17th-Century Mughal Artillery System

Timeline

1. 1651–1657Deccan Plateau front · Deccan PlateauFrom 1651 to 1657 the Mughal artillery (Topkhana) continuously participated in sieges and field battles on the Deccan Plateau. The empire maintained vast gunfoundries (karkhana) under the direction of the dedicated Mir-i-Atish (commander of artillery). Heavy siege guns were used to destroy the stone fortresses of the Deccan sultanates. Camel guns (zamburak) were widely deployed in fast assault forces for their mobility. Artillery technology of this period absorbed casting techniques brought by craftsmen from Portuguese India, with gradual improvements in barrel design.
2. 1658Samugarh battlefield · AgraAt the Battle of Samugarh on May 29, 1658, Dara Shikoh's imperial army held a numerical artillery advantage, but because the crown prince personally left his command position atop his elephant, the whole army mistakenly believed the commander had fallen and routed, causing the artillery positions to collapse. Aurangzeb's artillery, under the command of Mir Nawbat Khan, maintained discipline and effectively suppressed the enemy flank. This battle became a classic case study of Mughal artillery tactical employment and the consequences of command failure.
3. 1658–1660Delhi and military camps across North India · North IndiaAfter acceding to the throne Aurangzeb systematically reorganized the imperial artillery, replacing artillery commanders of rival factions and appointing trusted generals as Mir-i-Atish. He focused on expanding siege artillery for the Deccan conquest campaigns and continued to recruit gunfounders and gunners from Persia and Central Asia. By 1660 the artillery system had been restructured under the new imperial framework, laying the technical and organizational foundation for the southern campaigns of the following decades.