The History Of Bangalore The Third Battle of Bangalore, 1687
The year 1687 remains one of the most chaotic in Bengaluru’s history. Ramjee Chandran details the short-lived but pivotal Mughal intervention that almost derailed the sale of the city. As Ekoji Bhonsle finalised the deal with Mysore, the imperial machine of Aurangzeb—fresh from crushing Golconda and Bijapur—reached out to seize the prize. Under General Qasim Khan, the Mughals occupied the fort for just three days, not to rule it, but to flip it for profit. This episode explores the high-stakes game of "city-flipping," where Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar had to pay for the same city twice, eventually securing Bengaluru for the Mysore Kingdom and setting the stage for the modern era of the state.
Key Details from the episode:
-
The Imperial Surge: Following the collapse of the Bijapur and Golconda Sultanates, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered his generals to mop up the remaining southern territories, including Bengaluru.
-
Qasim Khan’s Strike: While Ekoji and the Mysore representatives were busy negotiating, the Mughal General Qasim Khan swept in and occupied the Bengaluru fort.
-
The Three-Day Occupation: The Mughal flag flew over the Bengaluru mud fort for only seventy-two hours.
-
Double Payment: Chikkadevaraja Wadiyar, desperate to prevent Bengaluru from becoming a permanent Mughal garrison, agreed to pay Qasim Khan the same three lakh varahas he had promised Ekoji.
- The Handover: In July 1687, the Mughal forces withdrew, and the Mysore Kingdom finally took formal possession of the city, ending nearly half a century of Maratha and Sultanate influence.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible.
Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234
iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/
Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran
The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani.
RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.