Capture of Ahmedabad
| Capture of Ahmedabad | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Later Mughal-Maratha Wars | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Maratha Empire |
 Mughal Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Raghunath Rao Damaji Rao Gaekwad |
Jawanmard Khan  Kamal-ud- din Khan | ||||||||
In 1753, Damaji Rao Gaekwad returned with reinforcements and advanced on Ahmedabad, which was soon invested. Jawanmard Khan of the Gaikwar managed to enter but ultimately had to surrender with honors. The Marathas granted him an estate in north-west Gujarat, but it was later reclaimed. Raghunath Rao captured Ahmedabad in April 1753, then went to Sorath and extracted tribute from the Mughals. The Mughals surrendered after the Marathas confirmed the conditions he proposed.[1][2][3][4][5]
Background
[edit]In the interim, the Peshwa dispatched Vithal Shivdev to Gujarat to secure the districts held by Damaji, which constituted the Peshwa's share. Shortly thereafter, on 22 October, Raghunathrao Dada was also sent to Gujarat to complete the task, accompanied by Damaji's two sons, Khanderao and Sayaji. During this period, Ramchandra Basavant escaped from Lohgad, went to Songad in Gujarat, and began creating disturbances against the Peshwa.[1][2][3][5]
After several months of conflict, Damaji, realizing the futility of resisting the Peshwa's demands, agreed to the following terms on 30 March 1752 and was subsequently released with his family, allowing them to proceed to Gujarat:
1. Dabhade's claim to Gujarat was completely renounced; 2. Damaji Rao Gaekwad would be the sole Maratha representative in Gujarat with the title of Sena-Khas-Khel; 3. He ceded half the territory and agreed to share equally in any future conquests; 4. He consented to pay a fine of Rs. 15 lakhs to the Peshwa; and 5. He agreed to serve the Peshwa loyally with ten thousand troops whenever required.[1][2][3][5]
Tarabai later confirmed this agreement in writing. Thus, the issue of the Peshwa's claim to a half share in Gujarat, first raised in 1726, was resolved after twenty-five years. Damaji’s acknowledgment of the Peshwa's supreme authority in the Maratha State paralleled Raghoji Bhosle’s recognition in Nagpur and the acquiescence of Sindia, Holkar, and others in Malwa and Bundelkhand.[1][2][3][5]
Raghunath Rao, accompanied by the skilled diplomat Sakharam Bapu, executed the terms of the agreement in Gujarat, took possession of the Peshwa's share of the districts, and returned in May. Damaji Rao Gaekwad faithfully adhered to the terms and was warmly welcomed by the Peshwa during his visit to Poona on 23 June 1752. They then devised a plan to capture Ahmedabad, the capital of Gujarat, which was still under the Mughal representative’s control.[1][2][3][5]
The Peshwa quickly settled with Dabhade, who accepted the terms and reconciled with his fate. Uma Bai, Dabhade's wife, grew old and weary. The Peshwa brought her to Poona from Talegaon for treatment in September 1753, but she passed away on 28 November 1753. Her son, Yashvantrao, died the following year on 18 May 1754 near Miraj while returning from the Karnatak with the Peshwa. Yashvantrao’s son, Trimbakrao II, became the next Senapati, a position that had become largely symbolic. Trimbakrao II died near Verul in 1766. The descendants of the Dabhade Senapati continue to live at Talegaon, where they survive on the remnants of their ancestral estates.[1][2][3][5]
Battle
[edit]Damaji Rao Gaekwad and the Peshwa, having fully reconciled, undertook the task of conquering Ahmadabad, the capital of Gujarat. Appointed by the Peshwa, Raghunath Rao departed for Gujarat in January 1753. Upon joining forces with Damaji in Khandesh, he advanced directly to Ahmadabad and laid siege to the city. Despite the efforts of Jawan-mard Khan Babi and Kamal-ud-din Khan to defend it, they were ultimately overpowered. Ahmadabad surrendered to Raghunath Rao on 25 April 1753, along with the entire territory of Kathiawad, extending to Dwarka. The renowned Krishna shrine at Dwarka came under Maratha control and remains so to this day.[1][2][3][4][5]
However, the control of Ahmadabad was contested again. The Mussalman Nawabs of Palanpur and Cambay recaptured the city in early 1757. The Peshwa responded swiftly, and Ahmadabad was retaken on 11 October 1757. From then on, Ahmadabad remained under Maratha control, shared between the Peshwa and the Gaikwad, until it was seized by the British on 1 December 1817, during the Third Anglo-Maratha war.[1][2][3][4][5]
Reference
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.2. pp. 311–313.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bainers J.a (1870). History Of Gujrat Maratha Period 1757-1817. p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sinha N.c (1931). Rise Of The Peshwas. p. 276.
- ^ a b c Singhji, Virbhadra (1994). The Rajputs of Saurashtra. Popular Prakashan. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-7154-546-9.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Yagnik, Achyut (2011-02-02). Ahmedabad: From Royal city to Megacity. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-473-5.