New Delhi: Chhaava, a historical action film based on the life of Maratha Emperor Sambhaji is scheduled for a theatrical release on February 14, 2025, and actor Vicky Kaushal is essaying the character of Sambhaji. The film is based on the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant. It is a fact universally acknowledged that Sambhaji is one of the greatest rulers in the history of India, someone who shaped the course of the Maratha Empire after his father Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid its foundation. In this article, we will take a look at some of the interesting facets of the life of Sambhaji Maharaj.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj: A life of conflicts and battles
Sambhaji was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire who ruled from 1681 to 1689. He was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the man who founded the Maratha Empire and started its journey with his battles against the Mughal Empire, most notably its last prominent ruler Aurangzeb. Like Shivaji, the life of Sambhaji was also riddled with conflicts with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, with continous battles between the two forces deciding the fate of the Indian subcontinent at that time.
The imprisonment and attempt to change sides
Shivaji was unhappy with the lifestyle and behaviour of a young Sambhaji and hence, he imprisoned his son at Panhala fort in 1678 to mend his ways. Sambhaji escaped from the fort with his wife and joined Diler Khan, the Mughal viceroy of Deccan, in December 1678. He planned to switch sides to the Mughals, but upon learning of their plan to arrest him, Sambhaji quickly came back to his father.
Becoming the ruler of the Maratha Empire
After the death of Shivaji in April 1680, Sambhaji, who was kept as a captive at Panhala Fort by his father to keep an eye om him, faced an uphill task to become the ruler of the Maratha Empire. Some of the court ministers were against him and supported Soyarabai, Shivaji’s widow and Sambhaji’s stepmother. She installed the couple’s son, Rajaram who was then just 10 years old on the throne on April 21, 1680. Sambhaji began his journey to the throne by conquering Panhala Fort and then the Raigad Fort. After removing all barriers, he formally became the ruler of the Maratha Empire on July 20, 1680.
The conflicts with the Mughal Empire and others
A major part of Sambhaji’s life was spent fighting the Mughal Empire led by Aurangzeb. He routed the Mughal army during his sacking of Burhanpur, the first major expedition of Sambhaji against the Mughals. He provided shelter to Aurangzeb’s rebellious son Muhammad Akbar and helped him escape to Persia. Sambhaji thwarted the Mughals from capturing Ramsej Fort and Konkan and even forced Aurangzeb to avoid the Maratha Empire and look for success against the Adil Shahi dynasty and the Qutb Shahi dynasty.
Sambhaji and his empire also clashed with the Siddis, Muslims of Abyssinian descent settled in India over control of the Konkan coast and with the early Portuguese colonists, whom the Maratha forces simply routed. He also signed a defensive treaty with the English in 1684 to obtain English arms and gunpowder, which emboldened him further in his expeditions.
The death of Sambhaji
In February 1689, the Mughal forces captured Sambhaji and some of his advisors in a skirmish at Sangameshwar after some Maratha officials close to him betrayed his location to the Mughals. Sambhaji and his companions were humiliated and tortured, but the Mughals could not break the spirit of the great Maratha Emperor. Even though he was executed on March 11, 1689, the legacy of Sambhaji lives on as a courageous ruler who showed indomitable bravado while leading the Marathas in the quest for power.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, led a tumultuous life marked by conflict and bravery. Son of Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji’s reign was defined by continuous battles against Aurangzeb’s Mughal Empire. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
