Latest / Aurangzeb: The Emperor Who Expanded and Broke the Mughal Empire — Fexingo History / Aurangzeb's Secret Treaty with the Marathas That Never Was
Transcript
- Lucas: We've talked a lot about Aurangzeb's endless Deccan campaigns, but one moment that often gets glossed over is the Treaty of Purandar in 1665. It was a turning point — a deal that could have changed everything, if Aurangzeb had actually meant to keep it. Luna: The treaty with Shivaji, right? Lucas: Exactly. After the disaster of Shaista Khan's governorship in the Deccan — you remember how Shivaji raided Surat in 1664 while the governor was busy in his harem — Aurangzeb needed a new strategy. He sent his best Rajput general, Mirza Raja Jai Singh I, to crush Shivaji once and for all. Luna: Jai Singh was the same guy who helped Aurangzeb during the war of succession, right? Lucas: The very same. He had a reputation as a brilliant diplomat and soldier. In early 1665, Jai Singh marched into the Deccan with a massive army, and he didn't go straight for Shivaji's main stronghold at Raigad. Instead, he laid siege to Purandar — a fort that was both strategically vital and symbolically important to the Marathas. Lucas: The siege lasted from March to June. Jai Singh's forces cut off supplies, bombarded the walls, and finally breached them. Shivaji's commander inside, Murar Baji Prabhu, died defending the fort. By the end, Shivaji knew he couldn't hold out forever. Luna: So what were the terms of the treaty? Lucas: It was signed on June 11, 1665. Shivaji agreed to surrender 23 of his 35 forts — that's about two-thirds of his territory — and pay a war indemnity of 400,000 rupees. In return, he was granted the title of a Mughal noble, the rank of panj hazari, or commander of 5,000. He also agreed to serve in Mughal campaigns, specifically against the Sultanate of Bijapur. Lucas: But here's the key part: Shivaji himself was to visit the Mughal court in Agra to formally pay homage to Aurangzeb. Jai Singh guaranteed his safety. That visit in 1666 is one of the most dramatic moments in Mughal history. Luna: Did Aurangzeb actually plan to honour the treaty? Lucas: That's the question. Jai Singh genuinely believed in the deal. He wrote to Aurangzeb, urging him to treat Shivaji with honour — arguing that a loyal vassal in the Deccan was worth more than a defeated enemy. But Aurangzeb had other ideas. When Shivaji arrived in Agra, the emperor assigned him a rank far below what was promised, and even had him put under house arrest. Lucas: Shivaji managed to escape — famously hiding in a basket of sweets, according to legend — and fled back to the Deccan. The treaty was dead. Within a few years, Shivaji crowned himself Chhatrapati, formally establishing the Maratha kingdom. Luna: So Aurangzeb's own double-dealing created his worst enemy. Lucas: Precisely. If he had kept his word, the Maratha rebellion might never have become the existential threat it did. Jai Singh was furious. He felt his honour was betrayed — he had given his personal guarantee to Shivaji. After that, Jai Singh's influence waned, and he died a few years later, some say of a broken heart. Lucas: The treaty itself is a fascinating document. It's recorded in several sources, including Jai Singh's own letters and the maasir i alamgiri. It shows the careful balance of power in the Deccan — the Mughals couldn't defeat the Marathas outright, and the Marathas couldn't defeat the Mughals. Diplomacy was the only real option, but Aurangzeb chose humiliation instead. Luna: What about the forts? Did Shivaji actually hand them over? Lucas: He did — initially. But after the Agra fiasco, his forces recaptured many of them. The Mughals never really held the Deccan firmly. And the Treaty of Purandar became a symbol of Mughal treachery, used for decades to rally Maratha resistance. Lucas: In the end, the treaty was a missed opportunity — a moment when the Mughal Empire could have secured the Deccan through alliance rather than endless war. But Aurangzeb's rigidity and suspicion won out, and the result was a conflict that bled the empire dry for the next 40 years. Luna: It's amazing how one decision can change the course of history. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's a reminder that Aurangzeb's greatest failures weren't on the battlefield — they were in the council chamber, where he couldn't see the value of a loyal ally.