Battle of Paranda

Battle of Paranda
Part of Mughal–Maratha Wars
Paranda fort where the battle happened near it
Date 13/14 November 1699 Location Paranda Result Mughal victory
Belligerents
Maratha Confederacy	Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Rajaram I Dhanaji Jadhav	Bidar Bakht Zulfiqar Khan
Strength
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Paranda was a military engagement between the Mughal Army and the Maratha Army led by Rajaram. The Mughals were victorious.

Prelude

In August 1699, it was reported to the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, that the Chhatrapati of the Marathas, Rajaram I, was planning to advance against the Mughal territory. ^[1] In September, Rajaram made plans to invade Berar and Khandesh but was forced to abandon his campaign due to the opening of the campaign in October by Aurangzeb. ^[2] On October 31, Rajaram left Satara with an army of 12,000 men and moved in the northern direction. During this time, Aurangzeb, who was staying in Miraj, heard of Rajaram's advance and dispatched Bidar Bakht to deal with the Marathas. ^[3]

Battle

The prince received Aurangzeb's orders while marching to Panhala. He immediately sent his baggage to Miraj and quickly marched to meet the Marathas. The prince made a forced march while the Marathas were slow in their movements. The prince encountered them in the region between Baramati and Shrigonda. A fierce battle ensued in which the Marathas were routed and escaped. They left their camp and baggage behind. Rajaram, however, turned east. ^[4] The prince once again marched against them. Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung joined the prince in his march. Both armies met once again in the fields of Paranda. Rajaram dispatched Dhanaji Jadhav to meet the Mughals while he encamped 12 miles east of Paranda. A severe battle followed, and the Marathas were once again defeated and forced to flee towards Ahmednagar on November 13/14. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Aftermath

The Marathas suffered a decisive defeat, which forced Rajaram to abandon his campaign. ^[8] He led his remaining troops back to his territory. Bidar Bakht and Zulfiqar attempted to chase Rajaram but gave up and returned to Aurangzeb, where he would reward both generals for their actions. ^[9] Rajaram would soon pass away on March 2, 1700. ^[10]

References

1. Jaisingrao Pawar, p. 244-245
2. Ashvini Agrawal, p. 168
3. Jaisingrao Pawar, p. 245
4. Jaisingrao Pawar, p. 245-246
5. Jaisingrao Pawar, p. 246
6. John F. Richards, p. 234
7. Brij Kishore, p. 60
8. John F. Richards, p. 234
9. Jaisingrao Pawar, p. 247
10. Ashvini Agrawal, p. 168

Sources

• Jaisingrao Pawar (1981), Chhatrapati Rajaram And The Maratha State.
• Ashvini Agrawal (1984), Studies in Mughal History.
• John F. Richards (1993), The Mughal Empire, Part 1, Volume 5.
• Brij Kishore (1963), Tara Bai and Her Times.