Shivaji's Southern Campaign

Shivaji's Southern Campaign
	Part of Maratha-Adil Shahi Wars
Date	June 1674 – 21 August 1678
Location	Karnatka,Tamil Nadu
Result	Maratha Empire Victory
Territorial; changes	Kopaul, Jinji, Thanjavur, Vellore Forts and Bijapur possessions between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers Annexed into Maratha Empire
Belligerents
Maratha Kingdom; Qutb Shahi dynasty	Bijapur Sultanate; Thanjavur Marathas; Madurai Nayak dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Shivaji; Anandrao; Hambirao Mohite; Dhanaji Jadhav; Abul Hasan Qutb Shah; Madanna and Akkanna; Mirza Muhammad Amin	Sikandar Adil Shah; Vyankoji Bhosale; Pathan Bahlol Khan; Khavas Khan X; Abdul Rahim Khan †; Husain Khan (POW) ; Sher Khan Lodi (POW) ; Ibrahim Khan (POW); Nasir Muhammad Khan ; Abdullah Khan Habshi ; Ambar Khan ; Randullah Khan ; Abdul Karim; François Martin (Pondicherry)
Strength
Maratha army; 40,000 Cavalry; 20,000 Infantry; Qutb Shahi army; 5,000	Unknown

Shivaji's Southern campaigns are also defined as Maratha invasion of Karnataka and Dakshina Digvijaya campaigns. Following his coronation as sovereign ruler, Shivaji faced a tumultuous period marked by the loss of his trusted advisor and mother, Jijabai, and escalating conflicts with neighboring powers.

Amidst personal grief, Shivaji displayed his resolve by launching a raid on Portuguese territories around Bassein in 1674, signaling his determination to assert Maratha authority in the region. Despite initial tensions, Shivaji's military prowess compelled the Portuguese to seek reconciliation, averting potential conflict. However, Shivaji's aspirations extended beyond territorial consolidation. Recognizing the strategic importance of the predominantly Hindu south, loosely held by Bijapur and Golconda, Shivaji formulated ambitious plans for expansion. His conquests in this region, marked by the capture of strategic forts like Kopbal, Vellore, and Jinji, significantly augmented his dominion and established a strong foothold in Southern India.

^ Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.1. p. 261. Shivaji's advance into the Karnatak was a great indirect blow ,to the Mughal Emperor's dreams of conquest. While Aurangzeb and Dilir Khan were planning finally to extinguish both Bijapur and Golkonda, Shivaji stepped in and practically seized the southernmost regions.
^ C A Kincaid. A History Of The Maratha People Vol.i. p. 278.
^ Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale (2011). Shivaji His Life and Times. p. 1030. The conquest of Karnataka, completed almost without bloodshed, was a triumph of Shivaji's grand strategy. Not only did it save the Maratha kingdom from complete extinction by the mighty waves of the Mughal invasion that rolled in from the north, but it also completely shattered them and laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire. It thus decided the fate of India in the next century.

[1] Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.1. p. 261. Shivaji's advance into the Karnatak was a great indirect blow ,to the Mughal Emperor's dreams of conquest. While Aurangzeb and Dilir Khan were planning finally to extinguish both Bijapur and Golkonda, Shivaji stepped in and practically seized the southernmost regions.

[2] C A Kincaid. A History Of The Maratha People Vol.i. p. 278.

[3] Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale (2011). Shivaji His Life and Times. p. 1030. The conquest of Karnataka, completed almost without bloodshed, was a triumph of Shivaji's grand strategy. Not only did it save the Maratha kingdom from complete extinction by the mighty waves of the Mughal invasion that rolled in from the north, but it also completely shattered them and laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire. It thus decided the fate of India in the next century.

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