Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj was in for a big disappointment. His aunt Maharani Tarabai did not acknowledge him as the rightful heir to the throne as she felt that the kingdom which was once ruled by his late father Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj had been lost to her late husband Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and his son, young... Continue Reading →
The tyrannical reign of Akhanda Bharat's worst and most radical Islamic barbarian, Aurangzeb finally came to an end on 20 February 1707. The fanatical Mughal had spent more than twenty-five years of his life draining the coffers while attempting to subdue the indomitable Marathas. The long-drawn war of independence would start taking shape under the leadership... Continue Reading →
The demise of Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and the ascendance of Maharani Tarabai changed the state of affairs in the Deccan. Aurangzeb had been successful in setting up a well-oiled administration to look after the matters of the Marathas. The prominent families of the territory between Satara and Aurangabad had accepted the sovereignty of Aurangzeb... Continue Reading →
Upon hearing Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj's sudden demise, Ramchandra Pant Amatya headed to Sinhagad and conveyed the news to the various officers and generals requesting them to continue their good work and perform their respective duties as before. He appealed to them to exert themselves with more fervour and reminded them of their ambitious goal of... Continue Reading →
Just as the Marathas looked poised to reclaim their lost lands and begin the final battle for Akhanda Bharat, tragedy struck. Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj who had fought tirelessly against the Mughals found the strain of camp life unbearable and his health began to fail rapidly. He became so ill during the march that he had... Continue Reading →
Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj managed to elude the Mughal parties stationed around Jinji and proceeded to Vishalgad. He had sent offers of peace directly to Aurangzeb which were declined. As war raged on relentlessly, Rajaram Raje reached the Maratha land and decided that a new seat of power needs to be established. As both Raigad... Continue Reading →
The tragic death of Santaji Ghorpade brought great joy to the Mughal camps who had lived in constant fear of him and his wrath on the battlefield. Santaji Ghorpade is undoubtedly one of the greatest masters of guerrilla warfare Akhanda Bharat has ever seen. His brilliant tactics, unwavering courage in the most perilous situations and... Continue Reading →
The primary aim of the Marathas during this perilous period of war with Aurangzeb was to convince their Hindu brothers who had joined the Mughal service to return to their king to defend the Maharashtra dharma. Hindavi Swarajya, the ambitious goal of the late Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was designed to throw out the Muslim invaders... Continue Reading →
With the Mughals hot on their trail and mounting pressure every day, the Marathas focussed on their primary goal to create a safe passage for Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj from Gingee and save him from a fate similar to his brother's and liberate the Maratha lands from the Mughal control. Aurangzeb was not one to... Continue Reading →
As the siege of Jinji dragged on languidly, Aurangzeb became increasingly exasperated with both Zulfiqar Khan and his father, Asad Khan. He bemoaned the inability of his army to overcome the guerrilla tactics of the Marathas. Zulfiqar Khan had been given two clear tasks namely to capture Gingee and Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj and so far,... Continue Reading →
Zulfiqar Khan after capturing Maharani Yesubai and young Shahu was immediately despatched to pursue Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj as he left for the Deccan. He left Aurangzeb's camp on 30 November 1689 and arrived at Gingee in June 1690 and laid siege to the fort. The siege lasted for 8 years and is probably one... Continue Reading →
The shift of the Maratha power to Gingee created serious problems for Aurangzeb. It would be difficult for his men to receive information on what was happening within the four walls of Gingee. He decided to act quickly to put down the rising Maratha power. He left his camp of Koregaon on 18 December... Continue Reading →
With mounting pressure and constant assaults on the Marathas by the Mughals, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj revisited his strategy of staying put in Panhala. The situation was getting increasingly dangerous for him and his men and it was decided that they would make their way to the safe haven of Jinji in the Deccan. Jinji... Continue Reading →
Raigad, one of the most impregnable forts of all the Maratha forts had been made largely inaccessible by the natural defences of Mother Earth. This fort was constructed on a large plateau with enough food, cattle and supplies required for a large military presence to hold out for a long time. In fact, this... Continue Reading →
With the tragic death of Shree Dharamveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Aurangzeb's lifelong dream of capturing the Deccan was fulfilled. The whole territory from the Narmada to the Tungabhadra lay at his feet. However, the savagery of the desert barbarian Aurangzeb hardened the hearts of the Marathas and impelled them to protect their own and their... Continue Reading →
Shock, quickly followed by a wild outburst of rejoicing was witnessed when Aurangzeb and his men received the news of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's capture at Akluj. The young king who had tried his best to follow in the footsteps of his father, the late Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had terrorized Aurangzeb and the Mughals in his... Continue Reading →
The wily Aurangzeb continued to put pressure on the Marathas by despatching Shahâb ud-Din and his son, Chin Qilich Kamaruddin Khan to grab their territory in North Konkan and Baglan. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was outraged on hearing the devious tactics employed by father and son to win over the Marathas. He launched a furious... Continue Reading →
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's bloody beginning gradually eased into a more restrained reign and he began his operations on the Siddi of Janjira and the Portuguese of Chaul who had been cowed into submission by Aurangzeb in his typical tyrannical manner. The Siddi has been appointed as Aurangzeb's admiral and was egged on to step... Continue Reading →
The year of 1682 - 1683 presented Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj a great opportunity to strike a mentally and physically weak Aurangzeb either at his treasured palace or as Muhammad Akbar suggested to ride through Gujarat into Rajputana. It is unclear why Sambhaji Raje did not take advantage of Aurangzeb's invasion but one surmise that it... Continue Reading →
Though it is indeed difficult to comprehend how and why the largely Hindu Rajput kings swore allegiance to the Muslim invaders from the time of Babur, power and wealth since time immemorial have been dangerous temptations that have successfully enticed many to swerve from their rightful duty to their Motherland. Such was the case with... Continue Reading →
The year of 1679 saw Aurangzeb begin a full-fledged war against the princes of Rajputana. Though, the Rajputs had always sworn allegiance to the Mughals since the time of Babur, Aurangzeb wished to stamp his authority on this rich region and annex it to the Mughal empire. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was quick to denounce... Continue Reading →
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a genius way ahead of his time. In the midst of uncertainty, savagery, brutalism and widespread plunder by the desert barbarian, Aurangzeb, Shivaji Raje was a beacon of hope for Hindus. He was a self-taught man who had no experience in the workings of a great capital or court or camp... Continue Reading →
An authentic preparation of Bihar called litti chokha made its appearance in eastern Uttar Pradesh and specifically Varanasi a few decades ago. This scrumptious dish took on a new avatar in the holy city and was coined baati chokha. Baati chokha is essentially a harmonious combination of baati (wheat balls stuffed with sattu roasted over charcoal) and chokha (curry... Continue Reading →
The narrow lanes in Old Banaras prides itself on having the best mouth-watering traditional dishes that are truly in a class of its own. A gastronomical quest for the best street food in Banaras is deemed complete only if one samples the delicious kachori sabzi, the quintessential breakfast of Banaras and pretty much the whole... Continue Reading →
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