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Aurangabad is a medieval Indian town named after Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who established this town during his tenure as the Viceroy of the Deccan (Dakhin), a geographical region comprising parts of modern-day Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka.
Malik Ambar made it his capital and the men of his army raised their dwellings around it. Within a decade, Kharki became a populous and imposing city. Malik Ambar cherished strong love and ability for architecture. Aurangabad was Ambar's architectural achievement and creation. However, 1621, it was ravaged and burnt down by the imperial troops under Jahangir. Ambar the founder of the city was always referred to by harsh names by Emperor Jahangir. In his memoirs, he never mentions his name without prefixing epithets like wretch, cursed fellow, Habshi, Ambar Siyari, black Ambar, and Ambar Badakhtur. Malik Ambar died in 1626. [1] He was succeeded by his son Fateh Khan, who changed the name of Kharki to Fatehnagar. In the same year, the Moghal viceroy Khan Jahan Lodi, advanced on the city, but retired to Burhanpur on being bribed by the Nizam Shahi Commander, Hamid Khan. With the capture of Daulatabad Fort by the imperial troops in 1633, the Nizam Shahi dominions, including Fatehnagar, came under the possession of the Moghals. In 1653 when Prince Aurangzeb was appointed the viceroy of the Deccan for the second time, he made Fatehnagar his capital and called it Aurangabad. Aurangabad is sometimes referred to as Khujista Bunyad by the Chroniclers of Aurangzeb's reign.
In March 1666, accompanied by a body of 1,000 select troops, Shivaji arrived at Aurangabad on his way to Agra. Safshikan Khan, the governor of Aurangabad, treated him with scant respect. For this act, he was severely reprimanded by Jai Singh and made to pay a courtesy call on Chatrapati Shivaji. In 1668, the city nearly became a scene of a conflict between the imperial troops under Diler Khan, and those commanded by Prince Muazzam, the viceroy. In 1681, after plundering Burhanpur, the Marathas assembled in the neighbourhood of the Satara hills in order to attack Aurangabad. The plan was, however, abandoned on hearing of the arrival of the viceroy, Khan Jahan Bahadur. In the same year, Khan Jahan Bahadur erected a wall around Aurangabad to protect it against surprise attacks of the Marathas. It was done at the order of the Emperor, and cost rupees three lakhs. Two years later, the Emperor himself arrived at Aurangabad.
Bibi Ka Maqbara is a monument built in 1660 by Aurangzeb's son Azam Shah to his mother, Dilras Bano Begam. In 1692, he ordered a magnificent palace to be erected near the great reservoir to the north of the city - the ruins of which are now to be seen in the Killa Ark. A fortified wall was thrown round the suburb of Begampura in 1696 AD. Shortly after the death of Aurangzeb, the city of Aurangabad slipped from the hands of the Moghals. In 1720, Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah, a distinguished General of Aurangzeb with the intention of founding his own dynasty in the Deccan, arrived at Aurangabad. He paid a visit to Delhi in 1723, but returned in 1724 [ clarification needed ], defying the orders of Emperor Muhammad Shah. Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jah II transferred his capital from Aurangabad to Hyderabad in 1763.
The Emperor ordered Mubariz Khan, the Subhedar of the Deccan to oppose the Nizam. A battle was fought near Sakharkherda, subsequently called Fatehkherda, in which Murbariz Khan was defeated and killed. Raghoji, a young scion of the house of the Jadhavs of Sindkhed who fought on the side of the Moghals was also killed. Incensed at the support lent by the Jadhavs to Mubariz Khan, the Nizam despatched a posse of troops to Deulgaon to capture the Jadhav family. But being informed of the design the family escaped to Satara and sought asylum with Chhatrapati Shahu. At the intervention of Shahu the Jagir was restored back to the Jadhavs.
In 1853, Aurangabad was the scene of a conflict between the contingent troops and a body of Arab mercenaries (Chaush) belonging to Mansing Rav, the Raja of Devalgaon. The Arabs placed the Raja under restraint, and threatened his life because their pay was in arrears. Brigadier Mayne, commanding the station, being apprised of the situation, marched out in the first week of October, with the 5th regiment cavalry, 6th regiment infantry, and a battery of artillery to Jasvantpura, just outside the Roshangate, where the Arabs had posted themselves. After a stiff resistance, the Arabs were defeated and dispersed and the Raja was released. In the action that was fought the Contingent lost 15 killed and 40 were wounded. Among those killed was Lieut. Boswell, and among those wounded Lieut. Vaughan, and Captain Parker. Both of them succumbed to their wounds later.
The year 1857 was eventful in the history of Aurangabad with the rest of the country. The British moved the first cavalry from Mominabad (Ambejogai) to Aurangabad, in order to relieve 3rd cavalry which had marched to Malegaon, and was the first regiment to show signs of disaffection. The 2nd Infantry also came under suspicion. It was also feared that the people of the city might join hands with the troops. In order to prevent this, all the precautionary measures were taken and two companies of infantry were ordered to guard the bridge which spans the river Kham and separates the cantonment area from the spot where the cavalry was encamped. This precautionary measure on the part of the British alarmed the cavalry, and the men turning out without orders threw pickets in the direction of the cantonment. The authorities at Hyderabad were kept informed of the course of events by express. Upon this, a column of troops was ordered to march from Pune to Aurangabad. In the meanwhile, the artillery was also showing signs of rebellion, but the rumour of Bombay troops marching towards Aurangabad had a quieting effect. The men of the cavalry also returned to their posts. Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb had been for 20 years stay at Aurangabad. Aurangazeb has 4 wives one of his wife was from hindu community and people called her "Baiji" with respect and one big palace was constructed for her by Aurangazed and the are is called as Baijipura, thhe rruins of the walls can be seen in some places
The Pune force was under the command of General Woodburn, and consisted of three troops of, the 14th Hussars under Captain Gall, Captain Woodcombe's battery of European artillery, and the 24th Bombay infantry under Colonel Folliot. Upon his arrival, General Woodburn marched straight to the encampment of the 3rd Cavalry, and the disaffected regiment was ordered out to a dismounted parade. The rissaldar of the first troop was directed to call out the names of the revolutionaries, and commenced by giving the name of the senior jamadar, who ordered his men to load their carbines. By this time the General with his staff and the English officers were mixed up with the disaffected troops, and hence the guns could not be used to put down the latter. In the confusion that followed, some of the troopers broke away, ran to their horses and fled away. The guns were fired upon them and the Hussars were sent in pursuit; but several of them managed to escape. A dafadar of the cavalry, Mir Fida Ali by name, fired a shot at his commanding officer, Captain Abbott. For this act of his, he was tried by a drum-head court-martial and hanged. The court-martial continued its sittings, and 24 men were condemned, of whom 21 were shot and 3 blown away from guns. About two-thirds of the regiment which had remained quiet was marched to Edalabad and recruited to its full strength by men from the other three regiments of the cavalry. Subsequently, the third cavalry served throughout the campaign under Sir Hugh Rose.[ citation needed ]
Photographs taken by Lala Deen Dayal & others in the 19th century, sourced from the British Library, Views of HH the Nizam's Dominions, Hyderabad, Deccan.
Image: Sunil jadhav. jpg | Sunil jadhav at maula -e-Ark 1980s⟨⟩
Indeed, when Monsieur Thevenot visited Aurangabad it was not walled. Aurangzeb caused a wall to be built round the city in 1682, during the second viceroyalty of Khan Jahan, in order to protect it from the sporadic attacks of the Marathas. Begampura was similarly fortified in 1696. The city wall is terraced, and is of solid masonry. It is of no great height, at places not more than fourteen feet. The battlements are loopholed for musketry, and the merlins over the gateways and at certain places along the wall, are machicolated. Semicircular bastions surmounted by towers, occur at each flanking angle, and at regular intervals along the works. The total length of the wall is a little over six miles. The wall has not been able to survive the ravages of time and lies practically in rains. It was pierced with thirteen gateways, exclusive of a small postern wicket. The four principal gates faced the cardinal points and consisted of the Delhi gate on the north, the Jalna gate on the east, the Paithan gate on the south, and the Mecca gate on the west. Besides these, there were the Jaffar, Khirki, Barapul, Mahmud, Roshan, Khizi, Khadgar, Mada and Kumhar gates. The Barapul had also been walled up for some time; and at a distance of three-fourths of a mile from it, the city road runs through a large square stone gateway, called Barkul, ascribed to Malik Ambar. The town has spilt much beyond the fortifications.
Dr. Bradley in his 'Statistics of the City of Aurangabad' gives a picturesque description of the city and its environs as he viewed it from the tower upon the corner bastion at the north-east angle of the city wall: "Below is seen the town partly lying in the hollow and partly covering the high grounds rising all round, except towards the north-east and south-west, which is the direction of a valley where a perennial stream meanders. The buildings are neatly concealed in thick foliage, and were it not for a dome or minaret peering out here and there, the observer might imagine that he was gazing upon a forest. Beautiful clumps of mango and tamarind trees, upon the outskirts increase the illusion. Seldom is a more varied and beautiful landscape than is here presented; and the palms and minarets scattered about the town, confer a character peculiarly eastern upon the scenery. Looking westward beyond the city walls, the... cantonment is seen occupying a large space of ground. Further in the distance two or three isolated bills observed cutting the horizon. On the summit of one of them stands the remarkable fortress of Daulatabad; and behind it the bluff headland of the northern range fades way into misty indistinctness".
Bajirao I was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. He, after Shivaji, is considered to be the most charismatic and dynamic leader in Maratha history,and one of the greatest Military generals of his time. He was just twenty years old and already had a reputation for rapid decisions and a passion for military adventure.
Sambhaji, also known as Shambhuraje, was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, 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.
Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi also known as Chin Qilich Qamaruddin Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah and Nizam I, was the first Nizam of Hyderabad.
Aurangabad, officially known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district, Maharashtra and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the fifth-most populous urban area in Maharashtra after Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik with a population of 1,175,116. The city is known as a major production center of cotton textile and artistic silk fabrics. Several prominent educational institutions, including Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, are located in the city. The city is also a popular tourism hub, with tourist destinations like the Ajanta and Ellora caves lying on its outskirts, both of which have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1983. Other tourist attractions include the Aurangabad Caves, Devagiri Fort, Grishneshwar Temple, Jama Mosque, Bibi Ka Maqbara, Himayat Bagh, Panchakki and Salim Ali Lake. Historically, there were 52 Gates in Aurangabad, some of them extant, because of which Aurangabad is nicknamed as the "City of Gates". In 2019, the Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) became the first greenfield industrial smart city of India under the country's flagship Smart Cities Mission.
Berar Province, also known as the Hyderabad Assigned Districts, was a province of Hyderabad. After 1853, it was administered by the British, although the Nizam retained formal sovereignty over the province. Azam Jah, the eldest son of the 7th Nizam, held the title of Mirza-Baig ("Prince") of Berar.
Malik Ambar was a military leader and statesman who served as the Peshwa of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate and its de facto ruler from 1600 until his death in 1626.
Nashik district,(Marathi: [n̪ɑɕɪk]) formerly known as Nasik district, is a district in Maharashtra, India. The city of Nashik is the administrative headquarters of the district. Nashik is well known for the production of wine. Nashik is also known as Mini Maharashtra, because the climate and soil conditions of Surgana, Peth, Igatpuri resembles with Konkan. Niphad, Sinnar, Dindori, Baglan blocks are like Western Maharashtra and Yeola, Nandgaon, Chandwad blocks are like Vidarbha Region. Nashik is the biggest city in the district while Malegaon is the second biggest city. Manmad, Igatpuri, and Sinnar are some of the big cities situated in the Nashik District. Manmad is one of the biggest railway junctions in India while the city of Malegaon is famous for its powerloom.
The Deccan wars also known as Maratha war of independence, 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.
Khuldabad is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is known as the Valley of Saints, or the Abode of Eternity, because in the 14th century, several Sufi saints chose to reside here. The Bhadra Maruti Temple and Dargah of Zar Zari Zar Baksh, Shaikh Burhan ud-din Gharib Chisti and Shaikh Zain-ud-din Shirazi, along with the tomb of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his trusted General Asif Jah I, the first Nizam of Hyderabad, are located in this town. It is a holy and spiritual city of Islamic saints.
The Berar Subah was one of the Subahs (provinces) of the Mughal Empire, in Central India from 1596 to 1724. It bordered Golconda, Ahmandagar, Kandesh and Malwa provinces as well as the independent and tributary kingdoms to the east.
The Sultanate of Ahmednagar was a late medieval Indian Marathi Muslim kingdom located in the northwestern Deccan, between the sultanates of Gujarat and Bijapur, ruled by the Nizam Shahi dynasty. It was established when Malik Ahmed, the Bahmani governor of Junnar, after defeating the Bahmani army led by general Jahangir Khan on 28 May 1490, declared independence and established the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.
The Gates of Aurangabad distinguish it from several other medieval cities in India. Each of the 52 gates have a local history or had individuals linked with it.
Aurangabad Cantonment (Chawni), is a cantonment town in Aurangabad district in the state of Maharashtra, India.
Neher water system provided clean water for the people of Aurangabad and its suburbs. It was created by Malik Ambar who founded the town under the name Khadki and was later expanded by Aurangzeb to facilitate the military activity that became prevalent under Mughal rule during the 17th century.
The Jama Masjid is a mosque built in 1612 AD, located near the Killa Arrak in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. It is historically significant because it was constructed in 1612 AD, very soon after the foundation of Aurangabad by Malik Amber in 1610 AD. The mosque was later extended by Aurangzeb(R.H) in the year 1692 AD, it is one of the oldest mosques of Aurangabad which is still in good condition.
The Siege of Golconda was an eight-month military siege of the Golconda Fort. This siege was personally directed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb against the Golconda Sultanate, ruled by king Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. It was the second Mughal siege of the fort, following an aborted attempt by Aurangzeb in 1656 as a prince of emperor Shah Jahan. The event served as the climax of the Golconda Sultanate, which was annexed into the Mughal Empire as a result of the victory of the siege. The military confrontation was one of the final stages in the Mughal Empire's expansion southwards in the Indian subcontinent.
The Gujarat Subah was a province (subah) of the Mughal Empire, encompassing the Gujarat region. The region first fell under Mughal control in 1573, when the Mughal emperor Akbar defeated the Gujarat Sultanate under Muzaffar Shah III.
Khwaja Sabir, Nasiri Khan or Khan-i-Dauran was an Indian Muslim viceroy of the Deccan and one of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s leading sardars. He received the title "Khan Dauran" during the conquest of Daulatabad. He died in Lahore in 1645 from a knife wound from his own attendant, a Kashmiri Brahmin. He hald the rank of 7,000 horse.
The siege of Daulatabad (1633) was a conflict between the Mughal Empire and the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, wherein the fort-city of Daulatabad was besieged by a Mughal force for several months and successfully captured. The Bijapur Sultanate also participated in the conflict against the Mughals, sending a large army to the aid of the fort's garrison. The conflict took place after several Mughal victories securing other minor forts in Ahmadnagar control, but was distinguished by the political significance of Daulatabad to the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. This event marked Mughal victory in the ongoing war between the Mughals and the Ahmadnagar Sultanate; it ended the Nizam Shahi dynasty and concluded the Sultanate, marking another step in the Mughal advance over the Deccan region. The victory did not fully quell resistance to Mughal authority in the Western Deccan; a year later, Maratha commander Shahji Bhonsle attempted a bid for power using a puppet ruler of the Nizam Shahi house.