Battle of Shivneri Fort

Last updated

First Siege of Shivneri Fort (1673)
Part of Mughal–Maratha Wars
Shivneri fort1.JPG
Shivneri fort
Date1673
Location
Result Mughal victory
Belligerents
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Marathas Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Mughal Empire
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg Shivaji Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Abdul Aziz Khan
Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg Bahadur Khan
Strength
25,000 Unknown
Casualties and losses
Heavy Unknown

The First Siege of the Shivneri Fort was a military engagement between the Mughal Army and the Maratha Army near Shivneri Fort; the Mughals were victorious and the Marathas were defeated.

Battle

Shivneri Fort, a mile west of Junnar, was of strategic importance as it guarded the Mughal frontier in the north of Pune district and blocked the shortest route by which he could raid the Deccan from North Konkan. Another important fact was that it was the birthplace of the Maratha king, Shivaji. The Mughal governor of Shivneri Fort was Abdul Aziz Khan, a Brahman convert to Islam and a loyal servant of Aurangzeb. Shivaji attempted to persuade him to surrender the fort by giving him a large amount of gold. Abdul Aziz pretended to comply with his terms and asked Shivaji for 25,000 [1] cavalry, but at the same time informed the Mughal general Bahadur Khan of the plot. The Maratha army fell into an ambush planned by the Mughals and retired with heavy losses. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivaji</span> First Chhatrapati of the Marathas (r. 1674–80)

Shivaji I was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad Fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bajirao I</span> Prime minister of the Maratha Empire (reigned 1720–40)

Bajirao I also known as Bajirao the Great, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. He after Shivaji, is considered to be the most charismatic and dynamic leader in Maratha history. He was just twenty years old and already had a reputation for rapid decisions and a passion for military adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambhaji</span> Second Chhatrapati of the Marathas

Sambhaji, also known as Shambhuraje was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom, ruling from 1681 to 1689. He was the eldest son of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom. Sambhaji's rule was largely shaped by the ongoing wars between the Marathas and the Mughal Empire, as well as other neighbouring powers such as the Abyssinians of Janjira, Wadiyars of Mysore and the Portuguese Empire in Goa. After Sambhaji's execution by Aurangzeb, his brother Rajaram I succeeded him as the next Chhatrapati and continued the Mughal–Maratha Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maratha Confederacy</span> Indian political entity (1674–1818)

The Maratha Confederacy, also referred to as the Maratha Empire or the Maratha Kingdom, was an early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent comprising the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent Maratha states who were often subordinate to the former. It was formed in 1674 with the coronation of Shivaji of the House of Bhonsle as the Chhatrapati of the Marathas. The Maratha realm was recognised by Bahadur Shah I, the Shahenshah of Hindustan as a tributary state in 1707 after a prolonged rebellion. The Marathas continued to recognise the Shahenshah as their nominal suzerain similar to other contemporary Indian entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivneri Fort</span> Fort in Maharashtra, India

Shivneri Fort is an ancient military fortification located near Junnar in Pune district in Maharashtra, India. It is the birthplace of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of Maratha Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahaji</span> Father of Shivaji Bhonsle and eldest son of Maloji Raje Bhonsle (1602–1664)

Shahaji Bhosale was a 17th century Indian military leader who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire at various points in his career. As a member of the Bhonsle dynasty, Shahaji inherited the Pune and Supe jagirs (fiefs) from his father Maloji, who previously served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. During the Mughal invasion of the Deccan, Shahaji joined the Mughal forces and served under Emperor Shah Jahan for a short period. After being deprived of his jagirs, he defected to the Bijapur Sultanate in 1632 and regained control over Pune and Supe. In 1638, he received the jagir of Bangalore after Bijapur's invasion of Kempe Gowda III's territories. Afterwards, he became the chief general of Bijapur and oversaw its expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balaji Vishwanath</span> Peshwa of the Maratha Empire

Balaji Vishwanath Bhat was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Bhat family who gained effective control of the Maratha Empire and the Mughal vassals of the Marathas during the early 18th century. Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha king Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistently intruded on by the Mughals under Aurangzeb. He was called the Second Founder of the Maratha State. He secured a grant from the Mughal court that confirmed Shahu as the legitimate Mughal vassal, at the expense of his rival Sambhaji. Later, his son Bajirao I became the Peshwa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajaram I</span> Third Chhatrapati of the Marathas

Rajaram Bhonsle I was the third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of the Shivaji, the founder of the empire and younger half-brother of Sambhaji, whom he succeeded. His eleven-year reign was marked with a constant struggle against the Mughals. He was succeeded by his infant son Shivaji II under the regentship of his dowager Maharani Tarabai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deccan wars</span> 1680–1707 wars between the Mughal and Maratha empires

The Deccan wars were a series of military conflicts between the Mughal Empire and the descendants of the Maratha ruler Shivaji from the time of Shivaji's death in 1680 until the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. Shivaji was a central figure in what has been called "the Maratha insurgency" against the Mughal state. Both he and his son, Sambhaji, or Shambuji, typically, alternated between rebellion against the Mughal state and service to the Mughal sovereign in an official capacity. It was common practice in late 17th-century India for members of a ruling family of a small principality to both collaborate with the Mughals and rebel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Pratapgarh</span> 1659 battle between the Marathas and the Adilshahi

The Battle of Pratapgad took place on 10 November 1659, at Pratapgarh Fort in Satara. The battle was fought between the Maratha forces led by Shivaji and the Bijapur troops under General Afzal Khan. The Marathas emerged victorious, marking their first significant military triumph against a major regional power. In the aftermath of this victory Shivaji captured 65 elephants, 4000 horses, 1200 camels and 10 Lakh rupees of cash and jewelry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chakan fort</span> Land fort in Chakan, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Sangram Durga is a land fort situated at Chakan, Pune, Maharashtra, India. The original area of the fort was 65 acres, currently it is only 5.5 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sack of Surat</span> 1664 battle in India

Battle of Surat, also known as the Sack of Surat, was a land battle that took place on 5 January 1664, near the city of Surat, in present-day Gujarat, India, between Shivaji, leader of the fledgling Maratha State and Inayat Khan, a Mughal commander. The Marathas defeated the Mughal military unit posted at Surat and ransacked the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Sinhagad</span> 1670 battle between Maratha and Mughal forces

The Battle of Sinhagad, also known as Battle of Kondhana, involved an attack by Marathas during the night of 4 February 1670 on the fort of Sinhagad, near the city of Pune, Maharashtra. The Marathas captured the fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaista Khan</span> 17th century Mughal general and provincial governor

Mirza Abu Talib, better known as Shaista Khan, was a Moghul General and the Subahdar of Mughal Bengal, he was maternal uncle to the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb, he acted as a key figure during his reign, Shaista Khan initially governed the Deccan, where he clashed with the Maratha ruler Shivaji, However, he was most notable for his tenure as the governor of Bengal from 1664 to 1688, Under Shaista Khan's authority, the city of Dhaka and Mughal power in the province attained its greatest heights. His achievements include constructions of notable mosques such as the Sat Gambuj Mosque and masterminding the conquest of Chittagong. Shaista Khan was also responsible for sparking the outbreak of the Anglo-Mughal War with the English East India Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jai Singh I</span> Maharaja of Amber (1611–1667)

Mirza Raja Jai Singh I was the senior most general and a high ranking mansabdar at the imperial court of Mughal Empire as well as the Kachwaha ruler of the Kingdom of Amber. His predecessor was his grand uncle, Mirza Raja Bhau Singh, the younger son of Mirza Raja Man Singh I.

Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha Empire in the Indian subcontinent. This article describes Shivaji's life from his birth until the age of 19 years (1630–1649).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Purandar</span> 17th century battle in India

The Battle of Purandar was fought between the Mughal Empire and the Marathas in 1665.

The Battle of Salher was fought between the Marathas and the Mughal Empire in February 1672 CE. The battle was fought near the fort of Salher in modern day Nashik district. The result was a decisive victory for the Marathas. This battle is considered particularly significant as it is the first pitched battle where the Mughal Empire lost to the Marathas.

The Second Siege of Shivneri Fort was a military engagement between the Mughal Army and the Maratha Army in Shivneri Fort. The Mughals repulsed the Marathas who attempted to take the fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shivaji's Southern Campaign</span> Major battle between Bijapuri and Maratha Forces

Shivaji's Southern campaigns are also defined as Maratha invasion of Karnataka and Dakshina Digvijaya campaigns. Following his coronation as sovereign ruler, Shivaji faced a tumultuous period marked by the loss of his trusted advisor and mother, Jijabai, and escalating conflicts with neighboring powers.

References

  1. Farooqui, Salma Ahmed (2011). A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-eighteenth Century. Pearson Education India. p. 321. ISBN   978-81-317-3202-1.
  2. Shivaram Laxman Karandikar, The Rise and Fall of the Maratha Power Vol I, p. 177
  3. S. S. Shashi, Encyclopaedia Indica India-Pakistan-Bangladesh (Shivaji as Warrior and Administrator), p. 122
  4. The Cambridge History of India. S. Chand. 1963. p. 275.