Shivaji Bhonsale I, also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur which formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad Fort.
Bajirao I, born as Visaji, was the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Confederacy. During his 20-year tenure as a Peshwa, he defeated Nizam-ul-Mulk at several battles like the Battle of palkhed and Battle of Bhopal. Bajirao contributed to Maratha supremacy in southern India and northern India. Thus, he was partly responsible for establishing Maratha power in Gujarat, Malwa, Rajputana and Bundelkhand and liberating Konkan from the Siddis of Janjira and Portuguese rule.
Sambhaji Bhosale 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 Empire. Sambhaji's rule was largely shaped by the ongoing wars between the Maratha Empire and the Mughal Empire, as well as other neighbouring powers such as the Siddis, Mysore and the Portuguese in Goa. After Sambhaji's death, his brother Rajaram I succeeded him as the next Chhatrapati and continue the Mughal–Maratha Wars.
Tanaji Malusare was a warrior and commander of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A local poet Tulsidas, wrote a powada describing Tanaji's heroics and sacrifice of life in the Battle of Sinhagad, which has since made him a popular figure in Indian folklore.
Netaji Palkar (1620–1681) was a Sardar Senapati or Sarnaubat (Commander-in-Chief) under Chhatrapati Shivaji, founder of the Maratha empire.
Jai Singh II popularly known as Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the 29th Kachwaha Rajput ruler of the Kingdom of Amber, who later founded the fortified city of Jaipur and made it his capital. He was born at Amber, the capital of the Kachwaha Rajputs. He became ruler of Amber at the age of 11 after the death of his father, Raja Bishan Singh on 31 December 1699.
Afzal Khan was a general who served the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur Sultanate in India. He played an important role in the southern expansion of the Bijapur Sultanate by subjugating the Nayaka chiefs who had taken control of the former Vijayanagara territory.
Murarbaji Deshpande was a general in the early Maratha Empire during the reign of Chatrapati Shivaji. He is best remembered for his defense of the Purandar Fort against Dilir Khan, a Mughal general who accompanied Jai Singh I in the 17th-century siege on Purandar.
Ram Singh I was the elder son of Jai Singh I and was the ruler of Amber, and head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan. He was also subehdar of Kashmir.
The Maratha Conquests were a series of conquests in the Indian subcontinent which led to the building of the Maratha Empire. These conquests were started by Shivaji in 1659, from the victory at the Battle of Pratapgad against Bijapur. The expansion of the empire was limited and interrupted by the Mughal conquests of south India by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Marathas were forced to defend their territories against the overwhelmingly strong Mughal army in the 27 years long Deccan wars. They were able to defend their territories and gain an upper hand over Mughals in the sustained conflict.
The Battle of Sinhagad, also known as Battle of Kondhana, involved an attack by the forces of the Maratha Empire during the night of 4 February 1670 on the fort of Sinhagad, near the city of Pune, Maharashtra, in the Mughal Empire.
The Kingdom of Amber, alson known as Kingdom of Dhoondar and Jaipur State, was located in the Rajputana region of India and was ruled by the Kachhwaha clan. It was established by Dulha Rai, possibly the last ruler of the Kachchhapaghata dynasty of Gwalior who migrated to Dausa and started his kingdom there with the support of Chahamanas of Shakambhari in the 11th century. Mostly through 12th to 15th century, the kingdom faced stagnation sources are scarce. Under Chandrasen, it became a Sisodia vassal and fought in the Battle of Khanwa under Prithviraj Kachhwaha.
Jai Singh I was a senior general of the Mughal Empire and the Raja of the Kingdom of Amber. His predecessor was his grand uncle, Raja Bhau Singh.
Purandar Fort is a mountain fort in Pune district in Western Indian state of Maharashtra, India. The fort stands at 4,472 ft above the sea level in the Western Ghats, 50 km to the southeast of Pune.
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 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.
Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha Empire in the Indian subcontinent. The early life of Shivaji is a topic of great interest in the popular culture of India, especially in the Maharashtra state, where he spent most of his life. This article describes. Shivaji's life from his birth until the age of 19 years (1630-1649).
Battle of Umberkhind took place on 3 February 1661 in the mountain range of Sahyadri near the city of Khopoli, Maharashtra, India. The battle was fought between the Maratha army under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and General Kartalab Khan of the Mughal Empire. The Marathas defeated the Mughal forces. This battle was a great example of guerrilla warfare. On the orders of Aurangzeb, Shahista Khan sent Kartalab Khan and Rai Bagan to attack Rajgad Fort. Shivaji's men encountered them in a forest in the mountain hills, which was called the Umberkhind.
The siege of Bijapur began in March 1685 and ended in September 1686, with 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 by the Mughals, lasting more than 15 months until Aurangzeb personally arrived to organize a victory.
The Battle of Purandar was fought between the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire in 1665. The Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, appointed Jai Singh to lead a 14,000 strong army against Shivaji and deputed several Mughal commanders like Dilir Khan, Rai Singh, Sujan Singh and Daud Khan to serve Jai Singh in his campaign. to besiege Shivaji's fortress at Purandar. After Mughal forces killed Maratha General, Murarbaji on 2 June 1665, Shivaji surrendered and gave up 23 of his fortresses.
Jalal Khan Daudzai, known by his title Diler Khan, was a Mughal general who served under Aurangzeb and was the governor of Awadh. He was the son of Nawab Darya Khan Daudzai, a mansabdar of Pashtun Afghan ethnicity, who had migrated to India in 1603. He is known to battle and kill Murarbaji, the military general of Shivaji and the in-charge of Purandar Forts.
