Santa Ghorpade while in Bijapur had defeated Qasim Khan and Himmat Khan and was tempted to try once more to relieve Jinji, but Zulfiqar Khan went out in person to meet him and severely defeated him some miles to the north of Jinji. Santa realized that with Zulfiqar Khan in sole command of the investing army, it was impossible to raise the siege. By 1697 it had become a blockade and little blood was shed save when Zulfiqar Khan's second in command, Daud Khan Panni, from time to time got drunk and senselessly assaulted the Maratha outposts. Nevertheless, the blockade was a strict one and no supplies entered the beleaguered town. Raja Ram Bhonsle realized he could no longer hold out and escaped one night to Vellore. Harji Mahadik's son took command of the garrison. But the vigor of Zulfiqar Khan's attacks soon afterwards carried the outer walls. In January 1698, Daud Khan came by chance to learn of a path through a small wood up the side of the fortress. Sober for the moment, he examined it and without informing Zulfiqar Khan, decided to storm it. He joined with him in the enterprise a Rajput chief called Rao Dalpat Bundela. The garrison thought the assault to be only one of Daud Khan Panni's drunken outbreaks and paid little heed to it, until Dalpat Rao had carried the main defenses. The garrison fled to the citadel. But the Mughal forces now entered the town on all sides and the citadel surrendered to Zulfiqar Khan. As he had previously promised to do, he handed over Raja Ram's wives and their two sons to the Shirkes, who arranged for their return to the western Deccan. So ended the great siege of Jinji in January 1698. The escape of Raja Ram from Jinji angered Emperor Alamgir who now determined to crush the Marathas began to lay sieges of various Maratha forts from 1698 onwards. But for Zulfiqar Khan's successes and his continued resolve and determination in holding onto Eastern Deccan, Emperor Aurangzeb gave him the added title of Nusrat Jung. Raja Ram had taken with him a large force to attack Jalna. His march was at first successful. He plundered the city and then set it on fire. Entering the Godavari valley, he plundered Paithan, Bhid and other towns along the river banks.