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{{Short description|17th century siege in India}} | |||
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2015}} | {{Use Indian English|date=January 2015}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}} | ||
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}} | |||
{{Infobox military conflict | {{Infobox military conflict | ||
| conflict = Siege of Bijapur | | conflict = Siege of Bijapur | ||
| partof = | | partof = the Mughal–Bijapur Wars | ||
| image = Malik E Maidan.jpg | | image = Malik E Maidan.jpg | ||
| image_size = | | image_size = | ||
| caption = The | | caption = The "[[Malik-i-Maidan]]" cannon, stated to be the largest piece of cast bronze ordnance in the world, was employed in the defence of the city | ||
| | | date = {{start and end dates|1685|4|15|1686|9|12|df=yes}} {{nwr|({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=04|day1=15|year1=1685|month2=9|day2=12|year2=1686}})}}<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cousens|first=Henry|title=Bijapur and its Architectural Remains|publisher=|year=1916|isbn=|location=|pages=17}}</ref><ref name="y884">{{cite web | last = Lal | first = Muni | title=Aurangzeb| url=https://ia903200.us.archive.org/15/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.149369/2015.149369.Aurangzeb.pdf | page = 19 | access-date=2 August 2025}}</ref> | ||
| place = [[Bijapur Fort]] (now in [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Bijapur District]], [[Karnataka]]) | | place = [[Bijapur Fort]] (now in [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Bijapur District]], [[Karnataka]]) | ||
| result = Mughal | | result = Mughal victory | ||
| territory = | | territory = Mughal Empire annexes the [[Sultanate of Bijapur]] | ||
| combatant1 = [[Mughal Empire]] | | combatant1 = [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Mughal Empire]] | ||
| combatant2 = [[Adil Shahi Dynasty]] | | combatant2 = [[Bijapur Sultanate]] ([[Adil Shahi Dynasty]])<br />'''Supported by:'''<br />[[File:Flag of the Maratha Empire.svg|22px]] [[Maratha Kingdom]] | ||
| | | commander1 = [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Aurangzeb]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Azam Shah]]<br> [[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Bahadur Shah I|Shah Alam]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Diler Khan]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Ruhullah Khan]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Syed Mian]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] Qasim Khan<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] Khanzada Khan{{sfn|Lal|1988|p=260}}<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Kilich Khan]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Asad Khan (Mughal noble)|Asad Khan]]<br>[[File:Alam of the Mughal Empire.svg|25px]] [[Bahadur Khan Kokaltash]] | ||
| commander1 = [[Aurangzeb]]<br>[[Azam Shah]]<br>[[Bahadur Shah I|Shah Alam]]<br>Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang<br>[[Diler Khan]]<br>Ruhullah Khan<br>[[Syed Mian | |||
| commander2 = [[Sikandar Adil Shah]]<br>Sarza Khan<br>Pam Naik<br>Muiz-ud-Din<br>Sher Khan Lodi<br>Bahlul Khan<ref>{{harvnb|Kruijtzer|2009|p=183}}.</ref> | | commander2 = [[Sikandar Adil Shah]]<br>Sarza Khan<br>Pam Naik<br>Muiz-ud-Din<br>Sher Khan Lodi<br>Bahlul Khan<ref>{{harvnb|Kruijtzer|2009|p=183}}.</ref> | ||
| strength1 = 100,000–110,000 men<br> 250 [[cannon]]s<br> 22,000 [[Matchlock]]s<br> | |||
| strength1 = 100, | |||
| strength2 = 35,000 men<br> 120 [[cannon]]s<br>12,000 [[Matchlock]]s | | strength2 = 35,000 men<br> 120 [[cannon]]s<br>12,000 [[Matchlock]]s | ||
| casualties1 = 5,000 | | casualties1 = 5,000 | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''siege of Bijapur''' began in | The '''siege of Bijapur''' began in April 1685 and ended in September 1686 with a [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] victory. The siege began when [[Aurangzeb]] dispatched his son, [[Muhammad Azam Shah]], with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture [[Bijapur Fort]] and defeat [[Sikandar Adil Shah]], the then [[Sultanate of Bijapur|Sultan of Bijapur]], who had refused to be a vassal of the Mughal Empire. The siege of Bijapur was one of the longest military engagements of the Mughals, lasting more than 15 months, until Aurangzeb personally arrived to organise a victory. | ||
== | ==Background== | ||
[[File:F.3' Citadel of Bejapoor. Plan..jpg|thumb|320px|A map of Bijapur Fort.]] | {{Unreferenced section|date=September 2025}}[[File:F.3' Citadel of Bejapoor. Plan..jpg|thumb|320px|A map of Bijapur Fort.]] | ||
In 1637, the young | In 1637, the young prince Aurangzeb was the [[Viceroy of the Deccan]] under the reign of his father, the [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Shah Jahan]]. He led a 25,000-strong Mughal army and besieged [[Bijapur Fort]], protecting the capital of the [[Sultanate of Bijapur]], and its ruler [[Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur|Mohammed Adil Shah]]. The siege, however, was unsuccessful as the Adil Shahi dynasty sought peace with Shah Jahan, mainly through the cooperation of his son and Aurangzeb's brother [[Dara Shikoh]]. | ||
[[Ali Adil Shah II]] inherited a troubled kingdom. He had to face the onslaught of the [[ | [[Ali Adil Shah II]] inherited a troubled kingdom. He had to face the onslaught of the [[Marathi people|Marathas]], led by [[Shivaji]], who had fought and killed [[Afzal Khan (general)|Afzal Khan]], a capable commander of the [[Bijapur Sultanate]]. The leaderless troops of Bijapur were henceforth consequently routed by Shivaji's rebels. As a result, the sultanate was greatly weakened mainly due to the rebellious [[Maratha Kingdom]], led by Shivaji and his son [[Sambhaji]]. | ||
Sikandar Adil Shah | Sikandar Adil Shah, son of Ali, next ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur. He allied himself with [[Abul Hasan Qutb Shah]] and refused to become a vassal of the Mughal Empire. Angered by his refusal to submit to Mughal authority, Aurangzeb declared war on Bijapur. | ||
== | ==Siege== | ||
In 1685, Aurangzeb dispatched his son Muhammad Azam Shah alongside Ruhullah Khan the ''Mir | In 1685, Aurangzeb dispatched his son [[Muhammad Azam Shah]] alongside [[Ruhullah Khan]], the ''[[Mir Bakhshi]]'' (paymaster-general), with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort. The [[Mughal Army]] arrived at Bijapur in March 1685. Elite Mughal [[Sowar]]s led by [[Diler Khan]] and Qasim Khan began to surround and capture crucial positions around Bijapur Fort. After the encirclement was complete, Prince Muhammad Azam Shah initiated siege operations by positioning cannons around Bijapur Fort. | ||
Bijapur Fort, however, was well-defended by 30,000 men led by Sikandar Adil Shah and his commander Sarza Khan. Attacks by Mughal cannon batteries were repulsed by the large and heavy Bijapur cannons such as the famous "Malik-i-Maidan", which fired cannonballs 69 cm in diameter. Instead of capturing territories on open ground, the Mughals dug long trenches and carefully placed their artillery but made no further advancements. | Bijapur Fort, however, was well-defended by 30,000 men led by [[Sikandar Adil Shah]] and his commander Sarza Khan. Attacks by Mughal cannon batteries were repulsed by the large and heavy Bijapur cannons such as the famous "''[[Malik-i-Maidan]]''" (King of the Field), which fired cannonballs 69 cm in diameter. Instead of capturing territories on open ground, the Mughals dug long trenches and carefully placed their artillery but made no further advancements. | ||
The Mughals could not cross through the deep 10-ft | The Mughals could not cross through the deep 10-ft moat surrounding Bijapur Fort. Moreover, the 50-ft high 25-ft wide fine [[granite]] and [[limestone]] mortar walls were almost impossible to breach. The situation for the Mughals worsened when [[Maratha Army|Maratha forces]] led by Melgiri Pandit under [[Sambhaji|King Sambhaji]] had severed food, gunpowder and weapon supplies arriving from the Mughal garrison at [[Solapur]].{{sfn|Sarkar|1919|pp=264–265}} The Mughals were now struggling on both fronts and became overburdened by the ongoing siege against the Adil Shahi and the roving Maratha forces. Things worsened when a Bijapuri cannonball struck a Mughal gunpowder position causing a massive explosion into the trenches that killed 500 infantrymen. | ||
In response to their hardships, Aurangzeb sent his son [[Bahadur Shah I| | In response to their hardships, Aurangzeb sent his son [[Bahadur Shah I|Muazzam]] and his celebrated commander Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang.{{sfn|Lal|1988|p=287}} Unable to allow the collapse of the Mughal Army outside Bijapur Fort, the Mughal commander [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I]] led a massive expeditionary reinforcement force to alleviate the hardships of the [[Mughal Army]] and drive out the Maratha forces. Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang, a highly experienced Mughal commander positioned at the outpost of Rasulpur, routed a 6,000-strong infantry contingent led by Pam Naik intended to carry supplies to Bijapur Fort during a night attack.{{sfn|Roy|2011|p=37}} | ||
The Mughals regained control of supply routes leading to | The Mughals regained control of supply routes leading to Solapur, but no successful advances had been made into Bijapur Fort. The lengthy siege turned into a stalemate; therefore, Aurangzeb himself gathered a massive army in July 1686 and marched slowly towards Bijapur Fort. He finally arrived outside Bijapur Fort and established encampments beside Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang on 4 September 1686. Aurangzeb personally rode out, inspiring his army of almost 100,000 men to begin a full-scale assault. After eight days of intense fighting, the Mughals had successfully damaged the five gates of Bijapur Fort and collapsed substantial portions of the fortified walls, thus enabling them to breach the moat and conquer the city. They captured [[Sikandar Adil Shah]] who was bound in silver chains and presented before Aurangzeb. | ||
== | ==Aftermath== | ||
Sikandar Adil Shah had suffered many wounds and ultimately died | [[Sikandar Adil Shah]] had suffered many wounds and was imprisoned at [[Daulatabad Fort]] along with his ally [[Abul Hasan Qutb Shah]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehta |first=Jl |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TsMl0vSc0gC&dq=%22siege+of+bijapur%22&pg=PA531 |title=Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India |publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd |isbn=978-81-207-1015-3 |pages=532 |language=en}}</ref> He ultimately died in 1700 in Daulatabad Fort, and the Adil Shahi dynasty came to an end. [[Aurangzeb]] then appointed [[Syed Mian]] (father of the [[Sayyid brothers]]) as the first Mughal [[Subedar]] of [[Bijapur Subah|Bijapur]]. | ||
The Mughals had annexed and conquered a weakened Bijapur, but their control of the region began to weaken after the death of [[Bahadur Shah I]] in 1712. The [[Nawab]]s in the region declared their independence after a few decades. Eventually, after 1753, the Marathas occupied much of | The Mughals had annexed and conquered a weakened Bijapur, but their control of the region began to weaken after the death of [[Bahadur Shah I]] in 1712. The [[Nawab]]s in the region declared their independence after a few decades. Eventually, after 1753, the Marathas occupied much of the former Bijapuri territories. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
*[[Mughal weapons]] | *[[Mughal weapons]] | ||
== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
* {{Cite book |last=Sarkar |first=Jadunath (Sir) |url=https://archive.org/stream/studiesinmughali00sarkuoft#page/30/mode/2up |title=Studies in Mughal India |date=1919 |publisher=Calcutta M.C. Sarkar |access-date=20 May 2015}} | |||
*{{ | |||
==Bibliography== | |||
{{refbegin}} | |||
*{{citation |last=Kruijtzer |first=Gijs |year=2009 |title=Xenophobia in Seventeenth-century India |publisher=Leiden University Press |isbn=978-90-8728-068-0 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=yTTJa0usl80C&pg=PA183 183]}} | *{{citation |last=Kruijtzer |first=Gijs |year=2009 |title=Xenophobia in Seventeenth-century India |publisher=Leiden University Press |isbn=978-90-8728-068-0 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=yTTJa0usl80C&pg=PA183 183]}} | ||
*{{citation |last=Lal |first=Muni |date=1988 |title=Aurangzeb |publisher=Vikas Pub. House |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=sTZuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA260 260], 287}} | *{{citation |last=Lal |first=Muni |date=1988 |title=Aurangzeb |publisher=Vikas Pub. House |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=sTZuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA260 260], 287}} | ||
*{{citation |last=Roy |first=Kaushik |date=2011|title=War, Culture and Society in Early Modern South Asia, | *{{citation |last=Roy |first=Kaushik |date=2011|title=War, Culture and Society in Early Modern South Asia, 1740–1849 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-136-79087-4 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=zp0FbTniNaYC&pg=PA37 37]}} | ||
{{refend}} | |||
{{Mughal Empire|state=expanded}} | {{Mughal Empire|state=expanded}} | ||
| Line 67: | Line 69: | ||
{{coord missing|Karnataka}} | {{coord missing|Karnataka}} | ||
[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Bijapur]] | [[Category:Battles involving the Sultanate of Bijapur]] | ||
[[Category:Sieges involving the Mughal Empire|Bijapur]] | |||
[[Category:Conflicts in 1685|Bijapur]] | [[Category:Conflicts in 1685|Bijapur]] | ||
[[Category:Conflicts in 1686|Bijapur]] | [[Category:Conflicts in 1686|Bijapur]] | ||
[[Category:1680s in India]] | [[Category:1680s in India]] | ||
[[Category:1686 in India]] | |||
Latest revision as of 23:48, 16 February 2026
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2024) |
| Siege of Bijapur | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Mughal–Bijapur Wars | |||||||||
 The "Malik-i-Maidan" cannon, stated to be the largest piece of cast bronze ordnance in the world, was employed in the defence of the city | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mughal Empire |
Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahi Dynasty) Supported by:  Maratha Kingdom | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Aurangzeb Azam Shah Shah Alam Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang Diler Khan Ruhullah Khan Syed Mian Qasim Khan Khanzada Khan[3] Kilich Khan Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I Asad Khan Bahadur Khan Kokaltash |
Sikandar Adil Shah Sarza Khan Pam Naik Muiz-ud-Din Sher Khan Lodi Bahlul Khan[4] | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
100,000–110,000 men 250 cannons 22,000 Matchlocks |
35,000 men 120 cannons 12,000 Matchlocks | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 5,000 | 12,000[citation needed] | ||||||||
The siege of Bijapur began in April 1685 and ended in September 1686 with a Mughal victory. The siege began when Aurangzeb dispatched his son, Muhammad Azam Shah, with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah, the then Sultan of Bijapur, who had refused to be a vassal of the Mughal Empire. The siege of Bijapur was one of the longest military engagements of the Mughals, lasting more than 15 months, until Aurangzeb personally arrived to organise a victory.
Background[edit | edit source]
| This section does not cite any sources. (September 2025) |
In 1637, the young prince Aurangzeb was the Viceroy of the Deccan under the reign of his father, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He led a 25,000-strong Mughal army and besieged Bijapur Fort, protecting the capital of the Sultanate of Bijapur, and its ruler Mohammed Adil Shah. The siege, however, was unsuccessful as the Adil Shahi dynasty sought peace with Shah Jahan, mainly through the cooperation of his son and Aurangzeb's brother Dara Shikoh.
Ali Adil Shah II inherited a troubled kingdom. He had to face the onslaught of the Marathas, led by Shivaji, who had fought and killed Afzal Khan, a capable commander of the Bijapur Sultanate. The leaderless troops of Bijapur were henceforth consequently routed by Shivaji's rebels. As a result, the sultanate was greatly weakened mainly due to the rebellious Maratha Kingdom, led by Shivaji and his son Sambhaji.
Sikandar Adil Shah, son of Ali, next ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur. He allied himself with Abul Hasan Qutb Shah and refused to become a vassal of the Mughal Empire. Angered by his refusal to submit to Mughal authority, Aurangzeb declared war on Bijapur.
Siege[edit | edit source]
In 1685, Aurangzeb dispatched his son Muhammad Azam Shah alongside Ruhullah Khan, the Mir Bakhshi (paymaster-general), with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort. The Mughal Army arrived at Bijapur in March 1685. Elite Mughal Sowars led by Diler Khan and Qasim Khan began to surround and capture crucial positions around Bijapur Fort. After the encirclement was complete, Prince Muhammad Azam Shah initiated siege operations by positioning cannons around Bijapur Fort.
Bijapur Fort, however, was well-defended by 30,000 men led by Sikandar Adil Shah and his commander Sarza Khan. Attacks by Mughal cannon batteries were repulsed by the large and heavy Bijapur cannons such as the famous "Malik-i-Maidan" (King of the Field), which fired cannonballs 69 cm in diameter. Instead of capturing territories on open ground, the Mughals dug long trenches and carefully placed their artillery but made no further advancements.
The Mughals could not cross through the deep 10-ft moat surrounding Bijapur Fort. Moreover, the 50-ft high 25-ft wide fine granite and limestone mortar walls were almost impossible to breach. The situation for the Mughals worsened when Maratha forces led by Melgiri Pandit under King Sambhaji had severed food, gunpowder and weapon supplies arriving from the Mughal garrison at Solapur.[5] The Mughals were now struggling on both fronts and became overburdened by the ongoing siege against the Adil Shahi and the roving Maratha forces. Things worsened when a Bijapuri cannonball struck a Mughal gunpowder position causing a massive explosion into the trenches that killed 500 infantrymen.
In response to their hardships, Aurangzeb sent his son Muazzam and his celebrated commander Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang.[6] Unable to allow the collapse of the Mughal Army outside Bijapur Fort, the Mughal commander Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I led a massive expeditionary reinforcement force to alleviate the hardships of the Mughal Army and drive out the Maratha forces. Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang, a highly experienced Mughal commander positioned at the outpost of Rasulpur, routed a 6,000-strong infantry contingent led by Pam Naik intended to carry supplies to Bijapur Fort during a night attack.[7]
The Mughals regained control of supply routes leading to Solapur, but no successful advances had been made into Bijapur Fort. The lengthy siege turned into a stalemate; therefore, Aurangzeb himself gathered a massive army in July 1686 and marched slowly towards Bijapur Fort. He finally arrived outside Bijapur Fort and established encampments beside Abdullah Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang on 4 September 1686. Aurangzeb personally rode out, inspiring his army of almost 100,000 men to begin a full-scale assault. After eight days of intense fighting, the Mughals had successfully damaged the five gates of Bijapur Fort and collapsed substantial portions of the fortified walls, thus enabling them to breach the moat and conquer the city. They captured Sikandar Adil Shah who was bound in silver chains and presented before Aurangzeb.
Aftermath[edit | edit source]
Sikandar Adil Shah had suffered many wounds and was imprisoned at Daulatabad Fort along with his ally Abul Hasan Qutb Shah.[8] He ultimately died in 1700 in Daulatabad Fort, and the Adil Shahi dynasty came to an end. Aurangzeb then appointed Syed Mian (father of the Sayyid brothers) as the first Mughal Subedar of Bijapur.
The Mughals had annexed and conquered a weakened Bijapur, but their control of the region began to weaken after the death of Bahadur Shah I in 1712. The Nawabs in the region declared their independence after a few decades. Eventually, after 1753, the Marathas occupied much of the former Bijapuri territories.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Cousens, Henry (1916). Bijapur and its Architectural Remains. p. 17.
- ↑ Lal, Muni. "Aurangzeb" (PDF). p. 19. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
- ↑ Lal 1988, p. 260.
- ↑ Kruijtzer 2009, p. 183.
- ↑ Sarkar 1919, pp. 264–265.
- ↑ Lal 1988, p. 287.
- ↑ Roy 2011, p. 37.
- ↑ Mehta, Jl. Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 532. ISBN 978-81-207-1015-3.
- Sarkar, Jadunath (Sir) (1919). Studies in Mughal India. Calcutta M.C. Sarkar. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Kruijtzer, Gijs (2009), Xenophobia in Seventeenth-century India, Leiden University Press, p. 183, ISBN 978-90-8728-068-0
- Lal, Muni (1988), Aurangzeb, Vikas Pub. House, pp. 260, 287
- Roy, Kaushik (2011), War, Culture and Society in Early Modern South Asia, 1740–1849, Taylor & Francis, p. 37, ISBN 978-1-136-79087-4
