Extraordinary Career and End of Shivaji

Extraordinary Career and End of Shivaji

The territories of Bijapur were attacked by Shivaji at will, but his ambitions led him to turn his attention to the Mughal territory to the North. He pushed his raids to the doors of Aurangabad. The growing power of Maratha was to be crushed anyhow. The Mughal viceroy of the Deccan was Shayata Khan, one relative of the Mughal emperor, who was ordered to carry out this task.

Shayasta Khan attacked Poona and captured the fort, where Shivaji played in his early childhood. Shivaji plundered the fort, Killed Shayasta Khan and then raided Surat, even the factory of the British was attacked.

The Raja of Amber Jaisingh was the new commander of the Mughals. Jaisingh, of Amber , who was loyal to the Mughal Throne was able to compel Shivaji for a peace treaty which enshrined that Maratha would give 23 forts to Mughals and Shivaji would appear in the court of Aurangzeb, on an assurance that he would be treated properly.

But there, in the court of the King of India, he was asked to stand among the class III courtiers. The self esteem of Shivaji made him retreat from there, the Mughals imprisoned him but he was able to escape in disguise.

He resumed his old sway in the mountains in 1666. The emperor became too late in reconciliation. In 1671 Surat was again raided and the Maratha swarms spread and plundered the southerly past till Tanjore. They levied “Chauth” wherever they could. In 1674, he defeated the Mughal general Daler Khan and held his coronation with all the pomp at Raigarh and attained the title of “Chhatrapati“. Just when he was getting ready for a great leap forward, a sudden illness put an end to his extraordinary career in 1680 at the age of 53. The Maratha Empire could not get stability during his career.