Siege of Purandar

Siege of Purandar or Battle of Purandar was fought between the Maratha Kingdom under Shivaji and the invading Mughal forces under Jai Singh I. The siege was two months long and resulted in a Surrender by the Maratha leader Shivaji and was forced to submit his 23 conquered forts to Mughals.

 Background 
The failure of Shaista Khan and the plunder of Surat deeply humiliated Emperor Aurangzeb and his court. Determined to respond decisively, Aurangzeb decided to send his most capable Hindu and Muslim generals to the Deccan region.  On his birthday, September 30, 1664, the Emperor assigned Mirza Raja Jai Singh the critical task of suppressing Shivaji. Jai Singh was supported by a team of experienced commanders, including Diler Khan, Daud Khan Qureshi, Raja Rai Singh Sisodia, Ihtisham Khan Shaikh Zada, Qubad Khan, Raja Sujan Singh Bundela, Kirat Singh (Jai Singh’s son), and Mulla Yahia Nawaiyat (a former Bijapur noble who had joined the Mughals). This formidable force comprised over 14,000 cavalry.

 Preparations 
Jai Singh chose Saswad as his base because it was a good strategic location. Pune was strongly protected with a garrison, and an outpost was set up near Lohgarh to keep an eye on the fort, block supplies, and guard the road leading to the Mughal territory near Junnar. To weaken the Marathas, he organized a fast-moving force to raid villages hidden in the hills west and southwest of Saswad. On the eastern side, Jai Singh was safe because the land was difficult to cross, Saswad was close to the border between Shivaji's land and Bijapur, and the Mughals already had a post at Supa. This made sure his eastern side was well-defended. After arriving in Pune on March 3, Jai Singh focused on bringing the area under control and setting up key outposts, which he saw as crucial for the success of his mission. He sent Qutbuddin Khan with 7,000 cavalry to secure the region from Junnar in the north to the foothills of the Konkan near Lohgarh. Qutbuddin was instructed to establish a permanent outpost near Lohgarh with 3,000 soldiers, another near Fort Nar-durg (also called Dabhar) with a strong force, and more outposts along the routes commonly used by the enemy. He was also ordered to patrol and inspect the outposts regularly. Ihtisham Khan stayed in Pune with 4,000 cavalry to guard the city and its surroundings. A pass between Pune and Lohgarh, about 28 miles away, was heavily guarded with 2,000 cavalry. To the south, Sayyid Abdul Aziz was sent with 3,000 cavalry to hold the outpost at Shirwal and block reinforcements heading to Purandar. He was joined by local chiefs Baji Chandra Rao, Ambaji Govind Rao from Javli, and Mankoji Dhangar, who had allied with the Mughals. An outpost already existed at Supa, commanded by Sayyid Munawwar Khan of Barha, along with other Muslim and Hindu officers.

 The Siege 

 Positions 
Diler Khan, along with his nephews and Afghan troops, set up camp between Purandar and Rudramal, supported by Hari Bhan and Udai Bhan Gaur. Ahead of them were the artillery chief, Turktaz Khan, and the forces sent by Jai Singh. Near the north gate of Purandar, Kirat Singh, with 3,000 troops from Jai Singh's army and some mansabdars, built a fortified position. On the right side, trenches were occupied by Raja Narsingh Gaur, Karn Rathor, Jagat Singh of Narwar, and Sayyid Maqbul Alam. Behind Purandar, near its rear gate (khirfy), Daud Khan, Raja Rai Singh, Md. Salih Tarkhan, Ram Singh Hada, Sher Singh Rathor, and Raj Singh Gaur took positions. To the right of this group, Rasul Beg Rozbhani and his followers were stationed. Opposite Rudramal, Chaturbhuj Chauhan, with some of Diler Khan's men, dug in, while Mitrasen, Indraman Bundela, and other officers set up their positions further back. Jai Singh moved his camp from its previous location to the foot of the hill to be closer to the besieged fort. The soldiers set up their tents along the hillside. Every day, Jai Singh visited the trenches to motivate his men and oversee the progress of the siege.  Initially, his main focus was on hauling guns up the steep hill. It took three days to get a gun, named Abdullah Khan, to the top and position it in front of Rudramal. After another 3½ days, a second gun, named Fath Lashkar, was also placed there. A third gun, named Haheli, was on its way up the hill, though it was still struggling to reach the summit. The constant bombardment by the Mughals had destroyed the base of the enemy tower, and pioneers were sent to dig underneath it in an effort to weaken it further.

 Capture of Vajragadh 
At midday on April 13, Diler Khan's forces stormed the tower, driving the defenders into an enclosure behind it. Seven enemy soldiers were killed, and four were wounded. Jai Singh sent a group of his Rajputs to support Diler Khan.  The next day, the Mughal troops pressed on to the inner enclosure and attempted to capture it by scaling the walls. Overwhelmed by the Mughals' firepower, the garrison surrendered on the evening of April 14. They left the fort and were disarmed, but Jai Singh wisely allowed them to return home. This act of leniency was intended to encourage the defenders at Purandar to surrender without a prolonged fight. The brave leaders of the defence were honoured with robes of distinction by both Diler Khan and Jai Singh. However, the Mughals suffered in total 189 soldiers during the attack.

After capturing Vajragarh in mid-April, Diler Khan moved along the ridge connecting it to Purandar and began besieging the machi, or lower fort, of Purandar. His trenches advanced towards the Khand-kala tower at the north-eastern corner of the fort. Initially, the garrison tried to push back the attackers with sorties.  One night, they launched an attack on Kirat Singh, who was well-prepared and successfully repelled them with heavy losses. On another dark night, they attacked Rasul Beg Rozbhani’s trenches, catching him off guard. The garrison spiked the guns and wounded 15 of his men. However, reinforcements quickly arrived from nearby trenches, and the attackers were driven back with casualties. The next day, a fierce skirmish broke out as both sides tried to recover their dead, resulting in the loss of eight Mughal soldiers. Despite these clashes, Diler Khan maintained an unrelenting siege, his men working with such determination that "what would take a month elsewhere was done in a day" before Purandar.

 Purandar 
In May, the Mughal trenches reached the base of the two White Towers, which had been damaged by bombardment. The garrison fiercely resisted, throwing burning naphtha oil, gunpowder bombs, and heavy stones to stop the Mughals' advance. Jai Singh ordered a wooden platform to be built to mount guns and station marksmen. After two failed attempts, the third platform was completed and set up by Rup Singh Rathor and Giridhar Purohit just before sunset on May 30. Rajput marksmen climbed it to keep the enemy at bay. However, before the guns were ready, a group of Rohilla soldiers attacked the White Tower without orders. The defenders resisted fiercely, but Mughal reinforcements arrived, scaling the walls and engaging in close combat. Bhupat Singh Puar, a Rajput commander, was killed, along with several others. After a tough fight, the Marathas retreated behind the Black Tower, where they continued to attack the Mughals with bombs, rockets, and stones. Unable to advance further, Jai Singh secured the White Tower and the three bastions captured that day. Over the next two days, the wooden platform was completed, and cannons were mounted on it. The enemy, unable to counter this elevated firepower, abandoned the Black Tower and a nearby bastion, retreating to a stockade, which they also had to vacate soon after. By this point, the Mughals had captured five towers and a stockade in the lower fort. The fort of Purandar seemed doomed. Reinforcements, including heavy artillery, were on their way from the Emperor. The garrison, originally 2,000 strong, was vastly outnumbered and had suffered heavy losses after two months of relentless fighting. They had also lost their brave commander, Murar Baji Prabhu, early in the siege.

 Death of Murar Baji Prabhu 
Murar Baji, leading 700 of his best men, launched a daring attack on Diler Khan, who was advancing up the hill with 5,000 Afghan soldiers and additional troops. The Marathas charged fiercely, engaging in intense close combat. Murar Baji and his Mavales killed 500 Pathans and numerous Bahlia infantry. At the head of sixty determined followers, he broke through to Diler Khan’s camp. Surrounded by Mughal forces, his men were overwhelmed and killed. Undeterred, Murar Baji charged directly at Diler Khan. Impressed by his extraordinary bravery, Diler offered him a high position and his life if he surrendered. Murar Baji refused with disdain and prepared to strike, but Diler killed him with an arrow. Three hundred Mavales fell with their leader, while the rest retreated to the fort.

 Shivaji Surrenders 
After two months of constant pressure from Jai Singh, the fall of Purandar became sure. With heavy losses and five bastions in the lower fort captured, Shivaji saw that further resistance was pointless. Many families of Maratha officers were inside the fort, and its fall would mean imprisonment and dishonour for them. Meanwhile, the Mughal forces had damaged Shivaji’s territories, leaving him with few options. Shivaji had been secretly negotiating with Jai Singh, offering tribute and forts for peace. Yet, Jai Singh, confident in his advantage, rejected the offers as insufficient. After the Mughal victory on June 2 and the near fall of Purandar’s lower fort, Shivaji decided to personally negotiate new terms for peace. If these were refused, he planned to ally with Adil Shah by restoring Konkan and continue his fight against the Mughals. In late May, Shivaji sent his Chief Justice, Raghunath Ballal, to secretly determine Jai Singh’s terms. Jai Singh demanded Shivaji’s unconditional surrender, promising imperial mercy afterward. Shivaji then secured a solemn oath from Jai Singh, guaranteeing his safety and freedom to return home, regardless of the outcome of their negotiations.

 Treaty of Purandar 
On 12th June, as per the agreement, 7,000 people, including 4,000 fighters, left Purandar. The Mughals then took control of the fort, seizing all the stores, weapons, artillery, and other property inside. Mughal officers were also sent with Shivaji's men to oversee the surrender of five more forts by the Marathas. The Marathas surrender 23 forts including Purandar to the Mughal Empire after the treaty was signed.

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Category:17th century in India
Category:Maratha Empire
Category:Mughal Empire