2409:4072:E9E:FFD0:D3E:692B:1FC0:E07D at 17:14, 9 June 2021

2021-06-09T17:14:09Z

New page

{{Refimprove|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Khajuha
| partof = [[Mughal war of succession (1658-1659)]]
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| date = January 5, 1659
| place = Khajuha
| result = Victory of [[Aurangzeb]].
| territory = The newly crowned [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Aurangzeb]] gains absolute control of the eastern territories of the [[Mughal Empire]].
| combatant1 = Aurangzeb and supporters
| combatant2 = Shah Shuja and supporters
| commander1 = [[Aurangzeb]] [[Mir Jumla II]] Islam Khan [[Kilich Khan II|Kilich Khan Bahadur]] [[Shaista Khan]] Haji Shafi Isfahani Nur Beg Dur Beg Rustam Beg
| commander2 = [[Shah Shuja (Mughal)|Shah Shuja]] Buland Akhtar Sultan Bang Zainul Abedin
| strength1 = 90,000 120 [[cannon]]s 8,000 [[war elephant]]s
| strength2 = 25,000 110 [[cannon]]s 10,000 [[war elephant]]s
| casualties1 = 11,000
| casualties2 = 9,000
}}
The '''Battle of Khajuha''' was a battle fought on January 5, 1659, between the newly crowned [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Aurangzeb]] and [[Shah Shuja (Mughal)|Shah Shuja]] who also declared himself Mughal Emperor in [[Bengal]]. Shuja's army rested by the tank of Khajwa, about 30 miles to the west of Fatehpur-
Haswa in'the Allahabad District, between the Ganges and the Jumna.

==Background==
[[Aurangzeb]] had defeated his elder brother [[Dara Shikoh]] during the [[Battle of Samugarh]] and captured [[Agra]] and placed his frail father [[Shah Jahan]] under house arrest in the [[Agra Fort]]. Aurangzeb then imprisoned his younger brother and longtime ally [[Murad Baksh]] at [[Gwalior Fort]]. Aurangzeb then launched an expedition to capture [[Lahore]] fearing that [[Dara Shikoh]] and his son Suleiman Shikoh both of whom who had fled westward might capture it first. After capturing [[Lahore]] and gaining the support of the [[Muslim Rajput]]s in the region, Aurangzeb set out on another expedition towards the eastern territories of the [[Mughal Empire]] in [[Bengal]] with the sole objective of defeating his brother Shah Shuja.

==Commanders==
Shah Shuja employed European gunners for his cannons. He also purchased many of the latest [[Matchlock]]s from the European outposts with whom he enjoyed good relations and in return, offered tax exemptions. Shah Shujas army of 25,000 were commanded by his sons Buland Akhtar, Sultan Bang and Zainul Abedin. But his greatest assets were his 10,000 [[war elephant]]s and three elite war elephants in particular, which were very well armored in [[chain mail]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UR6_hWgyQjQ/R9HrwVnq3UI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/DkS9zva1_2s/s1600/Kota_war_elephant.JPG |title=Kota war elephant : picture |publisher=3.bp.blogspot.com |access-date=2013-10-23}}</ref>

Aurangzeb had a [[Mughal Army]] of almost 90,000 his main commanders were [[Mir Jumla II]], who had good knowledge of the region and Islam Khan was given command of the elite cavalry. Aurangzeb chose to split his army into two forces in the main in the front and the other reserve just behind led by [[Kilich Khan II|Kilich Khan Bahadur]] and [[Shaista Khan]].

==Location==
The battle was fought at Khajuha, now a small town in district Fatehpur of Uttar Pradesh. It falls in the middle of the Ganga–Yamuna plains and would have been ideal spot for Shahshuja's elephants with its large open fields. After the victory, Aurangjeb also built a memorial named 'Bagh Badshahi' with a large ''baithak'' as well as a big inn with two high gates guarding the central road. 'Bagh Badshahi' is now a preserved monument by Archaeological Survey of India.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fatehpur.nic.in/images/pict5.gif |title=Fort of Aurangjeb, Khajua : picture |publisher=Fatehpur.nic.in |access-date=2013-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043018/http://fatehpur.nic.in/images/pict5.gif |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Battle==
[[File:The princes of the Mogul Emperor against their father and Combat.jpg|thumb|The Mughal armies of [[Aurangzeb]] and Shah Shuja confront each other]]
The armies of Aurangzeb and Shah Shuja fired their cannons at each other until Shah Shuja released his bulky war elephants and believed that his well-trained cannon gunners would reinforce the charge of his war elephants and eliminate any counterattack by Aurangzeb. Bamboo rockets were fired from afar when a war elephant was released and this allowed the coordination and release of other war elephants. This tactic allowed Shah Shuja to gain much control of the battlefield.<ref name="blogspot2006">{{cite web |author=Airavat |url=http://horsesandswords.blogspot.com/2006/05/battle-of-khajwa.html |title=Military History of India: The Battle of Khajwa |publisher=Horsesandswords.blogspot.com |date=2006-05-31 |access-date=2012-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229185222/http://horsesandswords.blogspot.com/2006/05/battle-of-khajwa.html |archive-date=2014-12-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

But Aurangzeb ordered his front to slightly move behind he ordered his cannons to fire long-range shots and his Matchlock [[Sepoy]]s to take control of the front and halt the arrival of the incoming War Elephants.

And just when the war elephants collided with Aurangzeb's Sepoys, Shah Shuja ordered his son Buland Akhtar to lead the elite [[Sowar]]s against the Sepoys of Aurangzeb. Buland Akhtar's attack was aided by the three armored war elephants and their outcome was highly successful. Aurangzeb's cavalry commander Islam Khan himself was nearly killed by a cannonball while his cavalry was absolutely confused against the [[War elephant]]s and the assault of the rival cavalry led by Buland Akhtar.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2499/1899/1600/combat.1.jpg |title=Combat : image |publisher=3.bp.blogspot.com |access-date=2013-10-23}}</ref>

Aurangzeb realized the battle was nearly lost and ordered a full-scale attack by his reserves led by [[Kilich Khan II|Kilich Khan Bahadur]] and [[Shaista Khan]], the reserve infantry and its [[Matchlock]]s then killed many of Shah Shuja's rampaging War elephants and [[Mir Jumla II]] then led an advancing [[Mughal Army]] to the center of the battlefield braving the artillery of Shah Shuja.

As Kilich Khan Bahadur and Mir Jumla II drew nearer so did Aurangzeb's artillery and his reserve cavalry. Buland Akhtar's exhausted and scattered cavalry now withdrew and regrouped around Shah Shuja's cannons that fired gaps into Aurangzeb's approaching infantry. Aurangzeb himself led his cannons forward and then concentrated their firepower at Shah Shuja's center inflicting much disarray against his rivals.

As Aurangzeb's reserve Sepoys, Sowars and war elephants came very near and began to overrun Shah Shuja's encampment. Shah Shuja first ordered his European gunners to retreat and later ordered his mainly Mughal forces to withdraw, but it was far too late when Aurangzeb's Zamburak and Sepoy led by Kilich Khan Bahadur had them surrounded causing most his forces eventually organize a mass surrender. Shah Shuja himself chose to flee from his [[Howdah]] and then rode away conceding the battlefield to his younger brother the new Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

==Aftermath==
The Hindu rulers of [[Cooch Behar State|Koch Bihar]] and the [[Ahom kingdom|Ahoms]] began to annex rich Mughal territories, while Aurangzeb dispatched the highly experienced Mir Jumla II to chase his brother Shah Shuja, who had fled to [[Rakhine State|Arakan]].

Aurangzeb installed [[Shaista Khan]] as the new [[Nawab]] of [[Bengal]] replacing Shah Shuja. Shaista Khan was very strict with the [[Portugal|Portuguese]], thus emboldening their superiority on the sea, which eventually led to the tragedies of the [[Child's War]].<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/ikram/pa ]{{dead link|date=August 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Mughal Empire|state=expanded}}

{{coord|26.052|N|80.524|E|display=title}}

[[Category:Battles involving the Mughal Empire|Khajwa]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1659|Khajwa]]
[[Category:1659 in India]]

[https://www.softbajaar.com/2020/04/the-decisive-battles-of-world-history.html The Decisive Battles of World History PDF Books]
[https://www.softbajaar.com/search/label/History History books pdf]

Battle of Khajwa - Revision history

2409:4072:E9E:FFD0:D3E:692B:1FC0:E07D at 17:14, 9 June 2021