Siege of Janjira (1682): Difference between revisions

{{short description|Battle in the Mughal-Maratha wars}}

{{refimprove|date=July 2020}}

| conflict          = Siege of Janjira (1682)

| commander1        = [[Sambhaji]]

 

[[Kondaji Farzand]] {{KIA}}

 

[[Maynak Bhandari]]

 

 

 

 

| casualties1       = Heavy

| strength2        = Unknown, estimated to be ~5000-7000 under Siddis of Janjira

 

| strength1        = 20,000

 

| units2           = Unknown under Siddis of Janjira,

 

| units1            = 20,000 army under Sambhaji,

| commander2       = [[Siddi Khairiyat]]

 

[[Siddi Kasim]]

 

[[Husain Ali Khan]]

| combatant2a      = [[Mughal Empire]]

| place            = [[Murud-Janjira]], [[Raigad district]], [[Maharashtra]]

| combatant2       = [[Siddis of Janjira]]

| combatant1       = [[Maratha Empire]]

| result            = Janjira fort heavily damaged, Marathas fail to capture Janjira fort

| territory        = No territorial changes

| coordinates      = 18.299589°N 72.964425°E

| date              = 1682

| partof            = [[Mughal-Maratha Wars]]

| casualties2      = Heavy

== Background ==

Mughal emperor [[Aurangzeb]] had arrived in the Deccan to conquer the [[Deccan Plateau]] in 1681. His first goal was to conquer the newly established [[Maratha Empire]] in Maharashtra. Aurangzeb wanted to encircle the Maratha Empire from all sides. He ordered his allies and enemies of Maratha Empire such as [[Siddis of Janjira]], [[Wadiyar dynasty|Wodeyars of Mysore]] and [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese of Goa]] to attack the Maratha Empire. The Siddis of Janjira responded and started plundering Maratha countryside from [[Pen, India|Pen]] to [[Roha]]. Siddis took many villagers as slaves and they were sold in the slave market of [[Mumbai]]. Siddis destroyed the crops, pulverized the region and raped women in these villages. The Siddis defeated and killed 80 Maratha soldiers in a battle at [[Underi]]. In addition Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj knew the strategic importance of Janjira, he had an ambition to capture it. Hence, Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj decided to capture Janjira personally.

== Plan of Marathas ==

Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had planned to win Janjira by ruse, he had sent a party in early 1681 under the leadership of senior Maratha General [[Kondaji Farzand]] under the pretext of a fake fight with Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Kondaji and his men told Siddi about their fight with Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and asked for a post in his army. Siddi Khairiyat was happy at the defection of Kondaji at his side. The Siddi brothers made Kondaji a sardar in their army. But actually Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had sent Kondaji and his men to light the ammunition storage on the fort in order to capture the fort.

== Siege of Janjira ==

Chattrapati [[Sambhaji]] Maharaj personally attacked Janjira in 1682. He had a 20,000 strong army, 300 ships of the Maratha navy and Maratha artillery assisting him. Maratha admirals Mainak Bhandari, Dariya Sarang and Daulat Khan were commanding the navy. Arab admiral Jange Khan was also helping the Marathas. Siddi forces in the Maratha territories retreated to Janjira fort after seeing such a large army. Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj recaptured the villages surrounding Janjira.

Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj then launched a fierce attack on Janjira. Maratha artillery started to damage the fort walls. The Siddis were also responding strongly with their artillery.

Meanwhile, on the Janjira fort, Kondaji and his men were looking for an opportunity to light the ammunition storage on the fort so as to allow Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to attack the fort using the ensuing panic on the fort.

300 ships of the Maratha navy were trying to attack the fort but the strong artillery of Siddis somehow managed to defend the fort. Both sides had suffered great losses and nobody was able to gain an upper hand. Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had maintained a constant pressure on Janjira and his artillery managed to inflict heavy damage to the fort walls. The siege continued for thirty days. Maratha Navy had blockaded Janjira from three sides cutting of any supplies to the fort. Maratha forces started constructing a bridge from shoreline to the fort. The bridge had started to take shape. Siddis were caught in a dire situation and were battling a severe food shortage. The Siddis realised that if the same situation continues for a few days then Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj will capture the fort in a matter of 4–5 days.  Hence they pleaded to [[Aurangzeb]] for help.

Aurangzeb was well aware of the strategic importance of Janjira. He immediately sent his General [[Husain Ali Khan]] to destroy [[Kalyan]] and [[Bhiwandi]] regions with a 35,000 strong force to divert Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's attack on Janjira. Husain Ali Khan destroyed Kalyan and Bhiwandi was threatening to attack Raigad, the Maratha Capital. Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had almost captured Janjira but he was forced to retreat from Janjira to check Husain Ali Khan's advance. In absence of Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj his naval commander Dadaji Raghunath Deshpande of Mahad took control of the siege. Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj later on defeated and pushed back Husain Ali Khan to Ahmadnagar but Janjira was saved due to his advance on Kalyan-Bhiwandi.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Robinson, Howard|first=James Thomson Shotwell|title=''Mogul Empire and the Marathas''. The Development of the British Empire.|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|year=1922|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref> Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was unable to capture the Janjira fort. Nevertheless, he was able to inflict heavy damage to fort. It was an important strategic victory for the Marathas as the Siddis stopped their activities in the Maratha territories and never ventured against the Marathas in Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's reign.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Shinde Sarkar|first=Ashok|title=Sahyadrichi Sinhagarjana Bhag - 1 Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj|publisher=|year=|isbn=|location=|pages=}}</ref>

== Aftermath ==

Siddis had suffered great losses in the siege. They got to know about the superior strength of the Marathas under Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. They decided not to venture out against the Marathas. In the next few years Aurangzeb repeatedly pleaded them to open a campaign against the Marathas but the Siddis were not ready to fight against the Marathas.

== See also ==

[[Mughal–Maratha Wars|Mughal-Maratha Wars]]

[[Murud-Janjira|Murud Janjira]]

== References  ==

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