The fall of Gingee fortress in early 1698 was just the beginning of the story. What happened next reveals the complex world of Mughal administration, English colonial interests, and the personal ambitions that shaped South India in the late 17th century. The aftermath of this famous siege was filled with rewards, conflicts, and power struggles that would echo for years to come.
The Victor’s Rewards: Zulfikar Khan’s Triumph
When news of Gingee’s capture reached the Mughal court, Emperor Aurangzeb was generous with his praise and rewards. Zulfikar Khan, the architect of this seven-year siege, received substantial recognition for his achievement.
Imperial Honors: According to official court records from April 1698, Zulfikar Khan’s mansab (military rank) was increased by 1,000 horse – a significant promotion that boosted both his status and income. Along with this came a magnificent teshariff (ceremonial gift) consisting of elephants, horses, and swords, symbolizing imperial favor and military honor.
Renaming the Fortress: In a gesture that mixed politics with poetry, Gingee was officially renamed “Nasratgaddah” – meaning “City of Victory.” This name honored Zulfikar Khan’s title “Nasrat Jang” (Victorious in War) and served as a permanent monument to Mughal triumph over Maratha resistance.
The renaming wasn’t just symbolic. It represented the Mughal Empire’s attempt to erase the fortress’s association with Maratha power and establish it as a symbol of imperial authority in South India.
The New Administration: Gussafar Khan Takes Charge
With victory came the practical challenge of governing the conquered territory. Zulfikar Khan appointed Gussafar Khan as the killedar (fortress commander) of the newly renamed Nasratgaddah. This wasn’t just a military appointment – it came with significant economic benefits.
A Profitable Command: Gussafar Khan received the towns of Cuddalore and Tegnapatam as part of his jaghir (feudal grant). These weren’t random villages – they were important trading centers with substantial revenues. Cuddalore, in particular, was a major port that the English East India Company had been eyeing for its commercial potential.
The English Problem: There was just one hitch in this arrangement – the English were already established in both towns and had no intention of simply handing them over. When Zulfikar Khan sent a formal farman (imperial order) to President Hatsell of the Fort St. David Council demanding the delivery of these towns, he met with polite but firm refusal.
This refusal would trigger a series of conflicts that showed how the changing balance of power in South India was creating new tensions between Mughal administrators and European trading companies.
Salim Khan’s War on English Trade
Enter Salim Khan, brother of the future Nawab Daud Khan Panni, who had played a crucial role in capturing Gingee. Faced with English refusal to hand over the promised towns, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
The Cuddalore Deception
Salim Khan’s first attempt was a masterpiece of military deception. He sent a polite letter to the English Governor requesting permission to store “the King’s treasure” in Cuddalore overnight – a seemingly reasonable request that played on English desire to maintain good relations with Mughal authorities.
When the English agreed, Salim Khan arrived with what appeared to be a small escort of fifty men. But this was no treasure convoy – it was a carefully planned assault force. Once inside the town, his men attempted to seize control.
English Resistance: The attack didn’t go as planned. A well-prepared party of fifty English soldiers forced Salim Khan to retreat, showing that European military discipline could hold its own against Mughal tactics, at least in small-scale encounters.
Escalating Attacks
Frustrated by his first failure, Salim Khan escalated his campaign:
Porto Novo Gate Incident: His forces seized the Porto Novo gate, wounding an English corporal in the process. This was no longer about treasure storage – it was open warfare against English positions.
The Chidambaram Raid: Salim Khan’s men captured the town of Chidambaram, robbed its bazaar, and made off with three war elephants – a particularly humiliating theft since elephants were symbols of royal power and incredibly valuable military assets.
English Counter-Attack: The English response was swift and effective. They beat Salim Khan’s forces out of Chidambaram with significant casualties – eight Mughal soldiers killed and five taken prisoner, along with several horses captured.
Diplomatic Games and Failed Negotiations
The English at Madras, recognizing that military confrontation was expensive and disruptive to trade, attempted a diplomatic solution. They offered Salim Khan a payment in exchange for a farman that would confirm the Company’s rights to both Devanampatnam and Cuddalore.
Greedy Demands: Salim Khan, sensing English desperation, demanded more money than they were willing to pay. When negotiations broke down, he resumed his attacks with renewed vigor.
Continued Harassment: His forces threatened Cuddalore again and burned several villages belonging to Fort St. David. A second major engagement resulted in another English victory, but Salim Khan’s guerrilla tactics continued to disrupt trade and administration.
The Final Threat: In March 1698, Salim Khan came close to Cuddalore for a planned third major attack but ultimately withdrew without attempting it – perhaps recognizing that his previous failures had demonstrated English defensive capabilities.
Daud Khan: The Notorious Governor
The story takes an even more colorful turn with the appointment of Daud Khan Panni as governor of the Carnatic. Historical records describe him as “a notorious drunkard,” suggesting that imperial appointments weren’t always based purely on administrative merit.
Extortion and Siege
Daud Khan’s governorship was marked by repeated attempts to extract money from English settlements:
The Three-Month Siege: He invested (besieged) Fort St. George itself for three months, directly challenging English power in their main stronghold. During this siege, his forces plundered the suburbs of Egmore, Purasavakkam, and Triplicane.
A Pattern of Extortion: This became Daud Khan’s standard operating procedure. He would blockade English settlements, allow his forces to loot the surrounding areas, and then lift the siege only after receiving “liquors and presents” – essentially running a sophisticated protection racket.
Repeated Performances: The sources note that “he repeated this action several times,” suggesting that this extortion scheme was both profitable and, from his perspective, diplomatically acceptable.
Changing Command at Gingee
Meanwhile, the administration of the fortress itself was in constant flux, reflecting the fluid nature of Mughal appointments and the personal networks that drove imperial administration.
Gussafar Khan’s Departure
By May 1698, just four months after taking charge, Gussafar Khan received a new appointment. He was promoted to Nawab of Cuttack (in present-day Odisha) and left Gingee with an impressive retinue of 200 cavalry and 400 infantry.
Final Demands: Before leaving, Gussafar Khan made one last attempt to claim Tegnapatam and Cuddalore, explaining that he needed to render proper accounts to his successor, Kakar Khan. This shows how Mughal administrative transfers involved complex financial accounting and territorial handovers.
Kakar Khan’s Brief Tenure
Kakar Khan took over as killedar of Gingee in June 1698, but his tenure was remarkably short. By November of the same year, he was dead – whether from illness, warfare, or other causes, the records don’t specify.
Administrative Continuity: The rapid turnover in fortress commanders highlights one of the challenges facing Mughal administration in newly conquered territories. Establishing stable governance required more than just military victory.
The Decline of Strategic Importance
Perhaps the most significant long-term consequence of the Mughal conquest was that Gingee “lost to a considerable extent its importance as the key to the control of the lower Carnatic region.”
Administrative Subordination: The once-mighty fortress was reduced to the status of a subordinate post, with its killedar answering to the faujdar (military governor) at Arcot. This represented a fundamental shift in South India’s strategic geography.
Symbolic Victory, Practical Decline: While the conquest was symbolically important for Mughal prestige, the practical reality was that power in the Carnatic was shifting toward administrative centers like Arcot and trading hubs controlled by European companies.
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- Administrative Changes and Turmoil at Gingee in the 1740s
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