Conflict: | Battle of Sironj |
Partof: | Mughal–Maratha Wars |
Date: | January 1704 |
Place: | Sironj, Malwa |
Result: | Mughal victory |
Combatant1: | Maratha Empire |
Combatant2: | Mughal Empire |
Commander1: | Nima Sindhia |
Commander2: | Firouz Jung |
The Battle of Sironj was a military engagement between the Mughal army led by Firuz Jung and the Marauding Maratha troops led by Nima Sindhia, the Mughals were victorious and the Marathas were repulsed from Sironj.[1]
In October 1703, after the rains were over, the Maratha general Nima Sindhia, launched a raid with 50,000 horsemen into Mughal territories, he first marched to Berar where he met Rustam Khan the governor of Berar, and defeated him,[2] he then raided Hoshangabad district and marched into malwa, sacking and ravaging everything in his way until he reached the city of Sironj where he laid siege to it, the Mughal garrison resisted the Marathas.
When news of thisreached Aurangzeb, he ordered Firuz Jung to catch up with the raiders and defeat them. He left Berar in November 1703,[3] however the march was slow due to heavy baggage. He abandoned the baggage and camped at Burhanpur, then he swiftly marched to relieve Sironj. When he arrived there, he engaged the Marathas, defeating their vanguard and forcing his way to the elephant ridden by Nima. When Nima saw the reinforcements had arrived, he fled on his horse with his remaining followers to Bundelkhand. Many Marathas were slain in the battlefield, the Mughals recaptured the looted treasure from the Marathas and prisoners were released.[4]