After that, Aurangzeb ordered Sambhaji Raje and Kavi Kalash to be tortured to death the process took over a fortnight and included plucking out their eyes and tongue, pulling out their nails and removing their skin.
Sambhaji Raje and Kavi Kalash captured by Aurangzeb taken to Bahadurgad, where Aurangzeb humiliated them by parading them wearing clown's clothes and they were subjected to insults by Mughal soldiers. In the midst of this family issues outsiders such as Adilshah, Siddi, Portuguese, British all of them became empires fierce enemies. Aurangzeb invades the Swarajya with an army of five lakh to Sambhaji's 60-70,000, but he is soundly beaten by Sambhaji's ganimi kava (guerilla warfare). He is further enraged when one of his rebel sons, Akbar, joins hands with Sambhaji. He decides to invade the Maratha Empire immediately. The audacity and military genius of Sambhaji shocks even Aurangzeb. Sambhaji anticipates a Mughal invasion and deals a severe blow to the Mughal Empire by plundering the rich city of Burhanpur. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb is bent on destroying the Swarajya. At his coronation, Sambhaji pardons all the conspirators and reinstates their posts in consideration of their contribution to the Swarajya. Sambhaji then crowns himself second Chatrapati of the Maratha Empire. He spends a few months reforming the administration of Swarajya. With his help, Sambhaji captures the conspirators and takes the control of Raigad Fort. However, Hambirrao Mohite (the brother of Soyrabai and uncle of Rajaram), the commander-in-chief of the Maratha army supports Sambhaji. They crown the 10-year-old Rajaram without informing Sambhaji of his father's demise. Soon after, Shivaji dies at Raigad.Īfter the death of Shivaji, Annaji Datto Sachiv and other key ministers, supported by Rajmata Soyarabai, conspire against Sambhaji to prevent his accession. This keeps the Mughals away from Swarajya for two years, while Shivaji completes his Southern conquest. When Shivaji sets out on his southern conquest, he sends Sambhaji into the Mughal camp of Diler Khan, faking a rebellion by Sambhaji.
Sambhaji handles the responsibility well and raises a new army of recruits in Shringarpur. While Sambhaji is stationed at Shringarpur as the governor of Prabhanvalli, poet, warrior, and old acquaintance Kavi Kalash becomes his closest friend. Sambhaji's life is filled with accusations and insults. Corrupt ministers led by Annaji Datto (who holds a grudge against Sambhaji, who has called him out for his corruption) rekindle Rajmata Soyarabai's ambition to make her son Rajaram, the younger son of Shivaji Maharaj, the next Chatrapati. After the birth of Rajaram I, family disputes begin to rise within the empire. Foreign powers take note of his intelligence and skills, which include writing four books in Sanskrit. He proves himself an excellent general by defeating Kayum Khan's army in his first battle and is widely praised. Six or seven years later, Sambhaji becomes the prince of Swarajya. He is then married to Jivubai per Maratha custom, she takes the name Yesubai. After escaping from Agra, he travels from Mathura to Raigad Fort, the Marathi capital, on his own. His battle for self-rule begins when he meets Mirza Raje ans a nine-year-old. Sambhaji loses his mother at the age of two and grows up under the influence of his grandmother Jijabai. Sambhaji, son of Shivaji is a warrior who fights for Swarajya self rule and becomes a Maratha Chhatrapati.