Table of Contents
BACKGROUND
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- King Shivaji held a commendable position in parts of Maval. The Adilshahi court wanted to curb his activities. Afzal Khan, a renowned general of Bijapur who had previously killed Shivaji’s brother in a battle, was selected to lead an assault against Shivaji.
- He started from Bijapur in January 1653.But was unsuccessful in killing him. Shivaji Maharaj eventually killed him.
- After starting from Bijapur, Afzal Khan began by destroying the temple of Bhavani at Tulja.He was trying to entice Shivaji out of the mountainous areas .
- Shivaji had encamped at Pratapgad, which, being located in a hilly area, was strategically advantageous for mountainous guerrilla warfare.
BACKGROUND
- Unable to incite him to attack first, Afzal Khan moved his army to Pratapgad.
- In 1659, despite being outnumbered and outgunned by Afzal Khan’s men, Shivaji led his army to victory over the troops of the Bijapur Sultanate, in what came to be known as the Battle of Pratapgarh.This triumph marks the beginnings of the Maratha Empire.
- The increasing power of Shivaji was a threat to the Sultan of Bijapur. But after the death of Adil Shah, the control over government passed into the hands of Queen Dowager, Bari Saheba. In 1659 she sent Afzal Khan at the head of ten thousand, soldiers “to bring back Sivaji dead or alive”. Afzal Khan was confident that he would capture Sivaji without firing a shot.
DIPLOMACY
- He had warned Badi Begum of Adilshah that, if Afzal Khan and his Adilshahi forces killed Shivaji by deceit, then there wouldn’t remain even a brick of the Adilshahi kingdom.
- Shivaji was at Pratapgarh which was his military stronghold. He resorted to diplomacy and sent a Brahman officer, Krishnaji Bhaskar with a letter for Sivaji which he promised the grant of forts and districts seized by him and the conferment of titles as a mark of honour.
BATTLE OF PRATAPGARH(1659)
- A meeting was arranged between Shivaji and Afzal Khan at a shamiyana at the foothills of Pratapgad.
- Nevertheless, both were prepared for treachery: Afzal Khan hid a katyar (a small dagger) in his coat, and Shivaji wore armour underneath his clothes and carried a concealed Baghnakha (tigerclaw) in one hand.
- As the two men entered the tent, the 6’7″ tall Khan embraced Shivaji. He then tried to strangle Shivaji in his vice-like grip and pierced his dagger in Shivaji. But the armour under Shivaji’s clothes saved him.
- Shivaji retaliated by using his “bagh nakh” (tiger claws) to slash Khan’s stomach and disemboweled Khan.
BATTLE
- Thereupon Afzal Khan’s bodyguard Bada Sayyed attacked Shivaji with swords but Jiva Mahala, Shivaji’s personal bodyguard fatally struck him down since the Maratha party came pre-planned for treachery.
- Sambhaji Kavji Kondhalkar, Shivaji’s lieutenant and one of the accompanying guards, gave chase and beheaded Afzal Khan.
- The severed head was later sent to Rajgd to be shown to Shivaji’s mother, Jijabai.
WARRIOR
- Maratha troops commanded by Shivaji’s captain Kanhoji Jedhe, swept down on Afzal Khan’s 1,500 musketeers.
- Musekhan, Afzal Khan’s lieutenant, was wounded and subsequently fled the field. Meanwhile, Moropant led the Maratha infantry toward the left flank of Adilshahi troops.
- The suddenness of this attack on Afzal Khan’s artillery at close quarters made them ineffective in providing artillery cover for the main portion of their troops and as a result of this the rest of their troops rapidly succumbed to an all out Maratha attack.
- The Adilshahi forces not withstanding the onslaught of the Marathas started retreating towards Bijapur. The Maratha army chased the retreating army and on their way captured 23 Adilshahi forts.
AFTERMATH
- Adilshahi forces lost their artillery, 65 elephants, 4000 horses, 1200 camels, jewels worth 300,000 Rupees, 1,000,000 Rupees, heaps of precious clothes, tents to the Marathas.
- 5,000 Adilshahi soldiers were killed and almost as many were wounded. 3,000 soldiers were imprisoned, and the remainder were allowed to go home in defeat. The Marathas lost 1,734 soldiers, while 420 soldiers were wounded.
- As it was the policy of Shivaji to humanely treat the defeated army, neither the men nor women were sold as slaves or molested. Some of the defeated Adilshahi generals like Siddi Hilal changed their loyalties and joined the Marathas to serve under Shivaji.
- Two of Afzal Khan’s sons were captured by the Marathas but were let off by the Shivaji.
AFTERMATH
- Khan’s death dealt the Adilshah’s rule a severe blow. A quarter of his territory, forts and a fifth of his army were captured or destroyed, while Shivaji doubled his territory, losing a tenth of his army, within fifteen days of the Battle of Pratapgadh.
- Shivaji maintained his momentum, sending cavalry towards Kolhapur, which succeeded in capturing seventeen forts, including the prestigious fort of Panhala.
- This remarkable victory made Shivaji a hero of Maratha folklore and a legendary figure among his people.
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