Chhatrapati Sambhaji was the son of the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. The now widely talked about film Chhaava is said to be based on him. The film depicts the war between the Muslim king Aurangzeb and King Sambhaji.
In this film, when the Muslim king Aurangzeb defeated the Maratha king Sambhaji and sentenced him to death, he said that if he accepts Islam, he will let you live, and Sambhaji told Aurangzeb, “I will live a thousand times! I will give my life a thousand times! But I will never give up ‘Hindu Dharma’.” This film also shows this.
Let’s see what really happened in this article with evidence! Come on.
What was Aurangzeb Anger Towards Sambhaji
Sultan Akbar, the son of Emperor Aurangzeb, wanted to rule as the king. All the sons of Aurangzeb fought for power. But Sultan Akbar strongly opposed his father and tried to declare himself the king. Due to this, Emperor Aurangzeb became very angry with his son. But Sambhaji supported Sultan Akbar. Due to this, his son became an enemy of Aurangzeb.
April 5, 1680 After Shivaji’s death, his son and king Sambhaji supported his son Sultan Akbar, who was an enemy of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was very angry with him.
[ A History Of The Mahrattas ]
The Incident of Sambhaji Murder
Sambhaji lived his life in Panhala, Vishalgad and Sangameshwar. His life was very happy. Due to this, Sultan Akbar, who supported him, left him. When Akbar went to Rajapur in October 1688, there was an English ship there. Boarding it, he left for Persia in mid-1689.
A small force of the Mughal army left Kolhapur and, when it came near Sangameshwar, dared to capture Sambhaji before warning was given. Qari Khan said that although Sambhaji had two to three thousand cavalry, he did not believe the information about two thousand cavalry and one thousand infantry of the enemy. Sambhaji was suddenly surrounded by just two to three hundred soldiers.
The Marathas led by Kalusha tried to save him. But he was wounded. Sambhaji was captured while hiding in a temple. He was immediately taken to the fort above the Mughal emperor’s camp, where he was killed a few days later.
During Sambhaji’s reign, his family lived in Raigad. His half-brother Rajaram also lived there. When the news of Sambhaji’s death came to light, the important Maratha leaders gathered in Raigad. As the Mughals had already entered the western fort, the Marathas decided to take defensive measures. They decided to turn the forts into ambush sites and be ready for an enemy attack.
[ History of the Konkan , page 78,79]
This clearly describes how Sambhaji was trapped. While telling this story, King Aurangzeb never asked the Maratha King Sambhaji to leave Hinduism and follow Islam! He never said that Sambhaji would be killed for not converting to Islam. The incident between the two kings was a political incident.
READ MORE: Muslims Who Served Under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Rule
Not in Direct Historical Evidence
Direct historical evidence does not confirm that Sambhaji was killed for refusing to convert. But Maratha tradition believes this. There is no doubt that Sambhaji’s death was very cruel, but there is no solid evidence in history about Aurangzeb’s demand for conversion.
Important Note: The idea that Sambhaji said to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, “I will live a thousand times! I will give my life a thousand times! But I will never give up ‘Hindu Dharma'” is a myth. This is not recorded in any history books!
Conclusion
There was only a political war between Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and Maratha Emperor Sambhaji. There was no religious war. But some people have taken this religiously and turned it into a religious issue. The real thing is recorded in history books. Let’s see all the things about this from history. No one should believe the opinions that change history just because someone says it!