Shivaji Maharaj - Meeting with Afzal Khan

Shivaji was born on February 19, 1630 at Shivneri fort, Junnar, about 60 kilometers north of Pune. His mother Jijabai named him Shiva after the Goddess Shivai. At this time the major players in the Deccan were the Nizamshahs of Ahmednagar, Mughals of Delhi and the Adilshah of Bijapur. Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor attacked Nizamshah. Nizamshah was defeated and the war weakened the Ahmednagar kingdom. Shahaji tried to raise the banner of his independence but was crushed by the combined forces of Mughals and Adilshahi. After the defeat, he was inducted into the Adilshahi and was allowed to keep his old land tenures around Pune. Shivaji was born during these turbulent times. At the age of 17, Shivaji carried his first attack on Bijapur and captured the Torana fort in 1645. By 1647, he captured Rajgadh and Kondana forts and had complete control of Pune region. Of all his exploits my favorite has always been the Battle of Pratapgadh when he defeated and killed Afzal Khan. Read More...