Santaji Ghorpade
Encyclopedia
Santaji Mhaloji Ghorpade, popularly known as ‘Santaji’ or ‘Santaji Ghorpade’, was one of the greatest warriors and the chief General of the Maratha Empire
during Chhatrapati Rajaram’s regime. His guerrilla technique of war is supposed to be the best besides that of Shivaji and Bajirao. His name became inseparable from the name of Dhanaji Jadhav
with whom he made terrifying campaigns against Mughal Army
continuously from 1689 to 1696.
.
, Santaji attacked his camp at Tulapur with the help of bahirji ghorpade and maloji ghorpade his brothers and nephew Vithoji Chavan and 2000 soldiers from Dhanaji's troops, he cut the ropes of Aurangzeb’s tents and took the imperial golden pinnacles and fled. This incidence helped to boost the Maratha morale and restored their self confidence to resist and attack the Mughal menace that occupied Maharashtra.chatrapati rajaram gave titles on this brave attack to three ghorpades and vithoji chavan, santaji was given title of mamalakatt madaar, bahirji was given title as hindurao and younger brother maloji as ameer ul umrao, and vithoji chavan was given title as himmat bahadur.
In September 1689 along with Dhanaji, Santaji attacked Aurangzeb’s General Shiekh Nizam who had blockaded Panhala fort
. Nizam was severely beaten and his treasure, horses and elephants were captured. During 1689 – 1690, Santaji and Dhanaji were directed to prevent Mughal army in Maharashtra to enter into Karnataka
after Rajaram’s flight to Jinjee.
In December 1690, Santaji and Dhanaji were promoted and were placed respectively under the supervision of Ramchandra Pant Amatya
and Shankraji Narayan Sacheev.
On 25 May 1690, Sarzakhan alias Rustamkhan was defeated and captured near Satara
jointly by Ramchandra Pant Amatya, Shankraji Narayan, Santaji and Dhanaji and this proved to be a major setback to emperor Aurangzeb.
In July 1692, for his great victory, King Rajaram rewarded him the Deshmukhi (fiefdom) of Miraj
.
In the last quarter of 1692, Santaji along with Dhanaji was sent to Madras to alleviate the Mughal pressure on Jinjee.
On the way to Karnataka on 8 October 1692, Dharwad
was captured by 7000 Maratha soldiers under both of them.
On 14 December 1692, Santaji defeated Aurangzeb’s General Alimardan Khan, captured him and brought him back to fort Jinjee.
In December 1692, the Mughal army under Zulfikhar Ali Khan around fort Jinjee was blocked and beaten by Santaji and Dhanaji as a result of which Zulfiquarkhan had to approach King Rajaram for sue for compromise.
On 5 January 1693, Santaji attacked the Mughal camp at Desur and looted their treasure, weapons and livestock.
In 1693, after lengthy negotiations with Rajaram, Zulfiquarkhan was granted a safe passage out which Santaji did not approve of. He argued with Rajaram and left the place without his permission as a result of which Dhanaji was given tentative charge of the army chief. Santaji, in spite of this insubordination, he soon resumed his duties, mainly due to his prowess on the battlefield.
On 14 November 1693, Mughal General Himmat Khan beat back Santaji near Vikramhalli in Karnataka. Soon thereafter, Santaji regrouped his troops and reengaged Himmat Khan again on 21 November 1693 and avenged his earlier defeat.
In July 1695, Santaji trapped the Mughal army camping near Khatav and harassed it with lightning strikes.. Italian visitor to the Mughal court, Minnucci, has listed details of the lightening fast and devastating Maratha attacks on the Mughal camps. High level of tension, stress and apprehension among the troops and camp followers, about the ever present Maratha threat were recorded.
On 20 November 1695, Kasimkhan; Aurangzeb’s powerful General in Karnataka, was attacked, defeated and killed by Santaji at Doderi near Chitradurga
.
In December 1695, Dhanaji was defeated in a battle near Vellore by Zulfiquarkhan.
On 20 January 1696 near Baswapattan, Santaji attacked, defeated and personally killed the Mughal General Himmat Khan.
On 26 February 1696, Mughal General Hamiduddin Khan defeated Santaji in a brief tussle.
In April 1696, Santaji was also defeated by Zulfikhar khan at Arani in Karnataka.
On 8 May 1696, Santaji met Rajaram at fort Jinjee, argued with him on certain issues and left Gengee without resolving their differences.
In June 1696, by order of Rajaram, Dhanaji attacked Santaji for his rebellion near Vriddhachalam but had to turn back.
Soon thereafter Santaji was officially sacked and his charge was given to Dhanaji again.
In March 1697, Dhanaji defeated Santaji at Dahigaon with the help of Hanmantrao Nimbalkar.
In July 1697, a Maratha General called Nagoji Mane who was seduced by Aurangzeb, killed Santaji in the forest of Karkhala while he was performing religious rites on banks of a local river.
Murarrao Ghorpade grandnephew of Santaji, made an alliance with Muhammed Ali and helped him to defeat Chanda Sahib
in famous Battle of Arcot
fought in 1751. This battle is known in history of English East India Co. as part of the Carnatic Wars
fought between Robert Clive led forces of English East India Co. v/s Dupleix
led French East India Company
between 1751 to 1758, also known as 7 years war. English historians tend to highlight & Threat from Nizam of Hyderabad-Hyder Ali-Tipu Sultan kept them engrossed in Karnataka-Tamil Nadu away from politics of Pune Darbars. Ghorpades maintained working relationship with English East India Co. in their Karnataka-Tamil Nadu operations maturing from the cordial relationship established with Robert Clive during siege of Arcot in 1751. Descendents of Santaji still live in Sandur & Guti, Karnataka, his desandants are also part of the families of Bedag and Detwadd in Kolhapur and Sangli districts of Maharashtra
Jadunath Sarkar the noted historian writes in his famous book namely Military history of India about Santaji "He was a perfect master of this art,which can be more correctly described as Parthia
n warfare than as guerrilla tactics, because he could not only make night marches and surprises, but also cover long distances quickly and combine the movements of large bodied over wide areas with an accuracy and punctuality which were incredible in any Asiatic army other than those of Chengiz Khan and Tamurlane"
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
during Chhatrapati Rajaram’s regime. His guerrilla technique of war is supposed to be the best besides that of Shivaji and Bajirao. His name became inseparable from the name of Dhanaji Jadhav
Dhanaji Jadhav
Dhanaji Shambhusinha Jadhav , popularly known as Dhanaji Jadhav, was one of the great warriors of the Maratha Empire. His name became inseparable from the name of Santaji Ghorpade with whom he made terrifying campaigns against Mughal Army continuously from 1689 to 1696...
with whom he made terrifying campaigns against Mughal Army
Mughal Army
The Mughal Army was the army of the Mughal Empire.Mirza Najaf Khan was commander in chief of the Mughal Army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.The art of Mughal warfare brought about a complete change in the way wars were fought in the Indian...
continuously from 1689 to 1696.
Early life
Santaji belonged to the historical Ghorpade family which was member of a branch of the Bhosale clan. His year of birth is not known, however, it is estimated to be circa 1660. He along with his younger brother Bahirji accompanied Shivaji in his Karnataka campaign in 1678. He was named by Shivaji on his death bed to be among six pillars of Maratha Empire who were tasked to carry out the war against Mughals and the Sultanates and to save the kingdom at all costs. His father Mhaloji died in the battle of Sangmeshwar while fighting the Mughals who then captured, tortured and killed SambhajiSambhaji
Sambhaji Raje Bhosle was the eldest son and successor to Emporer Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha empire.- Early life :...
.
Contribution to the Maratha War of Independence
In the beginning of the Rajaram’s regime in 1689, Santaji had attained the rank of Pancha Hajari officer i.e.Commander of 5,000 soldiers. Immediately after Sambhaji’s brutal torture and assassination by AurangzebAurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
, Santaji attacked his camp at Tulapur with the help of bahirji ghorpade and maloji ghorpade his brothers and nephew Vithoji Chavan and 2000 soldiers from Dhanaji's troops, he cut the ropes of Aurangzeb’s tents and took the imperial golden pinnacles and fled. This incidence helped to boost the Maratha morale and restored their self confidence to resist and attack the Mughal menace that occupied Maharashtra.chatrapati rajaram gave titles on this brave attack to three ghorpades and vithoji chavan, santaji was given title of mamalakatt madaar, bahirji was given title as hindurao and younger brother maloji as ameer ul umrao, and vithoji chavan was given title as himmat bahadur.
In September 1689 along with Dhanaji, Santaji attacked Aurangzeb’s General Shiekh Nizam who had blockaded Panhala fort
Panhala fort
Panhala fort , also known as Panhalgad, Pahalla and Panalla , is located in Panhala, 20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a major trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to...
. Nizam was severely beaten and his treasure, horses and elephants were captured. During 1689 – 1690, Santaji and Dhanaji were directed to prevent Mughal army in Maharashtra to enter into Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
after Rajaram’s flight to Jinjee.
In December 1690, Santaji and Dhanaji were promoted and were placed respectively under the supervision of Ramchandra Pant Amatya
Ramchandra Pant Amatya
Ramchandra Neelkanth Bahutkar , also known as Ramchandra Pant Amatya, was the youngest member of the Council of Ministers to Emperor Shivaji dating from 1674 to 1680. He also served as the Imperial Regent to Chhatrapati Sambhaji, Rajaram, Shivaji II and Sambhaji II...
and Shankraji Narayan Sacheev.
On 25 May 1690, Sarzakhan alias Rustamkhan was defeated and captured near Satara
Satara
Satara is a city located in the Satara District of Maharashtra state of India. The town is 2320 ft. above sea-level, near the confluence of the Krishna and its tributary river Venna. The city was the capital of the Maratha empire in the 17th century, hence one of the the historical cities of...
jointly by Ramchandra Pant Amatya, Shankraji Narayan, Santaji and Dhanaji and this proved to be a major setback to emperor Aurangzeb.
In July 1692, for his great victory, King Rajaram rewarded him the Deshmukhi (fiefdom) of Miraj
Miraj
Miraj , is an historic town in southern Maharashtra, India. The history of the town dates back to the early 10th century, and the town is known for its rich tradition of Hindustani classical music and for religious harmony. It served as a stronghold and a strategic bastion because of its location...
.
In the last quarter of 1692, Santaji along with Dhanaji was sent to Madras to alleviate the Mughal pressure on Jinjee.
On the way to Karnataka on 8 October 1692, Dharwad
Dharwad
Dharwad, also known as Dharwar, is a city and a DISTRICT PLACE in India's Karnataka state.Dharwad is the administrative seat of the Dharwad District. The municipality of Hubli-Dharwad covers an area of 200.23 km²...
was captured by 7000 Maratha soldiers under both of them.
On 14 December 1692, Santaji defeated Aurangzeb’s General Alimardan Khan, captured him and brought him back to fort Jinjee.
In December 1692, the Mughal army under Zulfikhar Ali Khan around fort Jinjee was blocked and beaten by Santaji and Dhanaji as a result of which Zulfiquarkhan had to approach King Rajaram for sue for compromise.
On 5 January 1693, Santaji attacked the Mughal camp at Desur and looted their treasure, weapons and livestock.
In 1693, after lengthy negotiations with Rajaram, Zulfiquarkhan was granted a safe passage out which Santaji did not approve of. He argued with Rajaram and left the place without his permission as a result of which Dhanaji was given tentative charge of the army chief. Santaji, in spite of this insubordination, he soon resumed his duties, mainly due to his prowess on the battlefield.
On 14 November 1693, Mughal General Himmat Khan beat back Santaji near Vikramhalli in Karnataka. Soon thereafter, Santaji regrouped his troops and reengaged Himmat Khan again on 21 November 1693 and avenged his earlier defeat.
In July 1695, Santaji trapped the Mughal army camping near Khatav and harassed it with lightning strikes.. Italian visitor to the Mughal court, Minnucci, has listed details of the lightening fast and devastating Maratha attacks on the Mughal camps. High level of tension, stress and apprehension among the troops and camp followers, about the ever present Maratha threat were recorded.
On 20 November 1695, Kasimkhan; Aurangzeb’s powerful General in Karnataka, was attacked, defeated and killed by Santaji at Doderi near Chitradurga
Chitradurga
Chitradurga is a town in the southern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of Chitradurga district. Chitradurga was also known by the names Chitradurg, Chitrakaladurga, Chittaldurg. Chittaldrug was the name officially used by the British Govt.-Geography:Chitradurga is...
.
In December 1695, Dhanaji was defeated in a battle near Vellore by Zulfiquarkhan.
On 20 January 1696 near Baswapattan, Santaji attacked, defeated and personally killed the Mughal General Himmat Khan.
On 26 February 1696, Mughal General Hamiduddin Khan defeated Santaji in a brief tussle.
In April 1696, Santaji was also defeated by Zulfikhar khan at Arani in Karnataka.
On 8 May 1696, Santaji met Rajaram at fort Jinjee, argued with him on certain issues and left Gengee without resolving their differences.
In June 1696, by order of Rajaram, Dhanaji attacked Santaji for his rebellion near Vriddhachalam but had to turn back.
Soon thereafter Santaji was officially sacked and his charge was given to Dhanaji again.
In March 1697, Dhanaji defeated Santaji at Dahigaon with the help of Hanmantrao Nimbalkar.
In July 1697, a Maratha General called Nagoji Mane who was seduced by Aurangzeb, killed Santaji in the forest of Karkhala while he was performing religious rites on banks of a local river.
Legacy
Santaji’s son Yeshoji & Tukoji continued his military activities by shifting their base to Sandur near Bellary & Guti in Karnataka. With help of Telangi-Berads, they sided with Tarabai faction of Kolhapur during Maratha war of succession fought between Shahu & Tarabai. After Peshwas rose to power granted by Chatrapati’s of Satara in 1749, Ghorpades concentrated their activities in Karnataka.Murarrao Ghorpade grandnephew of Santaji, made an alliance with Muhammed Ali and helped him to defeat Chanda Sahib
Chanda Sahib
Chanda Sahib was the Nawab of the Carnatic between 1749 and 1752. His birth name is Husayn Dost Khan. He was the son-in-law of the Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, under whom he worked as a Dewan. He belonged the Muslim Nait community which had ruled the Carnatic under the Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan...
in famous Battle of Arcot
Battle of Arcot
The Battle of Arcot took place on 14 November 1751 in Arcot, India between forces of the English East India Company led by Robert Clive and forces of the French East India Company under Joseph François Dupleix...
fought in 1751. This battle is known in history of English East India Co. as part of the Carnatic Wars
Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent...
fought between Robert Clive led forces of English East India Co. v/s Dupleix
Dupleix
Dupleix could refer to one of the following:*Joseph François Dupleix, governor general of the French establishment in India in the 18th centuryFour ships of the French Navy have been named Dupleix:...
led French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
between 1751 to 1758, also known as 7 years war. English historians tend to highlight & Threat from Nizam of Hyderabad-Hyder Ali-Tipu Sultan kept them engrossed in Karnataka-Tamil Nadu away from politics of Pune Darbars. Ghorpades maintained working relationship with English East India Co. in their Karnataka-Tamil Nadu operations maturing from the cordial relationship established with Robert Clive during siege of Arcot in 1751. Descendents of Santaji still live in Sandur & Guti, Karnataka, his desandants are also part of the families of Bedag and Detwadd in Kolhapur and Sangli districts of Maharashtra
Jadunath Sarkar the noted historian writes in his famous book namely Military history of India about Santaji "He was a perfect master of this art,which can be more correctly described as Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n warfare than as guerrilla tactics, because he could not only make night marches and surprises, but also cover long distances quickly and combine the movements of large bodied over wide areas with an accuracy and punctuality which were incredible in any Asiatic army other than those of Chengiz Khan and Tamurlane"