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Precursors to the Mughal Siege of Golconda (1680)

Type Event Region South Asia Time 1680

In 1680 Aurangzeb's Deccan strategy entered a new phase: after Shivaji's death in April, the Maratha threat eased, and Aurangzeb turned on the still-…

Timeline

  1. 1680Raigad · MaharashtraAfter Shivaji died of illness in April 1680, the Marathas fell into succession disputes, reducing the threat to the Mughal southern front. Aurangzeb judged the moment ripe and shifted the main forces and political resources from 'annihilating the Marathas' to 'annexing the Deccan sultanates,' with Golconda, owing to its wealth and strategic position, becoming the primary target.
  2. 1680Golconda · TelanganaThe Mughals demanded territorial cessions and hostages, citing Sultan Abul Hasan's 'toleration of the Marathas and arrears of tribute.' The Golconda court split between peace and resistance factions, and the Sultan adopted a strategy of delay. The Mughals reinforced the Telangana frontier and cut off trade routes; small-scale clashes and encirclement appeared during 1680, but the final siege was not launched.
  3. 1680Aurangabad · MaharashtraBy the end of 1680, the Mughals had completed the concentration of artillery and baggage along the Aurangabad–Golconda line, while simultaneously pressuring Bijapur. Although the diplomatic-military combination of 1680 did not immediately take the Golconda fortress, it fixed the timetable for the sultanate's extinction; after 1681 Aurangzeb campaigned personally in the Deccan, and the siege of Hyderabad in 1686–1687 followed.

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