Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 30 26-05-2017 11:51:20 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 31 26-05-2017 11:51:20 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 32 26-05-2017 11:51:20 Challenging Destiny The system roughly worked like this: •Mostly a Muslim. •Had hereditary rights over the kingdom. The Shah or King •Mostly a Muslim. •He was paid by and appointed by the king to look a er a subha or a province and keep an eye on the region's Subhedar or Jagirdars and Watandars. Viceroy •He had no hereditary rights over his post. •He was either a Hindu or a Muslim, a trustee of the estate (jagir) that actually belonged to the king. •Instead of a salary he was given the right over the land revenue from the region that fell in his jagir. With those funds he was to maintain a conngent of horsemen for Jagirdar or the his king as well as use some of the money for his personal expenses. fief •He had no hereditary rights over the estates the king bestowed upon them. •They were mostly Hindus, sons-of-the-soil. •They were supposed to encourage the culvators, collected revenue, levies, and taxes from their region for the king. •Large pieces of tax-free lands were given to them as inams (gi s) and at mes, some share of the Watandar or the government revenue also went to them generaon a er revenue collector generaon. •Were either a Pal (head of a village) or Deshmukh (head of a region). Fig. 1. The Mughals’ Watandari System 36 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 36 26-05-2017 11:51:32 Challenging Destiny Army Strengths (1650) 300000 250000 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 50000 3000 0 Mughal ArmyAdilshahi ArmyShivaji's Force Fig. 2. Comparing Army Strengths of the three forces in 1650 The development of the Bhosalejagir under Shivaji, especially repairing, restoring and manning of the hill-forts, had become a bone of contention for Mohammad Adil Shah, the king of Adilshahi kingdom. He asked Shahaji Bhosale for an explanation, Shahaji gave a valid reason that the forts were in ruins and his son simply restored them to prevent further damage and bring in some kind of order. He (Shahaji), nonetheless, sent warning letters to Dadaji Kondadeo, as well as Shivaji, asking for justification. Dadaji replied that Shivaji was not listening to him and that was that. Shivaji had other ideas germinating in his mind and had already started discussing his dream with his friends from Maval. Shahaji even asked for a part of the revenue his jagir was generating to maintain his horsemen to defend the Adilshahi but Shivaji had declared that what was produced was meagre and not enough. Something else was happening in the valley of Javali, southeast of the Bhosale jagir. The valley belonged to the Wai province of the Adilshahi and in the 16th century, it was granted to a Maratha family surnamed Morey, as jagir. The then king of the Adilshahi kingdom, Ibrahim Adil Shah had bestowed the 70 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 70 26-05-2017 11:51:45 Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran Map 1. The Mughal Empire in 1650, of which Shahaji’s Pune jagir was a part 73 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 73 26-05-2017 11:51:46 Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran Considering the large number of mansabdars14, 80% of the imperial terrain was assigned in jagirs, the remaining 20% was called khalisa, whose revenue went directly to the Emperor for his pleasure. Division of land in the Mughal Empire 20 Territory Assigned as jagirs Khalisa (best of the land, directly under the 80 Emperor) Fig. 3. Coming back to the mansabdars under Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan added insult to injury by announcing that all mansabdars in the Deccan must maintain the expected number of horsemen and ordered branding of the horses (with the mansabdar’s name) to make sure of the numbers. The emperor did not stop at that, he also 14 Some of the high-ranking mansabdars had a huge number of horsemen under them. The mansabdars had ranks and there were 28 dhat ranks – from 10 to 7000. mansabdars holding more than 1000 dhats were called Omrahs or Amirs. The high and mighty of the era, including Mughal princes fell into this category. The next number is sawar or horsemen – but these numbers were for official papers. For example, if a mansabdar held a rank of 1000 dhats/1000 sawars, the actual number of horsemen he kept was less than half or even lesser (the actual figure was mentioned as du aspa sih aspa). There was no distinction between the military and civil mansabdars; only civil mansabdars (like medics, accountants, and palace administrators) had more dhats and less sawars. The seniority was liked to the dhat figure, and an accountant holding a 1000 dhat and just 10 sawars was considered equal to military mansabdars holding 1000 dhats and 1000 sawars. Mansabdars were paid separately for the dhat and for the sawars; the dhat figure was their personal salary and the sawar figure was to maintain the horsemen and horses in his contingent. 85 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 85 26-05-2017 11:52:00 Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran Map 2. Major towns, ports and ghats of the 17th century 115 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 115 26-05-2017 11:52:01 Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran in places like Rajapur (English and French), Malwan (English), and Vengurla (Dutch). Mumbai too became an important port in later years by default, after the decline of Surat. Map 3. Portuguese Forts and European Factories along the Konkan and Gujarat coast At this point, Shivaji must have contemplated: there was a chance to earn legitimate funds as well as help the Marathas of Konkan 121 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 121 26-05-2017 11:52:02 Challenging Destiny Aurangzeb had placed Murad Baksh and his army behind the left artillery unit. Fig. 4. Aurangzeb and Dara Shukoh’s battle formations 130 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 130 26-05-2017 11:52:02 Challenging Destiny the meeting place. The other way was cunningly blocked by the Marathas (the northeast, from Kumbroshi village) by felling trees. Son Par village was surrounded by natural knolls that ran along the slopes. Between the knolls, there were ravines like natural trenches. The Maratha infantrymen would hide in the ravines that surround the shamiana, waiting in ambush. The host (a scared Shivaji) and his mighty guest (an invincible Afzal Khan) were allowed to take ten armed bodyguards who would wait at an arrow’s distance from Fig. 5. Understanding Pratapgad’s location and geographical importance and geographical location Pratapgad’s Understanding 5. Fig. 146 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 146 26-05-2017 11:52:03 Fig. 6. The Afzal Khan incident at Pratapgad 6. Fig. Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 151 26-05-2017 11:52:06 Challenging Destiny Map 4. Shivaji’s escape from Panhala to Vishalgad from escape to Panhala Shivaji’s 4. Map 164 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 164 26-05-2017 11:52:07 Challenging Destiny Fig. 7. Understanding the land-fort of Chakan conquests and thought of getting hold of the Nizamshahi Konkan for the following reasons: 1) Easier than capturing any of nearby hill-forts (even the land fort had proved so tough) 2) It would weaken the Marathas and stop their naval activities 3) Nizamshahi Konkan rightfully belonged to the Mughals Shaista Khan had a plan: he would make Kartalab Khan, a Mughal mansabdar from Uzbekistan, the general of this expedition. However, 166 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 166 26-05-2017 11:52:08 Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran Fig. 8. ‘Operation Shaista Khan’ at Lal Mahal Khan’ Shaista ‘Operation 8. Fig. 175 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 175 26-05-2017 11:52:09 Challenging Destiny Operation Operation Neptune Spear Operation Shaista Khan Surprise attack on Osama Surprise attack on Shaista Bin Laden by invading his Khan by invading his residence and killing him at residence and killing him night at night Date of the 1& 2 May 2011 5 & 6 April 1663 Operation Ordered By United States President Raja Shivaji Bhosale Barack Obama Executed by A team of United States Select force from Maratha Navy SEALs (United States Infantry and Cavalry – Naval Special Warfare Shivaji led the operation Development Group) Place Bilal, a suburb of Pune, the heart of Shivaji’s Abbottabad; a city about jagir. About 150 kilometres 50 kilometres from away from Mumbai. Islamabad (capital of Pakistan). Ground Zero The compound was Lal Mahal – Shivaji’s reportedly a large million- residence, which was dollar property, built occupied by Shaista Khan about 5 years prior to and his large family. At the the operation, and was time of the attack the house believed to have been made was guarded by armed specifically for Osama Bin sentinels 24x7. It was in Laden. Equipped with the midst of the Mughal 12-18 foot tall and thick military camp spread across walls topped with barbed kilometres of flatlands at wire, multiple interior walls, the southern side of Lal additional privacy walls, and Mahal. There were several 2 security gates. The location gates to enter the camp. of the compound was near Many people from different or within the jurisdiction of ethnicities, religions, Abbottabad Cantonment, castes and creed were controlled by the Pakistan under the Mughal banner, military. Abyssinians, Afghans, Rajputs, Persians, Uzbeks, and local Marathas. 176 Rev 9_Challenging Destiny_26-05-2017.indd 176 26-05-2017 11:52:09 Medha Deshmukh Bhaskaran Operation Operation Neptune Spear Operation Shaista Khan Surveillance The compound used by Lal Mahal was under the Osama bin Laden was put surveillance of Shivaji’s spies under extensive surveillance (a military wing headed by CIA agents, which by Bahirji Naik) who had included the establishment infiltrated the camp perhaps of a nearby safe-house, for as masseurs or barbers.