Sambhajis capture and execution

At Kalashs insistence Sambhaji decided to spend the hot summer of 1688 in a palace built by Kavi Kalash at Sangameshwar, a small but climatically cool township, twenty miles north from Vishalgad, and twenty two miles north east from Ratnagiri (this may have proved a mistake on the part of Sambhaji, as for once, he was away from the safe protection of the impregnable fort of Raigad). The news of Sambhajis whereabouts soon reached the mughals. The Mughal commander Muqarrab Khan then devised a daring plan to capture Sambhaji in person. They were helped in their endeavour by the estranged brother in law of Sambhaji, by the name of Ganoji Shirke *, who showed the mughal army the way through the adjoining dense forests, simultaneously providing the mughals, logistics and information about Sambhajis movements. In Feb 1688, Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were surrounded and captured (the maratha commander in chief Mhaloji Ghorpade, the successor to Habirrao Mohite was killed in the skirmish). They were brought before Aurangzeb, who had himself encamped at Akluj (near Pandharpur). 


* Note: The bakharkars say that Ganoji Shirke belonged to the same family as Sambhajis step mother Soyrabai and because they had supported Soyrabais cause against Sambhaji, the latter had them killed in what is infamously called as 'Shirkan'. But latter historians like Bendre with the help of documents has proved that Shirkan was infact the jagir of the Shirkes which Sambhaji confiscated due to their treachery (there was a land dispute over the rights of Dabhol, over which the Shirkes had sought employment with the Mughals) and there was no bloodshed called Shirkan involved.
Dabhol was later given to the Shirkes by Ch.Rajaram (younger brother of Ch,Sambhaji who succeeded him post Sambhajis death) after the Shirkes helped him escape from the Ginjee fort.

Note: Mughal historians mention Sambhaji being in an inebriated state at the time of his capture and in the midst of courtesans. But recent evidences state that he was accompanied not only by his wife (Yesubai) and ministers (Mhaloji Ghorpade,Dhanaji Jadhav,Santaji Ghorpade) but also by Ranganath Swami, the leading disciple of his spiritual guru  Ramdas Swami. Then the question arises whether a person would indulge in such indiscretions in the company of such people? Also as far as accusations about Sambhajis careless behaviour goes, there are letters that record Sambhaji repairing a fallen bastion at Vishalgad just two days before his capture.Also that he had gone to Sangameshwar to attend a case of treachery (ironically). If Sambhaji was such an irresponsible king then would he have looked into such minute details of his kingdom. So in fair conclusion we can only derive that Sambhaji was betrayed and cleverly captured by the Mughals.


They were both humiliated in public and paraded before the crowds in a buffoons attire. Aurangzeb (as per the bakhars) then offered Sambhaji an insulting proposition. Sambhaji should surrender all his forts and the amassed Maratha treasure to the mughals . Secondly, he should reveal the names of all mughal officers who were secretly colluding with the Marathas, and thirdly Sambhaji should convert himself to Islam and serve the emperor in near future. In return Aurangzeb would spare Sambhajis life.
But the fearless Maratha king scornfully retorted, that he would accept the emperors conditions , only if Aurangzeb agreed to marry off his daughter to him (this is again attributed to the literary imagination of some historians as all of Aurangzebs daughters were quite elderly) . Sambhaji then apparently exchanged insult for insult. This audacity incensed the emperor to no end, and he ordered Sambhajis execution .For three days Sambhaji was tortured at Tulapur, on the banks of river Bhima , near Pune. Aurangzeb ordered the blasphemous tongue to be pulled out, his eyes were gouged,his limbs severed (ref. Alamgirnama by Ishwardar Nagar- Persian translation to marathi by Setu Madhavrao Pagadi) . Sambhaji was subjected to a very horrific ordeal. But he bore it bravely until ,on the third day, when his head was decapitated.

His aide and confidante Kavi Kalash also remained loyal to his master till the very end. He too met the same fate as Sambhaji.

Note: Again the above reports of Sambhajis treatment in the mughal camp are by the bakharkars. In the official reports there is no mention of Sambhaji being asked to convert to Islam . But was simply told to reveal the details of his wealth and the names of spies/traitors in the Mughal camp. Something which Sambhaji refused to do and thus his execution was ordered.

There is also another story of one mughal officer, Mian Khan, associated with Sambhajis final days. Earlier Sambhaji had given some valuable help to this Mian Khan and the latter was indebted to Sambhaji for this. This same officer was posted at Tulapur during Sambhajis torture. But when asked to gouge out the eyes of Chhatrapati, he had preffered killing himself instead.

 Sambhajis disembered remains were later sewn together by some brave people of Vadu (later to be called as Shivle Patils or the Patils who sewed the mortal remains of the king) and finally cremated there with ritual obsequies and  honours.
Thus ended the life of a controversial but brave king ( 11th March 1689) . In death he became a martyr, inspiring a Maratha fightback.
After Sambhajis death, all Maratha nobles forgetting their differences, united under the banner of Chatrapati Rajaram (Sambhajis step brother) and continued their struggle against the Mughals.