Sambhaji

Infobox Person
name = Sambhaji Bhonsle


caption =
birth_date = Birth date|1657|5|14
birth_place = Purandar Fort, near Pune, India
death_date = Death date and age|1689|3|11|1657|5|14
death_place =
other_names =
known_for = Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire
occupation =
nationality =
title = Chhatrapati
predecessor = Shivaji
successor = Shahu
parents = Shivaji Bhonsle and Sai bai
spouse = Yesubai
children = Shahu

Sambhaji Raje Bhonsle (Marathi: धर्मवीर संभाजी राजे भोसले) (May 14, 1657 – March 11, 1689) was the eldest son of the Maratha Empire founder Shivaji, and succeeded him as the Chhatrapati or the High Protector of the Maratha Empire.

Early life

A scholar of Sanskrit and seven other languages, Sambhaji quickly gained a firm political standing in the Maratha kingdom and, by the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji's coronation in 1674, he was able to impress visiting dignitaries with his acumen, intelligence, personality and, most important of all, modesty. Unfortunately, within two weeks after Chhatrapati Shivaji's coronation, his grandmother Jijabai died and Sambhaji was left with nobody to nurture him. And the fact that Shivaji was too busy with the affairs of the state did not help.

Innovative Poet

Chatrapati Sambhaji wrote several poems including a highly prestigious Sanskrit poem book “Budh bhushan”. He even composed poems in Hindi language.

Estrangement and reconciliation with father

For almost one year, Sambhaji left the Shivaji's kingdom and joined Aurangzeb's commander, Diler Khan as part of politics.

The above was just a Brilliant Plan of Sambhaji Maharaj, who had learned politics from Childhood from Shivaji Maharaj.Shivaji Maharaj had gone to South for capturing Adilshahi forts. Sambhaji Maharaj was alone with a small number of men. Diler Khan had come with a big force by orders of Aurangzeb to finish of the Maratha Empire. Therefore Sambhaji Maharaj played a trick on him and sent him a letter saying that he was unhappy of Shivaji Maharaj's stance on granting princehood to Rajaram.

Diler Khan was happy listening to this. In turn he informed Aurangzeb and asked Sambhaji Maharaj to join him. There were a series of 6 letter communications between Sambhaji Maharaj and Diler Khan. Each time permission from Aurangzeb was taken. This took a lot of time and in the meantime Shivaji Maharaj had returned.

Coronation

Moropant Pingle and Annaji Datto wanted to arrest Sambhaji at the fort of Panhala, where he was staying at the time of Shivaji's death. They wanted to crown Rajaram in opposition to Sambhaji as Maratha emperor. However Sarnobat, the then Supreme Commander of Maratha forces and Hambirrao Mohite, Rajaram's uncle( Mothers btother)supported Sambhaji since he was the rightful heir to the throne. At the time of Shivaji's death, there was news of impending attack of Aurangzeb's army on Marathas and at such a crucial juncture, a strong leader like Sambhaji was the need of the hour. Therefore Hambirrao did not support his own sister and sided with Sambhaji.It was chiefly because of Hambirrao Mohite's support that Sambhaji was able to ascend to his rightful place on the Maratha throne in 1681.However Sambhaji pardoned Moropant Pingale and again re-appointed him on the post of “Peshwa”.Later on there were no differences between Sambhaji and Moropant Pingale as they together participated in the 1681 Burhanpur war.

War with Mughals

Within a year or so of Sambhaji's coronation, Sultan Muhammad Akbar took shelter with him and sought Sambhaji's aid in winning the Mughal throne from his father Aurangzeb. The Mughal Emperor had invaded the Deccan in 1680 AD vowing to destroy the Maratha state that had been founded by Shivaji. His Mughal army had about 400,000 strength which, at the time, was perhaps the largest army in the world. It was to be the final war in his life and lasted all of 27 years until his death near Aurangabad in 1707.

It was a disproportionate battle in all senses. Aurangzeb's army was at least 8 to 9 times larger than Sambhaji's. His whole empire was around 15 times bigger than Sambhaji's. However, Sambhaji led the fight valiantly and did not let Aurangzeb win even a single major victory. The tenacity and sheer will of the Maratha resistance to the Mughal invasion is best illustrated by the story of the Ramshej fort near Nashik. Aurangzeb's commanders claimed that they would win the fort within hours but the fight for the fort lasted for over six years. Sambhaji also made strategically adroit moves by comprehensively defeating the enemies of his kingdom like Siddi of Janjira, Chikkadev Rai of Mysore and Portuguese of Goa and Bassein (Vasai) before they could turn on him and support Aurangzeb.

The Marathas lead by Sambhaji fought almost single-handedly against all the enemies. To make matters worse, there was a devastating famine in the region in 1686-87.

Capture and Execution

In early 1689, Sambhaji called his commanders for a strategic meeting at Sangameshwar in Konkan. In a meticulously planned operation, Ganoji Shirke and Aurangzeb's commander, Mukarrab Khan attacked Sangameshwar when Sambhaji was about to leave the town. A small ambush followed and Sambhaji was captured by Mughal troops on 1 Feb, 1689. There were small attacks by Ramdasi people from Battis Shirala’s Math (group related to Samartha Ramdas's follower) this attack was also assisted by local Maratha soldiers but this attack was unsuccessful and Dixit- Bhat of Shirala and 50 other Maratha soldiers killed by Moguls while trying to rescue Sambhaji.This incident happened on 3rd of February 1689.Later with strong army of 20,000 people Julphikarkhan moved towards Karad and then Baramati and finally to Bahadurgad near Bhima river. He and his advisor, Kavi Kalash were taken to Bahadurgad.

After learning that Sambhjaji had been captured and produced before him as a prisoner, Aurangzeb felt very happy. He stood up from his royal seat and offered prayed to God and bent towards land. Kavi Kalash captured this scene in small poem which was still remembered in Maharashtra. It was praise of Sambhaji’s courage and glowing of eyes and face of Sambhaji Raje, Kavi kalash wanted to say that since Aurangzeb have not ever saw such a sharp and courageous man in his entire life that’s why he acknowledged Sambhaji’s greatness by standing up from his royal seat. Aurangzeb humiliated them by parading them wearing clown's clothes. Later, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were tied upside down to camels with Mughal soldiers throwing stones, mud, and cow dung at them.

When they were brought face to face with Aurangzeb, the latter offered to let Sambhaji live if he surrendered all the Maratha forts, turn over all his hidden treasures,disclose the names of all the Mughal officers who had helped him and embrace Islam religion. Sambhaji refused to convert, and instead sang praises of Mahadev (Lord Shiva). Aurangzeb ordered him and Kavi Kalash to be tortured to death. Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were brutally tortured for over a fortnight. The torture involved plucking out their eyes and tongue and pulling out their nails. The later part involved of removing their skin. On March 11, 1689, Sambhaji was finally killed, reportedly by tearing him apart from the front and back with 'Wagh Nakhe (Tiger claws, a kind of weapon), and was beheaded with an axe. This grievous death was given to him at Vadhu on the banks of Bhima river, near Pune.

Despite the torture, Sambhaji refused to submit to Aurangzeb's conditions. In so doing he earned the title of "Dharmaveer" (Protector of the Religion) by which he is known to this day. Aurangzeb ordered to cut Sambhaji's body into pieces and throw it into the river.Residents of nearby village named 'Vadhu' collected as many pieces of his body as they found, sewed them together and performed the final rites on his body. These villagers later went on to use the surname 'Shivle' or 'Shivale', as per spelling preference, which means sewing in the Marathi language.

Immediate aftereffects of Sambhaji's execution

With Sambhaji's death, Maratha confederacy was thrown in a disarray. He was succeeded as leader of the Marathas by his younger brother Rajaram. The Commander in chief of Maratha army, Mhaloji Ghorpade, who succeeded Hambirrao Mohite, died in the ambush at Sangameshwar. A few days after Sambhaji's death, the capital Raigad fell to the Mughals and Sambhaji's wife and son were captured. However, Sambhaji's torture and heroic death unleashed an unprecedented unity and heroic spirit among the Marathas. Aurangzeb continued his grim war against the Marathas for another 18 years but could not subjugate the Maratha state.

Aurangzeb spent the last 25 years of his life in the Deccan, in constant warfare to vanquish the Marathas. He died on 3rd March 1707, at Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. In 1737, within 50 years of the torture and death of Sambhaji, Maratha JAT Allied armies entered Delhi and had re-established Hindu rule over all of western, central and much of northern India. It was the first time after 1192, when Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Mohammed Ghori, that a Hindu army was in control of Delhi except for a brief period by Hemu in 1556. The Maratha empire would remain the foremost military power in India till they lost power to the British after 3 Anglo-Maratha wars, the last of which ended in 1818..

Legacy

There is some dispute among historians about Sambhaji's ability as a ruler. Some historians have portrayed him as ineffective and alcoholic. This was just a misinformation by the Mughals. Other historians, notably S.S. Shivade, portray Sambhaji as a capable ruler. But whatever may have been his inadequacies as a ruler, his redemption and symbolism came in his death, and it is for this that he is mostly remembered by the Marathi people to this day.

It is quite interesting to look at his own version. After he assumed the charge of Chhatrapati, he issued a Danapatra which is a eulogy right from his great grandfather Maloji to himself. He writes about him'Balbhavendra prasthadhinathanudnyat mallayudhadatt adnyabhanga:It means he(Aurangzeb) asked me to wrestle before him to which he refused.' This was during his visit along with his father to Aurangzeb's court in Agra.

References

There are a few Marathi historical novels based on the life of Sambhaji. They include "Chhava" (meaning tiger cub) by "'Shivaji Sawant". But this is only a novel and not so close to reality. "Sambhaji" by Vishwas Patil, and "Shree Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj" by W.S.Bendre and the most authoritative work on Sambhaji is 'Jwala jwalantejas Sambhaji raja' by Sadashiv Shivade.

ee also

*Chhatrapati
*Maratha Empire
*Bhonsle family ancestry

jwal jwalantejas sambhaji raja-Sadashiv Shivade