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On the night of April 5th/6th, 1663, Shivaji led a daring raid on Shaista Khan’s headquarters in Pune, significantly boosting his reputation. Disguised as a wedding party, Shivaji’s men infiltrated the Lal Mahal, where Shaista Khan resided. Despite strict security, Shivaji's detailed intelligence allowed his force to enter through a small door. During Ramazan pre-dawn preparations, Shivaji’s men killed cooks and maidservants, wounded Shaista Khan, and killed his son-in-law and eldest son(also carrying his head away), , and several others. Shivaji’s losses were minimal compared to those of Shaista Khan. The raiders retreated safely to Sinhgad.[1]
| Raid on Shaista Khan (1663) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mughal-Maratha Wars | |||||||||
 A 20th century depiction of Shivaji (right) attacking Shaista Khan, as he tries to flee by artist M.V. Dhurandhar | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Maratha Empire |
 Mughal Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Shivaji Chimanji Bapuji Babaji Bapuji |
Shaista Khan (WIA)Jaswant Singh IAbdul Fath † | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 6 killed 40 wounded | 40-50 Killed | ||||||||
| Shaista Khan lost his 3 fingers and barely escaped his life while his eldest son , two other sons and son in law with a few women were killed | |||||||||
Shaista Khan, shaken and blamed for negligence, was soon replaced by Prince Muhammad Muazzam. The Alamgir Nama briefly dismisses the raid, while Philip Giffard’s account highlights Shivaji's success and suggests possible complicity from Raja Jaswant Singh's large army. By December 1663, Shaista Khan was reassigned to Bengal.[1]
Background
editIn 1660, Shaista Khan, the Mughal governor of the Deccan and Aurangzeb's maternal uncle, invaded Pune and captured the city, taking control of the northern part of Shivaji's territories and establishing a garrison there.[1][2][3]
The fort of Chakan was held by the Maratha leader Firangoji Narsala. Shaista Khan besieged Chakan for four months, during which the Mughals bombarded the fort by digging a mine and destroying part of its walls. The fort eventually fell after a brutal two-day assault, leading to the massacre of most of the garrison and the surrender of Firangoji.[1][2][3]
Raid
editOn the night of April 5th/6th, 1663, Shivaji executed a remarkable raid on the headquarters of Shaista Khan, causing his name to echo across India. By personally leading this daring operation instead of sending a lieutenant, Shivaji added a layer of romanticism and legend to his exploits.[1][4][5]
Shaista Khan was residing in Shivaji's palace, the Lal Mahal, in Pune. Historical accounts by Khafi Khan suggest Shaista Khan had stringent security measures in place, including barring Marathas from entering the town and excluding them from military service. However, these reports might be exaggerated or inaccurate. Shaista Khan’s army included several Maratha officers and their troops, making absolute security enforcement difficult. The meticulous execution of Shivaji's raid implies he had detailed intelligence about Shaista Khan’s camp.[1][4][5]
Shivaji set out with a select force, leaving cavalry detachments to cover his retreat, and reached Pune on April 5th. Disguised as a wedding party, Shivaji’s men infiltrated the town. One version of the story, likely imaginative but plausible, recounts that Maratha soldiers secured a permit to bring 200 Marathas into the town as part of a wedding procession. They also brought in tied-up prisoners, claiming they were captured outposts. Both groups met at a rendezvous point, armed themselves, and entered the palace through a small door that had been sealed with bricks and mud.[1][4][5]
During the Ramazan pre-dawn preparations, Shivaji’s men swiftly eliminated cooks and maidservants who alerted Shaista Khan. In the ensuing scuffle, Shaista Khan lost several fingers and narrowly escaped. His eldest son, his son-in-law, around 40-50 men, and a few women were killed, while two sons and some women were wounded. Shivaji’s losses included 6 killed and 40 wounded.[1][4][5]
The raiders exited through a rear gate, rejoined their cavalry, and safely retreated to Sinhgad. Jaswant Singh, stationed nearby, was suspected of complicity in the raid.[1][4][5]
Shaista Khan, deeply shaken by the attack, soon relinquished command of the Deccan to Jaswant Singh and returned to Aurangabad. By early May 1663, he was dismissed from his post, replaced by Prince Muhammad Muazzam under Wazir Khan’s guardianship.[1][4][5]
The news of this bold raid greatly enhanced Shivaji’s reputation. The Emperor, on his journey from Lahore to Kashmir, learned of the incident. The Alamgir Nama, Aurangzeb’s official history, dismisses the raid briefly, attributing it to Shaista Khan’s negligence and leading to his dismissal.[1][4][5]
A contemporaneous account by Philip Giffard, dated April 12, 1663, provides a brief but vivid description: Shivaji, with 400 elite men, entered Shaista Khan’s camp, killed his eldest son his head was carried away by them, son-in-law, and many others, and wounded Shaista Khan himself. Despite significant casualties, Shivaji lost only 6 men and 40 were wounded, while the 10,000-strong army of Raja Jaswant Singh made no move to pursue him, suggesting possible complicity. By December 1663, the Emperor ordered Shaista Khan to take charge of Bengal, bypassing a personal audience.[1][4][5]
Until now, no Rajah had fought against the Mughal generals in this manner, nor had shown such daring." This unconscious tribute to Shivaji's daring must surely be representative of the prevailing opinion in the country
— Bhimsen Saxena
Aftermath
editAfter Shaista Khan's recall, Jaswant Singh was assigned the task of maintaining Mughal authority and promptly laid siege to the Kondhana fort, a crucial Maratha stronghold. The initial attack on March 15, 1664, led by Sunder Das, ended in failure and resulted in the loss of twenty Rathor soldiers. On April 13, the Rathores attempted to breach the fort by mining the walls, causing significant damage and killing fifty to sixty Maratha defenders, but were unable to penetrate the fort.[1][6][7]
A more effective mining operation on May 6 created a substantial breach in the fort's ramparts, allowing seven hundred Rathores to scale the walls. This led to a fierce battle with heavy casualties on both sides, but no decisive outcome was achieved. With the arrival of the monsoon and no immediate prospects of capturing Kondhana, Jaswant Singh lifted the siege on June 1 and retreated.[1][6][7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale. Shivaji His Life & Times. pp. 434–438.
- ^ a b Richards, John F. (1993). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-0-521-56603-2.
- ^ a b Laine, James W. (2003-02-13). Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India. Oxford University Press. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-19-972643-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h SETHUMADHAVRAO S. PAGADI. SHIVAJI - ENG - SETHUMADHAVRAO S. PAGADI. pp. 40–41.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sardesai, Govind Sakharam (1946). New History Of The Marathas Vol.1. pp. 141–143.
- ^ a b Dr. G.r. Parihar (1937). Marwar And The Marathas Part Ii. p. 6.
- ^ a b Life Of Shivaji ( Keluskar Takakhav). pp. 230–236.