What is the real story of Sambhaji, know from history
There is a controversy going on in the country regarding Sambhaji. Politics has also started on this. This entire controversy happened because of the film Chhava. The makers of the film Chhava are earning money because of this controversy because people are going to watch the film. But because of this, a debate has also started between religious communities. Political people are looking for opportunities for religious polarization in this. In these circumstances, it is very important to know at least the correct history of Sambhaji. What was the reality of the war that took place between Sambhaji and Aurangzeb? Filmmakers present history in their own way by distorting it, but history has to be presented in the same form. Why distort it?
The Chhava film sheds light on what happened between Aurangzeb and Sambhaji in detail, but the reality is not what you see on screen. The dispute between Aurangzeb and Sambhaji was not at all religious, rather it was a battle for power between two kings. Which the makers of the Chhava film have presented by dipping it in the syrup of religion. The real story of Sambhaji takes shape in the year 1678.
One day Aurangzeb's trusted chieftain Diler Khan posted in Maharashtra got the news that a Maratha group is moving towards them and their intentions are for peace. Diler Khan was surprised to hear this and he wanted to know who these people are, then he came to know that the leader of the group is actually Shivaji's elder son Sambhaji and he wants refuge from the Mughals along with his wife and some companions. Sambhaji met Diler Khan on 13 December 1678. Diler Khan immediately sent this news to Emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb included Sambhaji in the Mughal army by giving him a mansab of 7 thousand and also gave him the title of king.
Now the question arises that why did Shivaji have a rift with his elder son... there was a reason for this. Historian Jadunath Sarkar has explained this in detail. Jadunath wrote on page number 323 of his book Shivaji and His Times - Shivaji's elder son had become a problem for him. This 21-year-old boy was unstable and thoughtless. Shivaji put him under house arrest in Panhala fort after a complaint of misbehavior. But Sambhaji fled from there with his wife Yesu Bai and some trusted companions
This move of Sambhaji was disturbing for Shivaji. Shivaji did not lose hope and continued his efforts to persuade Sambhaji secretly. Shivaji was facing a lot of difficulties due to growing differences within the house. One faction of the Maratha Kingdom was with Sambhaji and the other faction was with his brother Rajaram, who was just 10 years old. There was a proposal to divide the Maratha Empire into two parts but this proposal could not be implemented.
What was the root of the controversy: Actually Shivaji had a total of 8 wives. Jadunath Sarkar has described in detail the names of all these wives, their date of marriage with Shivaji and information about Shivaji's children on page 341 of the book Shivaji and His Times.
Jadunath writes on page 341- Shivaji's eldest son Sambhaji was born on 14 May 1657 from his first wife Sai Bai. While the second wife's name was Soyra Bai from whom the younger son Raja Ram was born on 24 February 1670. Later, keeping these two sons at the center, two factions were formed in the Maratha Empire.
Suddenly the situation changed and Shivaji died on 4 April 1680. As soon as he took over as the king, Sambhaji ordered the punishment of his stepmother Soyra Bai, who was the mother of Raja Ram. She was accused of poisoning Shivaji. But the oldest Marathi Bhakhar Sabhasad is silent about this. It is believed that Sambhaji did this due to resentment over the earlier attempts to divide the throne
Sambhaji looted the merchants
Sambhaji also had a dream to become great like his father Shivaji. After Shivaji's death, Sambhaji decided to go one step ahead of him. In this sequence, on 15 February 1680, he attacked Bahadurpur, just two kilometers away from Burhanpur. This was a rich area. Many big traders and hundi walas lived here. Money, jewelry and other expensive goods came and went here from all over the world. Sambhaji attacked another town, Hafdapura. The attack was so fierce that no one could save even a single penny, nor could people save their children and wives.
Looting continued for 3 days in Burhanpur: Sambhaji's army kept looting. People sent their children and wives inside the fort. Looting continued for three days. Sambhaji got a lot of money from the loot. A lot of this money was hidden in some unknown place. Sambhaji had looted a lot of goods but he could not take such a huge amount of goods with him, so except for gold, silver and jewellery, the rest of the goods were thrown on the streets and burnt.
Aurangzeb got angry
The people of Burhanpur wrote the entire incident to Aurangzeb and told him how the royal army failed to protect them. Aurangzeb got angry and took back all the titles from the chieftain and also made a plan to go to Deccan himself. Actually Aurangzeb had two reasons to go to Deccan, first his rebellious son Akbar had fled to Deccan and second he wanted to control Sambhaji and stop the chaos from spreading. Aurangzeb marched to Deccan in 1681 in the 25th year of his rule.
After Eid prayers, Aurangzeb left for Deccan and reached Burhanpur on 11th Zilkada. Aurangzeb spent 3-4 months in Burhanpur. When Aurangzeb reached Aurangabad area of Maharashtra, he sent Prince Muazzam to Konkan for action against Sambhaji. For about 7-8 years, a period of hide and seek and guerilla attacks continued between Sambhaji and the Mughals. Finally, in the year 1689, the Mughals achieved success.
How Sambhaji was caught
Actually, about 72 km away from Kolhapur, Sambhaji's close minister poet Kabkalash had built beautiful buildings in the middle of a hilly area. Sambhaji reached there to enjoy these buildings of Kabkalash and the beauty of that area. Sambhaji, who arrived with his family and some soldiers, started looking at the huge hills there after taking a bath. It is said that Sambhaji was not as cautious as his father Shivaji.
The messengers informed him about the arrival of Mughal chief Muqarrab Khan but Sambhaji angrily said that the Mughals cannot reach here. Sambhaji got the tongue of that messenger cut. Sambhaji did not even think it necessary to keep his horse ready. On the other hand, Mughal chief Muqarrab Khan was moving rapidly towards the camp with his army of two thousand horsemen and one thousand infantry. He got information that the paths are very up and down and if thirty-forty people want, they can block the path of the entire army by rolling stones from above.
The Mughal chief did not pay any heed to such a thing. He continued his march. When the Mughal army reached there, Sambhaji's family was busy enjoying the area. As soon as they reached the camp, Muqarrab Khan attacked Sambhaji with his sons, nephews, some brave companions and about two thousand horsemen. Sambhaji was no longer able to protect himself and Kabakalash.
His minister Kabkalash was said to be very brave and clever. Kabkalash made every effort to save Sambhaji and along with his companions, he fought with the royal army. While fighting, an arrow hit his right arm. Due to which one of his arms became useless.
Many Maratha chieftains were killed, the rest fled and Kabkalash was taken prisoner. Sambhaji hid in a mansion. But he was found from there. His children and family were taken prisoner. A total of 26 people, men and women, were taken prisoner.
This is how Sambhaji was identified. Although Sambhaji had shaved off his beard and smeared ash on his face to escape from the Mughals, he was identified by the pearl necklace hidden in his clothes and the gold bangle lying on the leg of his horse. Muqarrab Khan made him sit on the elephant behind him. The other prisoners were taken on other elephants and horses.
Aurangzeb got the news Aurangzeb first got this information from his spies and later a message came. When Aurangzeb came to know that Muqarrab was moving ahead with Sambhaji, he sent chieftains to Akluj (halfway between Bijapur and Pune, south of the Nira river) two kos away from where he was staying to take him.
On the arrival of the Mughal commander, Aurangzeb held a court and the prisoners were brought there. Seeing them, Aurangzeb came down from his throne and offered two rakats of Namaaz in gratitude. It is said that Sambhaji's minister Kabkalash, whose arms, hands and neck were all tied, who was an expert in poetry, seeing this, turned to Sambhaji and said - Alamgir, despite all the grandeur and power, came down to honor you. Angered by these sarcastic remarks, Aurangzeb ignored the advice to keep both of them alive.
Murder of sambhaji
Khafi Khan wrote in Muntakhab-ul-Lubab – The opinion of many chieftains present with Emperor Aurangzeb was that the keys of the forts should be called from these two through servants and they should be kept imprisoned in one of the forts, but Sambhaji and Kabkalash were sure that their lives would not be spared, so they said whatever was in their mind to the Emperor and the Emperor's nobles.
Angered by this, Aurangzeb ordered severe punishment for Sambhaji and Kabkalash. Both were killed on 11 March 1689. Then some women, including Sambhaji's mother and daughters, were sent to the Daulatabad fort.
Aurangzeb released Sambhaji's son
Sambhaji's 7-year-old son was left alone and was asked to stay within the palace. Suitable teachers were appointed to teach him and he was also given a retinue of 700 horsemen. Some women including Sambhaji's mother and daughter were sent to the fort of Daulatabad.