Veer Savarkar called the 1857 mutiny against the British as the first war of India's Independence. But I think the great war that the Marathas waged the subject of this engaging book by Abhas Verma for 18 years (1689-1707) in Southern India after the cruel but heroic end of Chhatrapati Sambhaji at the hands of Aurangzeb to ultimately bring the Mughal rule to its last legs is not only better suited to be called as India's first war of Independence but should also be regarded as one of the most heroic periods of Hindu history of the past 1,000 years.
With the death of a hapless Aurangzeb in 1707 in Deccan started the disintegration of the Mughal Empire. The Maratha Army reached in Delhi in 1719 and Marathas finally became the arbitrators of the tattering Empire in 1750. This suffices to prove that the 17 year old war that Marathas waged against Aurangzeb is fit to be called as India's first war of independence. It broke the Empire's back. During this period Marathas were able to get the right to collect tribute in the form of Chauth and Sardeshmukhi from six Subhas of the Deccan and were able to free many Hindu places from Mughal control. They even did Jinnodhar of temples like Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain which was lying in decrepit condition for Five centuries after being broken by Sultan Iltutmish in 1234.
But correct history is a subject that often gets overshadowed or manipulated depending on who is the ruler. And that is what has happened in the first six decades of India's Independence when a set of rulers left out the history that could create a sense of pride in the majority community, so as to appease Leftists and Islamists. Otherwise, how is it possible that Shivaji Maharaj became projected only as a warrior and not as the great nation builder that he actually was, and the 18-year Maratha War that ultimately buried a broken Aurangzeb in distant Aurangabad (now Sambhajinagar) and not in Agra, stay virtually unknown to most Indians outside Maharashtra.
It is shocking that two of the greatest warriors of the medieval era and heroes of this 18-year war against the Mughals Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav-who pulverised almost entire South India with their repeated victories against the greatest Mughal generals and once came close to capturing Aurangzeb alive-are not known at all, except in Maharashtra and some parts of South India. If a list of 25 great Hindu warriors of the past 1,000 years was to be drawn, this duo would find their place in such a hall of fame. The fact that this duo remains largely unknown shows the suppression of Bharat's proud history by rulers for their political designs.
The contemporary English merchants of Surat wrote "Shivaji is the fairest friend, noblest enemy, and the most politique Prince. He will continue victorious even to a miracle."
Shivaji Maharaj's death in 1680 was a severe blow the Maratha empire. The Mughal-Maratha struggle from 1680 to 1707 till the death of Aurangzeb, is said to be War of 27 years. During the Period of the death of Shivaji, the Great and the release of Shahu (1680-1707) the Maratha State had to face a crisis of first-class magnitude and these memorable years of anxious tribulations were characterized by the unparalleled and surprising outburst of the latent martial spirit of the Maratha people. In 1681 on the occasion of the flight of Prince Akbar to the court of the Maratha King, Sambhaji. Aurangzeb set forth on his life's mission in grim determination and with mature experience at once to destroy the co-religionist states of Bijapur and Golkunda, to exterminate the infidel Marathas and to bring his rebellious son back to allegiance and hurled the concentrated strength of his Empire on the Deccan.
Aurangzeb himself arrived in Deccan in the year 1681. By the middle of November all the military resources of the Mughal empire were concentrated in the Deccan under the Emperor himself. Aurangzeb himself took post at the strategic center, Aurangabad on 22nd March 1682. An English at Karwar wrote, "He is so inveterate against the Rajah that he hath thrown off his pagri and sworn never to put it on again, till he hath either killed, taken, or routed him out of his country." (30th July 1682)
Sambhaji and 25 of his advisors were captured by the Mughal forces of Sheikh Nizam Hyderabadi in a skirmish at Sangameshwar in February 1689. On 15th February the Mughal camp reached Bahadurgarh, when the captives were brought there, under guard of Hamid-ud-din Khan. Four miles outside the encampment, Shambhaji and Kavi-kalash were dressed as buffoons with long fool's caps and bells placed on their heads, mounted on camels, and brought to Bahadurgarh with drums beating and trumpets pealing. Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the roads, to gaze at Shambhaji. Thus degraded, the captives were slowly paraded through the entire camp and finally brought to the Mughal Emperor who was sitting in full Darbar for the occasion. At the sight of the prisoner, Aurangzeb descended from his throne and kneeling down on the carpet bowed his head to the ground in double thankfulness to the giver of this crowning victory. After he had looked at them, the captives were removed to prison. The Muslim theologians pronounced a decree that Shambhaji should be put to death on account of his having 'slain captured and dishonoured Muslims and plundered the cities of Islam.'
The Mughal Emperor, seeing no chance of getting anything out of Shambhaji, consented to his death.
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