Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History / Aurangzeb's Deccan Campaigns: The Siege of Golconda
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about Aurangzeb's wars with the Marathas, but there's another major campaign that really stretched the empire thin—the siege of Golconda in 1687. It's one of those stories where you see Mughal military power at its peak, but also the seeds of overreach. Luna: Wait, Golconda—that's the fort near Hyderabad, right? The one with the legendary diamonds? Lucas: Exactly. Golconda was the capital of the Qutb Shahi sultanate, and it was fabulously wealthy because of the diamond mines in the region. The famous koh i noor diamond came from those mines. The fort itself was considered impregnable—high granite walls, a complex system of gates, and a sophisticated water supply. Lucas: Aurangzeb had already annexed Bijapur in 1686, and Golconda was the last major Deccan sultanate standing. The ruler, Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, was a poet and a patron of the arts, but he wasn't exactly a military leader. Aurangzeb demanded his submission, and when he refused, the Mughal army marched south. Luna: How big was the Mughal army? Lucas: Huge. Contemporary accounts mention around 100,000 men, including cavalry, infantry, and artillery. They set up camp around the fort in February 1687, and the siege dragged on for eight months. The defenders had plenty of food and water, so it wasn't going to be a quick victory. Lucas: The Mughals tried mining—digging tunnels under the walls to collapse them. But the Golconda engineers were skilled too. They dug counter-mines and flooded the tunnels. There were desperate hand-to-hand fights underground. Luna: So it sounds like a stalemate. Lucas: It was, until Aurangzeb got lucky. One of the Qutb Shahi generals, a man named Sharza Khan, decided to switch sides. He opened a gate—the gate near the royal palace—and let Mughal troops in on the night of September 21, 1687. The city fell, and Abul Hasan was captured and sent to prison in Daulatabad. Luna: Was Sharza Khan rewarded? Lucas: He was, but Aurangzeb never fully trusted him. The emperor knew that a traitor could betray anyone. More importantly, the capture of Golconda gave the Mughals control of the diamond mines and a huge boost in revenue. But it also meant the Mughals now had to administer a vast new territory, and that drained resources. Lucas: The koh i noor diamond was taken as part of the loot. It eventually passed into the hands of the Mughal emperors, and later ended up in British hands. But that's a story for another time. Luna: So was the siege worth it for Aurangzeb? Lucas: In the short term, yes. He eliminated the last independent sultanate in the Deccan and gained enormous wealth. But in the long term, it stretched the Mughal army thin and tied down resources that could have been used against the Marathas. Many historians argue that the Deccan campaign, including Golconda, was a strategic overreach that contributed to the decline of the empire. Luna: I remember from earlier episodes that Aurangzeb spent the last 25 years of his life in the Deccan. Lucas: Exactly. He never returned to the north. After Golconda, he got bogged down fighting the Marathas, who were far more elusive. The siege of Golconda shows both the strength and the weakness of Aurangzeb's approach—brilliant military tactics, but an inability to consolidate victories into lasting peace. Luna: It's fascinating how a single battle can have such ripple effects. Lucas: Absolutely. And the fort itself still stands today, a reminder of that pivotal moment in Indian history.