Battle of Khajwa: After defeating Dara Shikoh, Aurangzeb Imprisoned his brother Murad at Gwalior Fort and his father in Agra. He coronated himself Emperor, his brother Shah Shuja also declared himself Emperor of Mughal Empire in Bengal.
ANewly coronated Emperors had no choice but to fight to establish his rule. Military mights have decided successors throughout Indian history. Ashoka, Akbar and their father Shahjahan fought siblings to reach the crown.
Aurangzeb gathered an army of 90,000 men and even allied his former Hindu enemies such as Jaswant Singh and his Hindu Rajput followers into his army although they fought against him during the Battle of Dharmat in support of Dara Shikoh.
Book Review: Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals (1526-1748) by Satish Chandra (Part Two)
Both armies gathered near Khajwa. Jaswant Singh, an enemy, than an ally took opportunity to harm Aurangzeb and led a revolt of Hindu Rajput. They looted and set ablaze the weapons and killed many troops of Aurangzeb and tried to escape. To stop the situation getting worse he dispatched his elite Zamburak and light cavalry to chase the fleeing forces of Jaswant Singh.
Treacherous, Aurangzeb felt; this would be the second occasion when Aurangzeb would forgive Jaswant Singh. Fighting internal and external enemy would creat more difficulties for new Emperor.
Battle of Khajwa
Shah Shuja witnessed the chaos caused by the Hindu Rajputs but did not lead any surprise attack against his younger brother Aurangzeb.
Shah Shuja was confident that his European weapons and European gunners will defeat army of Aurangzeb. His army of 25,000 were commanded by his sons; Buland Akhtar, Sultan Bang and Zainul Abedin. However his greatest assets were his 10,000 war elephants.
Aurangzeb had 90,000 men in his army, commanded by experienced commander Mir Jumla; and Islam Khan lead the elite cavalry.
Due to Hindu Rajput Mutiny, Muslim Rajput were demoralised. Aurangzeb decided to divide his forces in to two, main in front and reserve behind led by Kilich Khan Bahadur and Shaista Khan.
Army of Shah Shuja did not manage to stand in front of Aurangzeb’s massive army although technologically they were more advance but tactically He was much dwarf then his younger brother Aurangzeb. Shah Shuja lost the battle and left for Bengal and later Arakan.
The Hindu rulers of Koch Bihar and the Ahoms began to annex rich Mughal territories. Aurangzeb dispatched the highly experienced Mir Jumla II to chase his brother Shah Shuja.
Later Shaista Khan would become the governor of Bengal. He will be much harsher with Portuguese traders than his predecessors.
Aurangzeb would allow him to prepare a sea fleet and his harsh policy against Europeans would lead to the ‘Child’s war’ between Europeans and Indian rulers, the first strong defiance by any Indian rulers against the European aggressors. It will take almost half a century for European powers to occupy India.
