Jump to content

Execution of Sambhaji

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DareWhat? (talk | contribs) at 07:48, 3 October 2025 (URL code correction). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Execution of Sambhaji
Part of the Deccan wars
Map
Date19 February – 11 March 1689 (1689-02-19 – 1689-03-11)
DurationThree weeks
VenueTulapur arch
LocationTulapur
Coordinates18°40′10″N 73°59′44″E / 18.6694°N 73.9955°E / 18.6694; 73.9955
TypeExecution by beheading
Cause
ReporterKhafi Khan
Ishwar Das [hi]
Organized byMughal Empire

Sambhaji, the second Maratha king, was put to death by order of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. 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. During the Deccan Wars, Aurangzeb was drawn to southern India due to the Maratha attack on Burhanpur and his rebellious son Muhammad Akbar who sought support from the Maratha monarch, Sambhaji.[1][2] After some battles and skirmishes, the Mughal commander Muqarrab Khan captured Sambhaji along with some of his officers. They were executed by the command of Aurangzeb at Tulapur in modern-day Maharashtra.

Background

See also: Siege of Golconda and Siege of Bijapur
Portrait of Sambhaji

After the death of Shivaji in 1680, his son Sambhaji escaped confinement at Panhala and secured the throne, eliminating ministers who opposed his succession.[3] He pursued campaigns against the Mughals in continuity with his father’s policies.[4]

In 1681 the Marathas raided Burhanpur, a wealthy Mughal trading city. Contemporary Mughal chroniclers accused Sambhaji’s forces of extensive plunder and atrocities, including sexual violence, and John F. Richards argues that Sambhaji permitted looser discipline than Shivaji had exercised.[5] Modern historians note, however, that such accounts were shaped by Mughal hostility toward the Marathas and may have been polemical.[6]

For the Muslim nobles of Burhanpur, the raid carried religious overtones; some argued that if the Mughal state could not safeguard Muslim lives and property, Aurangzeb’s legitimacy as ruler should not be recognized in Friday congregational prayers.[7] This discontent, coupled with the presence of Aurangzeb’s rebellious son Akbar in Sambhaji’s camp, led Aurangzeb to expand imperial campaigns in the Deccan.[8]

During the sieges of Golconda and Bijapur, some Muslim ulama questioned Aurangzeb about fighting fellow Muslims. Aurangzeb justified the campaigns on the grounds that the sultans had sheltered Sambhaji, whom Mughal sources portrayed as a threat to Muslim subjects, and further criticized Abul Hasan Qutb Shah for ceding authority to his Brahmin ministers.[9] The eventual fall of the Deccan sultanates opened a new phase of imperial expansion commonly referred to as the "Deccan Wars".[10]

Aurangzeb

Capture of Sambhaji

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.[11]

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 was killed by a cannonball during the conflict.[12] 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 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.[13]

Sambhaji was caught off guard by the Mughal commander Muqarrab Khan, resulting in a battle at Sangameshwar 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. The Mughals discovered his hiding place, and despite his attempts to flee, Sambhaji was apprehended on 1 February 1689.[14] Twenty-five others among Sambhaji's officers were also captured.[13][15] 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.[14]

Execution

Tulapur stone arch, where Sambhaji was executed

Sambhaji and his minister Kavi Kalash were taken to the Mughal camp near the Bhima river. Unlike the treatment given to the rulers of Bijapur and Golconda, who were incorporated into the Mughal nobility, Sambhaji was subjected to humiliation before his execution.[16]

According to the chronicler Khafi Khan, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were dressed in jesters' caps and paraded on camels through the Mughal camp, amidst the beating of drums and the pealing of trumpets, before being brought to Aurangzeb.[17]According to the Mughal chronicler, Khafi Khan[a] and Ishwar Das Nagar, that very night, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were blinded with red-hot irons.[18]

On 11 March 1689, at Koregaon on the River Bhima, Sambhaji was executed by beheading.[19] While his death was a significant victory for Aurangzeb, Maratha resistance soon revived under Rajaram and other leaders, and the conflict in the Deccan continued for the remainder of Aurangzeb's reign.[16][19]

Aftermath

Statue of Sambhaji

During his reign, Sambhaji was unable to accomplish much for his people. However, his death elevated him to the status of a martyr.[20] Sambhaji's son, Shahu, was held captive by Aurangzeb and was only released when he reached maturity.[21] Following these events, the Mughals reached their peak in terms of territorial expansion, establishing the farthest extent of dominion in the subcontinent. Despite this, conflicts between the Marathas and Mughals 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.[22]

References

Bibliography

  • Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1 January 2005). Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707-1813. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-1-932705-54-6.

Sources

Notes

  1. ^ Khafi Khan wrote his chronicles decades after the execution. He is not believed to have been an eye witness to the trial and execution of Sambhaji or Aurangzeb's Deccan campaign

Citations

  1. ^ "History Of Aurangzib,vol.5 : Sarkar,jadunath : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. 1 July 2015. p. n128. Retrieved 23 February 2025. With the accession of Shambhuji the scene changed. The flight of the rebel prince Muhammad Akbar to the Maratha Court forced Aurangzib to march to the Deccan to watch this new danger to his throne and to personally guide the operations of his troops. He arrived at Aurangabad on 22nd March 1682, and soon began a well-planned and vigorous offensive against the Maratha power.
  2. ^ Ashraf, Syed Dawooo (23 October 2016). "Full text of "Mughal Administration Of The Deccan 1658 1707 With Special Reference To Maharashtra"". Internet Archive. p. 19. Retrieved 23 February 2025. Aurangzeb came to the Deccan with the main intention and aim to watch and check the activities of his rebel son Akber, Sambhuji the Maratha King.....
  3. ^ Gordon, Stewart (1993). The Marathas 1600–1818. Cambridge University Press. pp. 109–111. ISBN 978-0521268837.
  4. ^ Gordon, Stewart (1993). The Marathas 1600–1818. Cambridge University Press. pp. 112–114. ISBN 978-0521268837.
  5. ^ Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 232–233. ISBN 978-0521566032.
  6. ^ Guha, Sumit (1999). Environment and Ethnicity in India, 1200–1991. Cambridge University Press. pp. 82–84. ISBN 978-0521641104.
  7. ^ Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-0521566032.
  8. ^ Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 233–234. ISBN 978-0521566032.
  9. ^ Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 236–238. ISBN 978-0521566032.
  10. ^ Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. p. 238. ISBN 978-0521566032.
  11. ^ Karandikar, Shivaram Laxman (1969). The Rise and Fall of the Maratha Power. Sitabai Shivram Karandikar. pp. 307–310.
  12. ^ Joshi, Pandit Shankar (1980). Chhatrapati Sambhaji, 1657-1689 A.D. S. Chand. p. 241.
  13. ^ a b Mehta 2005, pp. 49–50. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFMehta2005 (help)
  14. ^ a b Kulkarni, G. T. (1983). The Mughal-Maratha Relations: Twenty Five Fateful Years, 1682-1707. Department of History, Deccan College Post-Graduate Research Institute. p. 74.
  15. ^ Richards 1993, p. 223. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFRichards1993 (help)
  16. ^ a b Mehta, Jaswant Lal (2005). Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707–1813. Sterling Publishers. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9781932705546.
  17. ^ Khafi Khan (1874). Muntakhab al-Lubab. Bibliotheca Indica. Asiatic Society of Bengal. pp. 298–299.
  18. ^ Pāṭīla, Śālinī (1987). Maharani Tarabai of Kolhapur, C. 1675-1761 A.D. S. Chand & Company. pp. 46–48. ISBN 978-81-219-0269-4.
  19. ^ a b Richards, John F. (1993). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 223–225. ISBN 9780521566032.
  20. ^ Mehta 2005, p. 50. sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFMehta2005 (help)
  21. ^ Johnston, Harry (1986). The Great Pioneer in India, Ceylon, Bhutan & Tibet. Mittal Publications. p. 252.
  22. ^ Richards, John F. (1993). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 217–223. ISBN 978-0-521-56603-2.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Execution_of_Sambhaji&oldid=1314799703"