The year 1696 marked a turning point in the Gingee siege as Maratha fortunes began to decline due to military defeats and devastating internal conflicts that tore apart their leadership.
Santaji’s Military Defeats
In April 1696, Santaji suffered a significant defeat near Arni at the hands of Zulfikar Khan. This loss forced Zulfikar Khan to retreat and defend Arcot after losing one of his chief officers, Raja Kishore Singh Hada.
Despite this setback, Santaji continued his aggressive campaigns. He marched toward Cuddapah where he successfully intercepted treasure that Emperor Aurangzeb had sent to Zulfikar Khan. When Zulfikar Khan moved to confront him, Santaji cleverly changed his plans, forcing the Mughal commander to fall back to Arcot by the end of December 1696.
Zulfikar Khan then pursued Santaji into central Mysore, where he received much-needed reinforcements from Prince Bider Bakht’s army, which had been sent by the Emperor and had advanced to Penukonda.
Zulfikar Khan’s Financial Struggles
Despite his military successes, Zulfikar Khan faced severe financial difficulties. To solve his money problems, he had to travel south to collect tributes from Tanjore and other southern territories. However, he spent all his treasure very quickly and still could not pay the arrears owed to his troops.
He returned to Wandiwash through Tiruvannamalai and Tirukavilur, where he discovered that the Marathas were suffering from serious internal divisions that were greatly weakening their position.
The Fatal Maratha Split
The most damaging development for the Marathas was the bitter and final rupture between their two main commanders, Santaji and Dhanaji. These leaders violently quarreled over who should be the commander-in-chief of the Maratha forces.
Rajaram himself took sides in this dispute, supporting Dhanaji against Santaji. However, Dhanaji was ultimately unsuccessful in his attempt to gain supreme command and was forced to retire to Maharashtra, leaving the Maratha forces significantly weakened.
According to Bhimsen’s account, the condition of the Maratha court was chaotic. There was little unity among their leaders, with everyone calling himself a sardar (commander) and going out to plunder independently for his own benefit.
Rajaram’s Peace Attempts
Like the Mughals, Rajaram was also desperately short of money. This financial crisis led him to seek peace with the Mughals on certain conditions. He sent his illegitimate son, Karna, through the mediation of Rama Singh Hada, to Zulfikar Khan with a petition to be forwarded to the Mughal Emperor.
However, Emperor Aurangzeb refused to listen to Rajaram’s offer of submission. Instead, he ordered Zulfikar Khan to renew the siege operations with vigor and capture Gingee without further delay.
Further Maratha Fragmentation
The internal conflicts among the Marathas became even more complex and deadly. Dhanaji, having disagreed with Santaji, told Rajaram that Santaji had gained dangerous power through his large army and was planning treason against him.
Based on this accusation, Rajaram sent Amrit Rao, a chief of great reputation, along with his own and Dhanaji’s troops, to attack Santaji. However, Santaji defeated them in battle.
Rajaram and Dhanaji were forced to retreat to Gingee, while Santaji returned to his own territory, deeply displeased with their treatment. But Santaji’s story ended tragically when he was killed shortly afterward in a surprise attack by the brother-in-law of Amrit Rao, who cut off his head and sent it to the Emperor.
Power Struggles Continue
After Santaji’s death, Dhanaji gained great power among the Marathas and formed an alliance with Ram Chandra Pandit, Rajaram’s minister. However, the conflicts continued as Parsaram, another principal Pandit, supported the cause of Hanuman (Santaji’s son) and his uncle, Harji Hindu Rao.
The Consequences of Division
These internal conflicts completely undermined Maratha effectiveness at Gingee. What had once been a unified resistance against Mughal forces became a series of factional disputes that weakened their military capability and made them vulnerable to Mughal attacks.
The tragic irony was that while the Marathas were tearing themselves apart through internal quarrels, their common enemy, the Mughals, were able to regroup and strengthen their position despite their own financial difficulties.