Ahmadnagar was struck with a severe draught. Taking advantage of this situation and with the help of Marathas, the rulers of Bijapur captured Ahmadnagar. In response, a Mughal general took hold of Ahmadnagar and thus the city became a part of Mughal empire.
During the first quarter of the sixteenth century the
relations between the power ruling over North India, namely,
the Lodi Empire and the Deccan kingdoms were generally at a
very low key. But it is, of course, true that the Deccani
kingdoms were not indifferent to the situation in the North.
The sending of congratulatory letters to Babur by ttte rulers
of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur and Berar, on his success in 1526,
goes to testify their eagerness to win favour with any ruler
who appeared to gaining an upper hand in North India. Among
them Ahmadnagar seemed to be particularly responsive to the
developing political scenario in the North. The short term
consideration of the Ahmadnagar Kingdom in cultivating
friendly ties with the Mughals from the very beginning of
their rule down to the end of Humayun ' s reign, and also with
the Surs during their short lived rule over North India, was
possibly that their military pressure on Malwa and Gujarat
would render the latter two states less belligerent towards
Ahmadnagar. But at the same time it should not be overlooked
that from 1535 onwards Humayun appeared to be interested in
extending his influence, if not actual rule, over Khandesh
and Ahmadnagar which is borne out by his correspondence with
Burhan Nizam Shah I as well as his making, while returning to
Mandu from Ahmadabad, a detour across Khandesh. It was,
however, only after the annexations of Malwa and Gujarat in
1562 and 1572 respectively to the Mughal Empire that a
situation was created where Mughals were gradually sucked
into the power politics in the Deccan.
In this thesis an attempt is made to focus on the
history of Mughal-Ahmadnagar relations from 1526 down to 1636
when a major part of Ahmadnagar was finally absorbed into the
Mughal Empire.
The Introductory Chapter of this thesis traces the
history of the emergence of Ahmadnagar as a powerful and
independent Kingdom by the time Mughal rule was established
in North India. In this chapter special attention is paid to
Ahmadnagar 1 s relations with the neighbouring kingdoms with
particular emphasis on those with northern powers, namely,
Gujarat, Khandesh and Malwa.
The Khandesh state played an important role in shaping
the Mughal-Ahmadnagar relations. It was sought to be used by
Akbar to further the strategic aims of the Mughals in the
Deccan, particularly, for not allowing the consol idat ion of
Ahmadnagar 's hold over Berar after it was annexed by that
Kingdom in 1574. A brief survey of these diplomatic and
military moves of the Mughals involving Khandesh down to its
annexation to the Mughal Empire forms the central theme of
the Chapter I of this thesis.