Deccan Wars

The prolonged late-17th-century struggle between the Mughal Empire and the Marathas in the Deccan, continuing through Aurangzeb’s reign.

Maratha guerrilla warfare: A mobile style of warfare associated with Maratha forces, using speed, local knowledge, raids, and avoidance of decisive battles. Maratha mobility repeatedly disrupted Mughal armies and supply lines across the Deccan.
Aurangzeb: The sixth Mughal emperor, who ruled from 1658 to 1707 and expanded Mughal power across much of the Deccan. He personally directed the prolonged southern campaigns during the final decades of his reign.
Mughal conquest of Bijapur: The Mughal annexation of the Adil Shahi kingdom of Bijapur in 1686. Its fall removed a major Deccan power and brought new territory under Mughal administration.
Mughal succession war of 1707: The contest among Aurangzeb’s sons for the Mughal throne after his death in 1707. Aurangzeb’s death ended his personal campaign and redirected imperial attention to succession.
Mughal–Maratha conflict: The broader political and military rivalry between the Mughal Empire and the Marathas from the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries. The Deccan Wars form its most intense phase, not the entirety of the rivalry.
Mughal siege warfare: The Mughal military practice of besieging fortified places with artillery, engineering, and large field forces. Mughal commanders relied on prolonged sieges to capture Maratha-held forts.
Shivaji: The Maratha ruler who established an independent kingdom in western India and was crowned in 1674. His state-building and military methods laid foundations for Maratha resistance.
Mughal conquest of Golconda: The Mughal annexation of the Qutb Shahi kingdom of Golconda in 1687. Its conquest completed the destruction of the Deccan sultanates and redirected Mughal attention toward the Marathas.
Mughal Empire decline: The weakening of Mughal central authority and territorial control during the eighteenth century. The costly Deccan campaigns worsened fiscal and political strains that successors struggled to manage.
Mughal–Rajput relations: The changing political and military relationships between the Mughal Empire and Rajput rulers. Unlike many earlier Rajput alliances, the Deccan struggle became a prolonged contest with a resilient regional power.

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