting, till some thousands of infantry sent by Barmappa Nayakt joined them. Then they seized the opportunity and made an attack. On the fourth day, before sunrise, ten times the former number of Kala-piadas (Kanfirese musketeers) darkened the plain and began to fight. The imperial artillery munitions had been plundered in their camp and what little was carried with the soldiers was now exhausted; so after vain exertions for some hours, they sat down in despair. The enemy’s hail of bullets destroyed many men in this situation.’’ [5]
The besieged Mughals were reported to have already run out of food on the second day, with "no food left for either man or beast". The circumstances of Qasim Khan's death are unknown. According to Jadunath Sarkar, Khan was addicted to opium and lack of it could have caused his death. However, some survivors of the battle also claimed that Khan committed suicide, certain that surrender would mean "disgrace at the hands of the enemy and censure by the Emperor". His death caused a large decline in morale, prompting the Mughal army to seek capitulation. [5]
Khanazad Khan, seeking terms of surrender, agreed to pay a ransom of twenty lacs of rupees to Santaji. The Marathas collected the baggage and animals, while the Mughal sardars signed bonds as surety. Despite Santaji honoring his commitments, the Mughals did not fully comply. Santaji allowed the Mughal soldiers to leave the fort for two days, providing them with fresh food. Khanazad Khan eventually left for the Mughal Court escorted by Marathas. [5]
Less than a month after their defeat, Himmat Khan Bahadur, who had been deputed to cooperate with Qasim Khan, fled to Basavapatan, 40 miles west of Dodderi, with a force of 1,000 cavalry. Santaji planted his garrison in Dodderi and ordered two divisions of his army to watch and oppose Hamid-ud-din Khan from the north and Himmat Khan from the west.
The casualties of the Mughal army amounted to about one-third of the garrison. [5]
Afterwards, the Siege of Basavapatan began.
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