Campaigns

Sambhajis first campaign was immediately in May 1680. He openly challenged the Mughal Viceroy Khan Jehan alias Bahadur Khan Koka. The Maratha regiments split into three , one attacking the mughal territory of Surat, the other raiding Khandesh and the third taking on the imperial forces at Aurangabad. The attacks proved a success for the Marathas and they came back with a rich booty. Sambhaji and Habirrao Mohite even looted the mughal camp at Burhanpur divesting it of twenty million rupees.
Sambhajis second campaign was a daring attempt to capture the sea fort of Janjira, which unfortunately proved a failure. He even lost a brave officer by the name of Kondaji Farzand. Kondaji had managed to befriend the guarding Siddis (Abyssinians) of Janjira . He had gained their trust by citing his differences with Sambhaji. He thus managed to enter the fort and was about to capture it from within. But unluckily,Kondajis plan was exposed at the last minute and he was arrested and beheaded by the Siddis. A second attempt by another officer Dadaji Raghunath was also foiled, this time by the cruel sea, when the fierce sea waves wrecked his attacking boats. A third attempt was made when Siddi Misri, who was once a part of the Siddi contingent of Janjira switched sides over to the Marathas. Sambhaji made him the commander of his naval fleet. Siddi Misri led the Maratha navy against his fellow Siddis of Janjira. But Siddi Misri lost the naval battle and was himself fatally wounded.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese had aligned themselves with the Mughals. The Portuguese Viceroy Alvor had allowed the Mughals to set up their naval base in Portuguese territory. To punish the viceroy, Sambhaji attacked Portuguese territory (1683-84) , and at one point surrounded Alvor himself. But as fate would have it, Aurangzeb sent a large army to take on the Marathas, forcing Sambhaji to retreat.
Sambhaji then sent a contingent to ravage the mughal territory of Khandesh, and a second contingent to attack the mughul prince Shah Alam in the south (Karnataka region).The Maratha forces met with success and Shah Alams forces had to retreat from several fronts.
Then there was also a campaign against Chikkadevraja the king of Mysore. Chikkadevraja had challenged the Marathas by intruding in their territory. Sambhaji dispatched an army against him, forcing Chikkadevraja to sue for peace.It is said that to counter the barrage of arrows by a huge army of archers from Mysore, Sambhaji had on a ad hoc basis got oil laden rubber armour prepared for his soldiers thus blunting their attack. At the same time he used oil fired arrows to subdue the enemy.
The period from 1684-1686, Aurangzeb concentrated on his southern campaign. Both Bijapur and Golkunda fell in quick succession. Sambhaji may have made a tactical error by not aligning with the combined armies of Bijapur and Golkunda to face the mughal onslaught (But a group of historians lay the blame squarely on the monarchs of Golkunda and Bijapur for the loss of their kingdoms. They maintain the Golkunda king was hedonistic , careless and the Bijapur king was too young and inexperieced to retain their kingdoms). By 1687, the out of service Bijapur troops (mainly the hindus, who felt ignored by the bigoted muslim emperor) joined the Maratha ranks and captured almost hundred and twenty towns which were once a part of the Bijapur provinces.
Meanwhile, Aurangzebs rebel son,prince Akbar (who had sought refuge with the marathas) was feeling the heat of his fathers troops. He therefore took leave of Sambhaji and fled to Persia.
But the emperor Aurangzeb was in no mood to forgive and forget.With the Bijapur and Golkunda kingdoms annexed to the mughal empire, the emperor Aurangzeb decided to concentrate on Sambhaji. He wanted to punish Sambhaji for harbouring his rebel son (and other rebels like the Rajput Durgadas).
In 1688, Aurangzeb sent Sarja Khan an ex Bijapuri officer to recover the lost Bijapur territory from the marathas.
Sarja khan was led into the jungles of Wai by Sambhajis erstwhile commander in chief , Hambirao Mohite. Though Sarja Khan and his forces were routed by the Marathas, Hambirao Mohite became a casualty of that battle. 
The death of his most trusted noble was a big blow for Sambhaji.