Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj: Maratha King After Shivaji
Complete UPSC guide to Sambhaji Maharaj — succession after Shivaji, resistance against Aurangzeb, administration, capture and execution, and his place in Maratha history.
Sambhaji Bhonsle (1657–1689) was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the second ruler of the Maratha kingdom. He reigned from 1681 to 1689 — a period during which the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb launched its most determined campaign to destroy Maratha power. Sambhaji resisted this overwhelming Mughal assault for nine years before being captured and executed.
For UPSC, Sambhaji is important in the chapter on the Maratha Empire and the Mughal-Maratha conflict that dominated late 17th-century Indian politics.
Succession and Early Challenges
Background
When Shivaji died on April 3, 1680, Sambhaji was not at Raigad (the capital). He had been in conflict with his father over political and personal matters and was effectively in rebellion, having gone to the Mughal camp briefly in 1678 before returning to the Maratha fold.
After Shivaji's death, a succession struggle erupted:
- Sambhaji claimed the throne as the eldest son
- A faction of ministers (led by key members of the Ashtapradhan council) supported Rajaram — Shivaji's younger son by his second wife — as a more pliable ruler they could control
Sambhaji prevailed through a combination of military support and swift action. He was crowned Chhatrapati in January 1681 at Raigad.
Internal Consolidation
Sambhaji's early reign was spent consolidating power:
- He dealt with disloyal ministers and commanders
- He punished those who had conspired to place Rajaram on the throne
- He appointed trusted loyalists to key positions
This internal housecleaning has been interpreted differently by historians:
- Sympathetic view: Necessary action against plotters who would have weakened Maratha unity at a critical time
- Critical view: Harsh measures that alienated potential allies and weakened the administration
Aurangzeb's Deccan Campaign
The Mughal Onslaught
In 1681, Aurangzeb personally moved to the Deccan with the largest Mughal army ever assembled — estimated at several hundred thousand troops. He would remain in the Deccan for the last 27 years of his life (1681–1707), never returning to Delhi.
Aurangzeb's objectives:
- Destroy the Maratha kingdom — he considered Sambhaji a rebel
- Annex the Deccan Sultanates of Bijapur (fell 1686) and Golconda (fell 1687)
- Establish direct Mughal control over peninsular India
Sambhaji's Resistance
Facing this overwhelming force, Sambhaji adopted a strategy of:
Guerrilla warfare: Continuing Shivaji's tradition of avoiding pitched battles against the numerically superior Mughal army. Maratha forces raided Mughal supply lines, attacked isolated garrisons, and retreated into hill forts.
Fort-based defence: The network of hill forts that Shivaji had built remained the backbone of Maratha resistance. Each fort had to be separately besieged, tying down large Mughal forces.
Diplomatic outreach: Sambhaji corresponded with the Portuguese, the Siddis of Janjira, and other powers to build alliances against the Mughals — with limited success.
Key military actions:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1681 | Repelled initial Mughal advances into Maratha territory |
| 1682 | Maratha raids into Mughal territory in the Konkan and Deccan |
| 1684 | Attack on Janjira (unsuccessful — the Siddis held their island fort) |
| 1684 | Repelled Mughal general Shahbuddin Khan's invasion |
| 1685 | Goa expedition against the Portuguese (partially successful) |
| 1686–87 | Continued guerrilla resistance as Mughals conquered Bijapur and Golconda |
Prince Akbar Episode
In 1681, Aurangzeb's son Prince Akbar rebelled against his father and fled to the Deccan, seeking Maratha protection. Sambhaji sheltered the rebel prince — a significant diplomatic card.
However, Sambhaji could not effectively leverage this alliance:
- Akbar's presence did not bring the expected Mughal defections
- Akbar eventually fled to Persia (1687), removing this diplomatic asset
- The episode demonstrated Sambhaji's willingness to exploit Mughal internal conflicts but also his inability to translate diplomatic opportunities into military gains
Capture and Execution (1689)
The Capture at Sangameshwar
In February 1689, Sambhaji was at Sangameshwar (in present-day Ratnagiri district) with a small retinue. A Mughal force under Muqarrab Khan — acting on intelligence from defectors — surrounded the camp.
The circumstances of the capture are debated:
- Some accounts suggest Sambhaji was betrayed by disloyal Maratha elements
- Others suggest it was a surprise attack while the camp was poorly defended
- His chief advisor Kavi Kalash was captured with him
The Execution
Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were taken to Aurangzeb's camp at Tulapur near Pune. Aurangzeb reportedly offered Sambhaji his life if he:
- Converted to Islam
- Surrendered all Maratha forts
- Revealed the locations of hidden Maratha treasures
Sambhaji refused all conditions.
He was subjected to torture and humiliation — accounts describe his tongue being cut out, his eyes being gouged, and his body being mutilated before execution. He was finally executed on March 11, 1689.
The execution was intended to break Maratha will. It had the opposite effect.
Impact of Sambhaji's Death
Immediate Aftermath
Rather than collapsing, the Maratha resistance intensified after Sambhaji's death:
- Rajaram (Sambhaji's half-brother) escaped from Raigad and continued the resistance from Jinji (in present-day Tamil Nadu) and later from Satara
- The brutal manner of Sambhaji's execution outraged the Maratha population and strengthened their resolve
- Maratha commanders fought independently across the Deccan, making it impossible for the Mughals to achieve a decisive victory
Long-term Consequences
Aurangzeb spent the next 18 years (1689–1707) trying to subdue the Marathas after Sambhaji's execution — and failed. The prolonged Deccan campaign:
- Drained the Mughal treasury
- Overstretched Mughal military resources
- Created instability in the northern provinces (which were neglected)
- Contributed directly to the decline of the Mughal Empire after Aurangzeb's death in 1707
The Marathas not only survived but expanded after Aurangzeb's death, eventually becoming the dominant power in 18th-century India under the Peshwas.
Historical Assessment
Sambhaji's historical reputation has been rehabilitated in modern scholarship:
Earlier assessment: Colonial and some Indian historians portrayed Sambhaji as an incompetent ruler who squandered Shivaji's legacy through personal excesses and poor administration.
Revised assessment: More recent scholarship argues that:
- Sambhaji held together a kingdom under the most intense military pressure any Maratha ruler ever faced
- He maintained resistance for 9 years against the full might of the Mughal Empire
- His refusal to surrender or convert, even under torture, demonstrated extraordinary personal courage
- The administrative decline during his reign was largely a consequence of continuous warfare, not personal incompetence
For UPSC, present the balanced view — acknowledge the military challenges he faced while noting the internal weaknesses.
UPSC Relevance
GS1 (Medieval/Modern History): Maratha-Mughal conflict, decline of the Mughal Empire, 18th-century Indian states.
Key Prelims facts:
- Born: May 14, 1657
- Died: March 11, 1689 (executed by Aurangzeb at Tulapur)
- Crowned: January 1681 at Raigad
- Father: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
- Sheltered: Prince Akbar (Aurangzeb's rebel son)
- Captured: February 1689 at Sangameshwar
- Successor: Rajaram (half-brother)
- Significance: His execution intensified Maratha resistance and contributed to Mughal decline