The key to the Deccan

Asirgarh Fort, of the Khandesh Sultanate, was captured by the Mughal forces under Akbar today in 1601, marking the start of Mughal inroads into Deccan.

Barsi Gate; Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Khandesh Sultanate in what is today's southern Madhya Pradesh had been in existence long since the times of the Delhi Sultans. It was quite substantial, especially as it held the passes heading into the Deccan plateau, and quite defensible terrain with its redoubts of Asirgarh, Thalner and Burhanpur.

It was this exact reason - the passes of the Deccan, which drew the attention of rival forces wanting to conquer this territory ever since its establishment. But none could maintain a strong hold on Khandesh, and it relapsed again and again to the Farooqi dynasty. This was to come to an end in 1601. The Mughal Emperor Akbar had decided that the Deccan would be the next target of the expanding Mughal Empire.

As a stepping stone, Khandesh was to be conquered, especially its stronghold of Asirgarh. Asirgarh was situated just north of Burhanpur, and on the confluence of the Tapti and Narmada rivers - which made any attack on it highly dangerous as well as the fortress’ importance manifold.

The Mughals had been making the sultans of Khandesh their vassals for quite some time, but Miran Bahadur Khan had declared his independence, by refusing homage to Emperor Akbar. A Mughal army was quickly dispatched, and Khandesh came under immense pressure from the invasion. Burhanpur city itself was quickly occupied, but the fortress refused to fall.

The Mughals had to now dig in for a long siege. After battering the walls down, the fortress surrendered on the 17th of January, 1601. This was not only a tactical, but a very strategic win for the Empire. The road to Deccan lay open, especially its rich Deccani sultanates. Such was the symbolic importance of the fort that it was considered that what was ‘Hindustan’ ended here and what was ‘Deccan’ started beyond the fort. The fort would continue to feature in Imperial wars later through the centuries.