Part of Deccan wars | |
Date | 19 February – 11 March 1689 |
---|---|
Duration | Three weeks |
Venue | Tulapur arch |
Location | Tulapur |
Coordinates | 18°40′10″N73°59′44″E / 18.6694°N 73.9955°E |
Type | Execution by beheading |
Cause |
|
Reporter | Khafi Khan Ishwar Das |
Organized by | Mughal empire |
Outcome | Death of Sambhaji |
Arrests | Sambhaji, Kavi Kalash and twenty-five Maratha officers |
Convicted |
|
The Execution of Sambhaji was a significant event in 17th-century Deccan India, where the second Maratha King was put to death by order of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The conflicts between the Mughals and the Deccan Sultanates, which resulted in the downfall of the Sultanates, paved the way for tensions between the Marathas and the Mughals. Following the death of Shivaji, his son Sambhaji ascended to the throne and conducted several campaigns against the Mughals. Unlike his father, Sambhaji tolerated instances of rape and murder committed by his army during these conflicts. This led Aurangzeb to launch a campaign against the Marathas, resulting in the capture of the Maratha King by the Mughal general Muqarrab Khan. Sambhaji and his minister Kavi Kalash were then taken to Tulapur, where they were tortured to death.
Sambhaji, the son of the first Maratha King Shivaji, faced imprisonment during his father's reign due to his irresponsible behavior and indulgence in sensual pleasures. Shivaji took the step to arrest him. Sambhaji managed to escape from the Panhala fort, where he was held captive, and sought refuge with the Mughal forces under Diler Khan. However, he soon realized that Diler Khan intended to send him to Delhi as a prisoner, prompting Sambhaji to return. Upon his return, he was once again captured by the Marathas. [1] [2]
After Shivaji's death, Sambhaji escaped from the Panhala fort and proclaimed himself king, eliminating all of Shivaji's ministers who opposed his succession. [3] Once on the throne, Sambhaji waged numerous campaigns against the Mughals, following in his father's footsteps. However, unlike Shivaji, he condoned the atrocities committed by his army. During his raid of Burhanpur, the inhabitants of the fort endured rape, torture, and robbery. [4] To the Nobles of Burhanpur, Sambhaji's raid was more than just a disruption of public order; it was seen as an attack on the Muslim community by a non-believer. If the Mughal Empire failed to protect the lives and property of Muslims, it was believed that Aurangzeb's titles as ruler should not be acknowledged during the Friday congregational prayers. Under pressure from the Marathas and Aurangzeb's rebellious son, Akbar, Aurangzeb launched a campaign towards the Deccan region. [4]
During the Mughal siege of Golconda and Bijapur, Muslim Ulema from Bijapur questioned Aurangzeb about how he could justify waging war against fellow Muslims. Aurangzeb's response was that the Sultan had harbored and aided Sambhaji, who had been causing harm to Muslims across the region. Aurangzeb also condemned Abul Hasan for the additional offense of relinquishing control of his state to his two Brahmin ministers. [4] The fall of the Deccan Sultanates marked the beginning of a new chapter in Deccan history known as the "Deccan Wars.". [5]
While Aurangzeb was besieging Golconda and Bijapur, Sambhaji observed his movements from the fort of Panhala. Following the capture of Bijapur and Golconda, a significant amount of wealth and military resources fell into Mughal hands. After seizing these two key forts, Aurangzeb deployed Sarja Khan, a seasoned general from Bijapur familiar with the Deccan terrain. [6]
In December 1687, the Battle of Wai unfolded between the Maratha forces under the command of Hambirrao Mohite, dispatched by Sambhaji, and the Mughal forces led by Sarja Khan. Despite the Maratha forces emerging victorious, Mohite tragically lost his life to a cannonball during the conflict. [7] Sambhaji's military strength dwindled after the battle, prompting him to relocate with a smaller contingent of soldiers. His camp faced encirclement by Mughal agents within the confines of the Raigarh and Panhala hills. The Maratha faction led by Soyarabai and the Shirkes betrayed Sambhaji by divulging his movements to the Mughals, resulting in the revelation of Sambhaji's whereabouts. They provided daily updates on his movements to the Mughals, ultimately leading to Sambhaji's failure to safeguard himself, despite his efforts to protect the kingdom. [8]
Sambhaji was caught off guard by the Mughal commander Muqarrab Khan, resulting in a battle at Samgamneshwar where the Marathas suffered casualties, leading to their defeat. Five Marathas were killed, and the remaining fled. Sambhaji's minister, Kavi Kalash, was captured, while Sambhaji himself managed to escape and seek refuge in a temple. However, the Mughals discovered his hiding place, and despite his attempts to flee, Sambhaji was apprehended on February 1, 1689. [9] Thus the Mughals captured Sambhaji, his minister Kavi Kalash, and twenty-five other officers. [8] [10] Muqarrab Khan transported them to Akluj, where Aurangzeb was. Upon receiving the news of their capture, Aurangzeb was pleased and renamed the place Asadnagar to commemorate the event. [9]
The two prisoners, Kavi Kalash and Sambhaji, were taken to the Imperial encampment near the Bhima river. Despite Sambhaji's royal status, he was not accorded the same respect as the Mughals granted to the rulers of Bijapur and Golconda. Instead, he and his ministers were humiliated by being dressed as buffoons in long fool's caps with bells attached, mounted on a camel, and paraded through the Mughal camps amidst the beating of drums and the pealing of trumpets. They were then presented to Aurangzeb, who was offering a thanksgiving prayer. [11] [10] Aurangzeb offered to spare Sambhaji's life on the condition that he complied with his demands;
Aurangzeb also offered him to become a Muslim. [12] During the interrogation with the Mughal officers, Sambhaji insulted both the emperor and the Islamic prophet Muhammad. As a result, a panel of Ulema sentenced him to death for the killing and capturing of Muslims. [10] At this point, Sambhaji told the Ulema to tell Aurangzeb that if he will give him the Emperor's daughter, he will become a Muslim. [12]
Upon hearing this, Aurangzeb ordered Sambhaji to be tortured to death. According to Khafi Khan and Ishwar Das , that very night, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were blinded with red-hot irons. [13] [11] [14] On March 21, 1689, at Koregaon on the River Bhima, where Aurangzeb was encamped, Sambhaji was beheaded. Aurangzeb's dream was thus fulfilled before he had been six years in the Deccan. The entire region from Narmada to Tungabhadra now lay under his dominion. The land where Shivaji had once fought was subdued, and no signs of resistance remained. [15]
During his reign, Sambhaji was unable to accomplish much for his people. However, his death elevated him to the status of a martyr. [11] Sambhaji's son, Shahu, was held captive by Aurangzeb and was only released when he reached maturity. [13] Following these events, the Mughals reached their peak in terms of territorial expansion, establishing the farthest extent of Indian Muslim dominion in the subcontinent. Despite this, conflicts between the Marathas persisted. Rajaram, the brother of Sambhaji, sought refuge in the Jinjee fort in the south, while Maratha officers continued their raids in the northern Deccan region. [4]
Shivaji I was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle dynasty. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur that formed the genesis of the Maratha Confederacy. In 1674, he was formally crowned the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad Fort.
Sambhaji, also known as Shambhuraje, was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, ruling from 1681 to 1689. He was the eldest son of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom. Sambhaji's rule was largely shaped by the ongoing wars between the Marathas and the Mughal Empire, as well as other neighbouring powers such as the Abyssinians of Janjira, Wadiyars of Mysore and the Portuguese Empire in Goa. After Sambhaji's execution by Aurangzeb, his brother Rajaram I succeeded him as the next Chhatrapati and continued the Mughal–Maratha Wars.
Shahaji Bhonsale was a 17th century Indian military leader who served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, the Bijapur Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire at various points in his career. As a member of the Bhonsle dynasty, Shahaji inherited the Pune and Supe jagirs (fiefs) from his father Maloji, who previously served the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. During the Mughal invasion of the Deccan, Shahaji joined the Mughal forces and served under Emperor Shah Jahan for a short period. After being deprived of his jagirs, he defected to the Bijapur Sultanate in 1632 and regained control over Pune and Supe. In 1638, he received the jagir of Bangalore after Bijapur's invasion of Kempe Gowda III's territories. Afterwards, he became the chief general of Bijapur and oversaw its expansion.
Balaji Vishwanath Bhat was the first of a series of hereditary Peshwas hailing from the Bhat family who gained effective control of the Maratha Empire and the Mughal vassals of the Marathas during the early 18th century. Balaji Vishwanath assisted a young Maratha king Shahu to consolidate his grip on a kingdom that had been racked by civil war and persistently intruded on by the Mughals under Aurangzeb. He was called the Second Founder of the Maratha State. He secured a grant from the Mughal court that confirmed Shahu as the legitimate Mughal vassal, at the expense of his rival Sambhaji. Later, his son Bajirao I became the Peshwa.
Rajaram Bhonsle I was the third Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom, who ruled from 1689 to his death in 1700. He was the second son of the Shivaji, the founder of the empire and younger half-brother of Sambhaji, whom he succeeded. His eleven-year reign was marked with a constant struggle against the Mughals. He was succeeded by his infant son Shivaji II under the regentship of his dowager Maharani Tarabai.
Maharani Tarabai Bhosale (née Mohite) was the regent of the Maratha Empire from 1700 until 1708. She was the queen of Rajaram I, and daughter-in-law of the kingdom'd founder Shivaji I. She is acclaimed for her role in keeping alive the resistance against Mughal rule in Konkan, and acting as the regent during the minority of her son, Shivaji II and defeated Aurangazeb
The Deccan wars, also known as Mughal–Maratha wars, were a series of military conflicts between the Mughals and the Marathas after the death of Shivaji in 1680 until the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. Shivaji was a central figure in what has been called "the Maratha insurgency" against the Mughal state. Both he and his son, Sambhaji, or Shambuji, typically, alternated between rebellion against the Mughal state and service to the Mughal sovereign in an official capacity. It was common practice in late 17th-century India for members of a ruling family of a small principality to both collaborate with the Mughals and rebel.
Qasim Yakut Khan also known as Yakut Shaikhji, Yakub Khan and Sidi Yaqub was a naval Admiral and administrator of Janjira Fort who first served under Bijapur Sultanate and later under the Mughal Empire.
Panhala fort, is located in Panhala, 20 kilometres northwest of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India. It is strategically located looking over a pass in the Sahyadri mountain range which was a major trade route from Bijapur in the interior of Maharashtra to the coastal areas. Due to its strategic location, it was the centre of several skirmishes in the Deccan involving the Marathas, the Mughals and the British the grand son's of chhatrapati shivaji maharaj East India Company, the most notable being the Battle of Pavan Khind. Here, the queen regent of Kolhapur, Tarabai Ranisaheb, spent her formative years. Several parts of the fort and the structures within are still intact. It is also called as the 'Fort of Snakes' as it is zigzagged in shape.
Tulapur is a village in Pune district, Maharashtra, India, associated with the last execution of Sambhaji, second Chatrapati of Hindavi Swarajya and son of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The siege of Bijapur began in March 1685 and ended in September 1686 with a Mughal victory. The siege began when Aurangzeb dispatched his son, Muhammad Azam Shah, with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah, the then ruler of Bijapur, who refused to be a vassal of the Mughal Empire. The siege of Bijapur was among the longest military engagements of the Mughals, lasting more than 15 months until Aurangzeb personally arrived to organize a victory.
Muqarrab Khan of Golconda, also known as Khan Zaman Fath Jang Dakhini, was an Indian Deccani Muslim, who was the most experienced commander of Qutb Shahi Dynasty, during the reign of Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. He is known for betraying Abul Hasan Qutb Shah during Siege of Golconda. He arrested Maratha Emperor Sambhaji at Sangameshwar.
Kavi Kalash was a poet, a close friend and helper to Maratha king (Chatrapati) Sambhaji who reigned 1680–1689.
The Battle of Purandar was fought between the Mughal Empire and the Marathas in 1665.
The Battle of Wai was fought in the fall of 1687 as a part of the Mughal–Maratha Wars. Maratha king Sambhaji sent his forces to counteract Shirja Khan, sent by Aurangzeb for the purpose of conquering Raigad.
Annaji Datto Sachiv was the Sachiv in the Ashta Pradhan mandal of the Maratha Empire during the rule of Shivaji.
Swarajyarakshak Sambhaji is an Indian historical drama based on the life of warrior king Sambhaji. The series is directed by Vivek Deshpande and Kartik Rajaram Kendhe and is written by Pratap Gangavane. It is produced and starred by Amol Kolhe in lead role of Sambhaji, Vilas Sawant and Sonali Ghanashyam Rao under the banner of Jagadamb Creations. It premiered from 24 September 2017 by replacing Kahe Diya Pardes and aired on Zee Marathi.
Shivaji's Southern campaigns are also defined as Maratha invasion of Karnataka and Dakshina Digvijaya campaigns. Following his coronation as sovereign ruler, Shivaji faced a tumultuous period marked by the loss of his trusted advisor and mother, Jijabai, and escalating conflicts with neighboring powers.
The Siege of Janjira was a military campaign undertaken by the Maratha Confederacy, commanded by Sambhaji, the second Maratha ruler, against the Siddis of Janjira in January 1682. The Maratha forces, led by Sambhaji, withdrew from Janjira to the Konkan region in response to Mughal attacks, leaving a contingent behind under the command of Dadaji Raghunath Deshpande. Despite their efforts, the Marathas were unable to capture the fort, and the Siddis pursued the retreating forces, plundering Maratha territories.
The Siege of Panhala was led by Siddi Jauhar on behalf of the Bijapur Sultanate, dispatched by Ali Adil Shah II to reclaim the Panhala Fort, was a momentous undertaking. Shivaji had seized Panhala on 28 November 1659, just 18 days after the death of Afzal Khan at Pratapgad. Despite the efforts of two of Bijapur Sultanate’s prominent commanders, Afzal Khan and Rustam Zaman, who had both failed in their attempts to capture Shivaji, victory eluded them. With Bijapur running short of options and facing the expanding influence of Shivaji, the responsibility of bringing this campaign to a conclusion fell on Siddi Jauhar. By taking on this pivotal role, Siddi Jauhar finally earned favor at the Bijapur court, leading to the restoration of the Kurnool district to him, and Shivaji had to surrender the Panhala fort.