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Who is Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj?
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire. He was an excellent scholar, warrior and an administrator. His reign was majorly marked with wars from all sides of his empire (Mughals, Siddis of Janjira, Portuguese of Goa, Chikkadevraya from the South, etc) . As per, some Portuguese accounts he was considered as the most powerful emperor and was considered very dangerous to the colonial powers. Maharaj is known for his valour, intelligence and bravery even during the Mughal campaign of the Deccan. He kept his people and the dream of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj safe for 9 years. Even at his capture and death he was not deterred from his values instilled in him by Jijausaheb and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself. This is a story of an emperor who lived up for his nation and his people and even after his death became an icon for inspiration which routed out the Mughal empire. He is also called as Chhava ( Tiger cub) and affectionately Shambhuraje.
Early Life and childhood
Shambhuraje was born during very turbulent times to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Maharani Saibai on 14 May 1657. His father was majorly engaged in politics and battles, and therefore was brought by his grandmother Rajamata Jijabai. Even though he was born as a prince his life was never easy, his mother was constantly unwell after his birth and therefore Dharabai Gade was hired as a nurse and caretaker of him. He used to revere her as a mother, and would affectionately call her Dharau. His mother passed away when he was 2 years old and his father had to leave him as he had to face Afzalkhan, the Adilshahi General. He was married to Yesubai, the daughter of Pilaji Shirke. He never married to other woman even though multiple marriages were practiced by the royals at that time. He had to children her a daughter named Bhavanibai and a son who was originally Shivaji but became to be known as Shahu Maharaj, who later on expanded the boundaries of Swarajya upto Attock in the north.
His education was looked by many scholars, making him well versed in many languages including Indian and foreign languages. He was also taught about politics by his Shivrai and Jijausaheb right from his childhood. As he grew up, he became an accomplished warrior and an excellent scholar. He also is known for his literary work including books like Budhabhusan (a treatise on politics), Nayikabhed and Nakhshikha. He was also a very good poet and had a company of Kavi Kalash who remained as his dear friend, advisor and his poet till last. He was also physically very strong is said to have killed tiger by breaking the jaws with his bare hands.
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The Agra escape
Shivaji Raje had an major area of Maharashtra under his command and posed a great threat to the sultanates in Deccan and the Mughal Empire’s authority in the south. The Mughal emperor had seen his valour with his encounter with Afzal khan to whom even Aurangzeb used to fear, his escape from Panhala, strike on Shaistakhan. Therefore, to curb his activities Aurangzeb sent Mirzaraje Jaisingh of Amber to counter him with a large force. Mirzaraje was a shrewd politician and general, he somehow managed to bring Raje for a treaty famously known as ‘Treaty of Purandar’ after the battle of Purandar and fall of Murarbaji Deshpande. In the treaty, he has to surrender 23 forts to the Mughal authority and until the deal was completed Prince Samhajiraje had to stay with Mirzaraje as a political hostage to ensure that the treaty was completed.
Mirzaraje then convinced Shivaji Raje to visit Agra for the 50th birthday of Aurangzeb and also gave took responsibility of his safety and of his budding kingdom behind him. Shivaji Raje decided to take Shabhuraje with him along with best of his men and left for Agra.
After reaching the Mughal capital, they witnessed many indirect insults by Aurangzeb. But it crossed the limits when he made Shivaji Raje stand behind Jaswant Singh of the Rathore Clan. Raje bursted out in anger and insulted Aurangzeb by breaking the formal rules of the Mughal court. He also rejected the Khillat and left the court in anger with the young prince who was unhinged by and sort. After this incident he was put under house arrest, but managed to escape the house arrest by getting out of the house arrest in boxes for sweets. This was a blow to Aurangzeb as Raje had escaped from his capital under his nose. But, after escaping he had to leave Shambhuraje at Mathura for his safety. After reaching Rajgad, Shivaji Raje spreaded a false news that Sambhaji Raje faced death while on his journey to Rajgad so that search for him will be stopped.
Shamburaje lived in Matura for sometime as brahmin boy and left for Rajgad after his father sent some men to bring him back. Successfully back in his Swarajya, there was joy all around the commoners as they came to know that there prince was alive. When he reached his home Jijausaheb was very happy to see him again, there was joy back after so much time in the kingdom.
As the Yuvraj (Crown Prince) of Swarajya
After the Agra escape, Shivaji Raje took sometime and rewired the system of his kingdom. After gathering the enough capital and rest, he relaunched his advanced on the Mughals capturing more territory than his lost in the Treaty of Purandar in a matter of 6 months. By 1674, Raje was the major powerforce in the Deccan and was the biggest enemy of Aurangzeb.
Raje then decided to get coronated as the Chhatrapati of the Maratha Realm in order to legitimize his rule as he was considered as rebel by many. Gagabhatt, from Kashi took up responsibility for the coronation ceremony. Raje was coronated as the Chhatrapati of Swarajya on 6th of June, 1974. Shamburaje became the Yuvraj and his stepmother Soyrabai became the Maharani. This was a major event in the history of India as no one had took up a reginal title and held such a authority and power after the Yadavas of Devgiri in Maharashtra. This was an absolute moment of joy for the Rayat (the commoners) as they were freed from the unjustice rule of the Sultanates.
But this joy didn’t lasted for long as Rajmata Jijausaheb passed away on 18 June 1974, this was a very big loss for Swarajya as she was a mother to everyone in her empire. Her death, heavily impacted Shambhuraje as had lost his grandmother, teacher and his caretaker who brought him up after his Maharani Saibai.
Shambhuraje then engaged himself into politics but faced many defamation allegations bby many which hurt him emotionally. His stepmother and some ministers had started conspiring against him in order to make Rajaramraje (younger brother) the heir to the Maratha throne. Some ministers took grudge against him as he caught them doing malpractices. This grudge grew more after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj started the Dakshin Digvijay Campaign. With absence of Maharaj, conspiracies grew against Yuvraj while he was the Subhedar of Prabhavali. Even an attempt to arrest him was made, rumors against him were spread by the ministers. His work was constantly being interrupted by Maharani.
Shambhuraje started receiving letters from Dilerkhan, a Mughal commander. Dilerkhan started Yuvraj to join hands with Mughal empire. He promised to give him the power and respect that he would demand. Yuvraj kept him away until arrival of Maharaj back in Swarajya. After Maharaj arrived, Shambhuraje then defected to Mughals by the order of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to influence Muazzam to rebel against Aurangzeb and use him as a pawn to destroy Aurangzeb. A scene was created so that Dilerkhan would believe that there were misunderstanding between father and son. But the plan failed when Yuvraj came to know that Dilerkhan had received the orders from Aurangzeb to capture him and sending him to Agra. He then fled the Mughal camp and reached to Panhala fort.
After some moths Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj came to meet him and then gave him the authority of Panhala region to administer. He also cleared the misconceptions about his defection to the Mughals while on Panhala. After staying with him for some time he left for Raigad. After some months, Maharaj fell ill and Yuvraj was not even informed about the illness of his father. Best efforts were made by the authority on Raigad that Shamburaje will not be informed about his father. After suffering from the illness for longtime, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj passed away on 3rd April 1680. Even his rites were performed and Shambhuraje was unaware of this. Rajaram Raje who was till a minor was installed on the throne and Soyrabai held the position of Rajamata and ordered Annaji Datto and his fellow ministers to arrest Shamburaje with a large army. When Yuvraj came to know about his father’s death he was devastated but had know time for grief to face the marching army to arrest him. Fortunately, due to Hambirrao Mohite the efforts to arrest the prince failed. The ministers who conspired against him were arrested and presented before Shambhuraje, he then marched onto Raigad with Hambirrao Mohite who was the Commander-in-Chief of the Maratha forces and the brother of Soyrabai. As he arrived the capital the forces under Soyrabai surrendered to Yuvraj kmowing his ferocity and the anger he had.
He then put Soyrabai under house arrested and stripped the ministers of the powers temporarily and put them in the jail. Shambhuraje then took the control of the empire in his own hands and assumed the role of his father, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Reign as The Chhatrapati
The Raid of Burhanpur
After taking the control of Swarajya he had a big responsibility to assert and display his dominance. Therefore, he decided to raid Burhanpur the favorite city of Aurangzeb. So he started getting ready for the campaign even without coronating himself and started planning for the campaign secretly. He communicated his spy network to make a full-proof plan about the campaign. The Jizya tax collected from the people was collected here by Bahadur Khan, who gave this responsibility to Kakar Khan.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj attacked and ravaged the Mughal city and plundered the city gathering large amount of treasure and riches. But the poor were not looted, instead if needed goods were bought form them at fair price. No child, woman or an innocent was harmed as per the teachings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Then the Marathas forces swiftly escaped to Baglan region to avoid battle and causalities with the Mughal army marching towards them.
After reaching Raigad, he was coronated as the Chhatrapati of the Empire that stretched from narmada in north to Jinji in the south. He also issued a royal seal that read as:
श्री शंभो: शिवजातस्य मुद्राद्यौरिव राजते।
यदंकस्येविनी लेखा वर्तते कस्यनोपरि।।
This meant ‘The Rajmudra of Shivaputra Shri Shambhu Raje adorns the sky like the radiance of the sun. Its implementation for the welfare of people is everywhere. For that, this mudra is always bright!’
He also declared Rajaram the crown prince and reinstated Soyrabai as Rajmata. Even the ministers who conspired against him were forgiven and given different roles.
Defection of Prince Akbar and Conspiracy against Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj
In 1981, prince Akbar rebelled against his father Aurangzeb and joined hands with the Rajputs, but Aurangzeb very cunningly broke down the alliance after sending a letter to akbar in such a way that it will be intercepted by the Rajputs. The letter was written in such a way that rajputs thought that Akbar was engaged in plans against them and was associated with the emperor, thus they disbanded an left him alone. Only one Rajput remained by his side and that was Durgadas Rathore, the regent of the heir of the Rathore Clan. Without support Akbar had to flee from Rajputana, Durgadas suggested him to seek for refuge to the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as he was the only person who had the might to stand against the Mughal empire.
Akbar met Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Maharaj gave him refuge in hid empire. The ministers who had conspired against Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj saw this as an opportunity and started talks with the rebel prince. They tried to lure him to betray Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in exchange for some part of Swarajya to rule and Rajaram to be installed as the Chhatrapati. Fortunately, Akbar informed about this to to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Maharaj enraged with the ministers sentenced them to death by crushing them at elephant’s feet or kadelot (pushing the criminal off the cliff).
Akbar stayed in refuge with Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for 5 years but the refuge didn’t bore any fruit and therefore he helped Akbar to flee to Persia to look for help as Aurangzeb was nearing the Deccan to exterminate Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and the Maratha Swarajya.
The Mughal incursions in Konkan
Aurangzeb had started to advance in the Deccan to capture Akbar and with a dream of conquering the Deccan. He started attacking Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj from all the sides he tried to corner him alone. He took the help of Siddis of Janjira and Portuguese of Goa for this cause. The Mughals also laid siege to Ramsej fort near Nashik, hoping that the Foet is small with limited soilders and garrison. But even a small fort kept on fighting for 8 long years against the large Mughal army with limited resources. Aurangzeb ordered his commanders to attack the Maratha territories, but they were majorly encountered by the Marathas by Ganimi Kava (Guerilla warfare) hence cutting down the causalities on their own side and maximising effectiveness of these raids. Many of these battles were leaded by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj himself.
Aurangzeb then made a bold plan of directly attacking Raigad while capturing the konkan. He gave this responsibility to Prince Shah Alam and Shihabuddin Khan and gave them a command of army totalling to 1,10,000 men with 1900 elephants and 2000 camels. This campaign proved to be very heavy for the Mughals as they were defeated by a relatively small force of Marathas numbering around 10,000-15,000 which was led by Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj himself. The causalities on the Marathas were negligible and the Mughals suffered heavy losses with causalities of over 60,000 men and others barely survived by taking feuge at the Siddis.
The war against the Siddis of Janjira
The Siddis of Janjira had joined hands with Aurangzeb and had started troubling the commoners near the coast. In an effort to counter them, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj sent Kondaji Farzand as a defector to the Siddis with a plan to destroy the gunpowder on the seafortress. But somehow Siddis came to know about Kondaji’s plans and they executed him. This enraged Maharaj and he launched a full offensive attack of the Maratha navy on Janjira in 1682. He destroyed the invincible fort to a great extent and also had started to construct sea bridge but it remained uncompleted.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had to withdraw from the campaign that was so close to victory because the Mughals were on an advance to attack Raigad. Thus, Siddis were saved from the wrath of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maha raj.
The Maratha-Mysore Conflict
Mysore was under the control of Chikkadevraya Wodeyar, he had formed alliance with the Mughals. With that he captured the Maratha Commanders Dadaji Kakade, Santaji Nimbalkar and Jaitaji Katkar and put them to death.
This was a serious mistake that he had committed which angered Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and he advanced into the Mysore kingdom with his army and attacked Chikkadevaraya. His first attempt was repulsed by the archers from mysore, due to this he devised a plan of making defensive jackets for his soldiers against the arrows with hard leather. He was joined by the Qutubshahi forces and his Uncle Ekojiraje.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj then took rest for 20 days near Tanjore, after this he advanced to Trichinopoly. This time the experience and the leather jackets helped him a lot. Maharaj also deployed his archers to use fire lite arrows and to locate and the artillery base. The archers performed the orders well and the city and the fort was thus captured by the Marathas.
After getting to know about this defeat and that many of his men are now a part of Maharaj’s camp he quickly requested Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for a treaty which he accepted as he couldn’t stay away from the Maratha mainland for long. He ordered the Mysore state to pay him 1 crore Hons and a regular tribute to him.
The Extermination of the Portuguese of Goa
In the late 1683, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj undertook the campaign against the Portuguese of Goa to safeguard the Konkan belt. The Portuguese were in support of Aurangzeb and provided their support by giving them supplies, access to their ports and also giving them same passages through their territory. It was very important for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to curb the Portuguese interference in the war.
He first tried to warn the Governor Francisco de Távora, but after understanding that the Portuguese are not heeding to the warning, he decided to invade the Portuguese occupied territories. Maharaj’s invasion was so fast and hard that the Portuguese army couldn’t stand in front of him. The Governor himself was so frightened that he fled to mainland Goa and hid in a Cathedral where the crypt of Saint Francis Xavier was kept. He prayed to the dead body of the saint to save him from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Coincidently, even Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had to back off from the campaign of Goa as Mughals had entered the north of Konkan and thus this became a tradition in Goa that once a year the body of Saint Francis Xavier is pulled out of the coffin and this tradition is still followed till this date.
The Portuguese were saved but completely devasted by the invasion, taking a lesson from this the English in Bombay entered into a peace treaty with Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
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Betrayal and Capture
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj used to follow the policies that were framed by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, one of those was to not give any Watan or fief to a commander. As Watandars, turn their loyalty and many a times oppress the commoners. Therefore, Watandari system was banned in Swarajya. But even though after being banned, Ganoji Shirke who was himself brother of Maharani Yesubai and was married to Rajkunwarbai (daughter of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj). Maharaj denied giving Watan to Ganoji due to which he held grudge against him and started having talks with Mughal commander Muqqarab Khan.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Kavi Kalash had to came to Sardesai Wada in Sangameshwar via Panhala for some administrative work on his way to Raigad to check the Mughal advances on Raigad by Ittikhatkhan, this was the time Muqqarab Khan who was near Kolhapur started to his mission with a force of around 1500-2000. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj even got the idea about Muqqarab Khan’s plan but expected him to reach Sangameshwar in 6 days. But Ganoji Shirke, helped him and brought him to Sangameshwar within 3 days.
Even Malaji Ghorpade who was stationed at Panhala noticed and guessed the plans of Muqqarab Khan and immediately to a battalion and reached Sangameshwar by an alternative route as fast as possible. After Malojibaba reached Sangameshwar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj came to know about this emergency situation and immediately escaped Sangameshwar with a army battalion of just 500 and started advancing towards Navdi bandar to cross it in order to reach Mahad via Jaigad and Dabhol. Unfortunately, a battalion of 1500 had already covered the area near the river. He was caught here after some skirmish and then without wasting any time was deported to Bahadurgad within 3 days. Muqqarab Khan knew that if the Marathas get the news of capture, they will be mercilessly killed. Therefore, he once again took the Ganoji and reached Bahadurgad where Aurangzeb had his camp.
At the camp, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was brought in front of Aurangzeb. This was the 2nd meet of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb, out of happiness Aurangzeb got down from his throne and started praying the Almighty. Seeing this, Maharaj asked Kavi Kalash to make a poem. To which Kavi kalash quickly responded,
यावन रावन की सभा संभू बंन्ध्यो बजरंग ।
लहू लसत सिंदूर सम खूब खेल्यो रनरंग ।।
ज्यो रबि छबि लखतही नथीत होत बदरंग ।
त्यो तव तेज निहारके तखत त्यजो अवरंग ।।
Meaning: Sambhaji Raja like Bajranga in Yavanarupi Ravana’s (Aurangzeb) assembly
has been bound.
Maharaj’s bloody limbs from the battle he fought
looked like Hanuman covered with Shendur.
When the sun rises in the sky the fireflies grow dull, so Shambhuraja-
Because of your brilliance, Aurangzeb has become dull.
Aurangzeb then put three conditions in front of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to free himself:
- Tell the names of the traitors from the Mughal army.
- Where is the treasure of the Maratha Empire hidden?
- Conversion to Islam.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj without even thinking of any consequence straight up denied all the conditions and started insulting Aurangzeb by memorizing the bad deeds Aurangzeb had done. He was so furious at Aurangzeb that he even cursed him in front of the whole Darbar.
Aurangzeb the ordered to torture Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj until he accepts the conditions. He ordered to pluck out the eyes of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and his friend Kavi Kalash, he then orders his soldiers to cut their tongues off, peel their skin, pull the nails out and every unimaginable torture. But Maharaj was the Chhava of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and refused to betray his values and his people and finally after 40 days of extreme torture he was executed by beheading and his body was into small pieces on 11th of March 1689. His body pieces were then thrown near the river at Tulapur.
This noble Chhatrapati laid down his life at 32 years of age in service of his nation, people and Dharma and therefore also came to be known as ‘Dharmaveer’ (Protector of Dharma). He will be remembered in the hearts of people of India forever.
But this enraged the Marathas even further and even after his death the Marathas fought in against the Mughals under the leadership of Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and Maharani Tarabai. His wife and son were arrested after the Mughals captured Raigad after his death. But before that Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj was declared as the Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire by Maharani Yesubai and help him flee to Jinji from where he managed Swarajya for 8 years. The Marathas fought for the dream of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and to avenge the murder of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj until the death of Aurangzeb 1707, where the Marathas hailed victory.
Legacy
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is remembered as a great warrior who fought 140 battles but never lost one. He knew how to utilise his resources effectively and had proved this many a times. But he was not just a warrior king but also a able administrator, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj used to uphold the values of public welfare instilled in him by Rajmata Jijausaheb and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which he lived up to his last breath.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj also encouraged and helped farmers in his Empire during the droughts from 1684-88. He encouraged farming and also lend barren lands for cultivation overseeing maximizing the production. He cared for his subjects like a father would care for his children.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is an inspiration to all Indians and will be remembered for his valour and sacrifice forever. A royal who lived and sacrificed his life for the people of his country.