Siege of Bidar
| Siege of Bidar | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mughal-Bijapur War 1657-1686 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Mughal Empire | Adil Shahi dynasty | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Aurangzeb | Sidi Marjan † | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
70,000 Sepoys 100 cannons 18,000 Matchlocks 1000 War elephants |
5000 Total 1000 cavalry 4000 infantry 40 Cannons | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 1300 | 2600 | ||||||||
Siege of Bidar, was a twenty-seven days long siege mounted by the Mughal Empire against Adil Shahi dynasty's garrison at Bidar patronized by Mohammed Adil Shah. The garrison was commanded by Sidi Marjan, who refused to surrender or defect.
Background
The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb initiated a policy of expanding the realms of the Mughal Empire into the Deccan region, but the Adil Shahi dynasty was an obstruction to this expansion.
Although the Adil Shahi dynasty had accepted vassal status during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, they feared Aurangzeb because he sought to eliminate them. In the year 1657 initiated his campaign to annex the mercantile city of Bidar, which was under the control of the wealthy Adil Shahi leader Mohammed Adil Shah.
Battle
In the year 1657, the Mughal Army successfully blockaded Bidar and began to discharge Rockets during the siege of Bidar, against Sidi Marjan and his forces consisting of 1000 cavalry and 4000 infantry.[1]
The Mughals forces are known to have flung grenades while scaling the walls. Sidi Marjan himself was mortally wounded after a rocket struck his large gunpowder depot causing a massive explosion eliminating most of the artillery batteries. After twenty-seven days of hard fighting Bidar was captured by the victorious Mughals.[1]
Aftermath
The effects of the siege had a melancholic effect upon Mohammed Adil Shah, who died a year later.
The wealthy city of Bidar became a part of the Mughal Empire and was famous for its textile craftsmen who produced fine carpets embroidered with fine pearls, these carpets were even sent to Mecca and Medina as official gifts by Aurangzeb.