How Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s death was avenged?

Do you know how Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's death was avenged? 

After Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's brutal execution, Aurangzeb's commander Zulfikar Khan seized Raigad and imprisoned Yesubai (Sambhaji's wife) and his son. But the fire of vengeance was already lit. Sambhaji's younger brother, Rajaram Maharaj, rose as the new Chhatrapati.

Sambhaji Maharaj was tortured for 40 days before being executed. The Marathas were enraged. All differences vanished. They united with one goal—Aurangzeb's annihilation. A storm was about to hit the Mughal Empire.

At Sangameshwar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji and 200 warriors fought against 10,000 Mughal soldiers led by Muqarram Khan. Among them was Malhoji Ghorpade, who fought to his last breath. His son Santaji Ghorpade vowed vengeance and made Aurangzeb's life a living hell.

Santaji, with Dhanaji Jadhav, led a sudden attack at Tulapur, where Aurangzeb had executed Sambhaji. Aurangzeb, camping with lakhs of soldiers, was shocked when only 2,000 Marathas stormed his camp like lions. The Marathas butchered the Mughal army mercilessly. Mughal historian Kafi Khan wrote, "After Tulapur, the Mughals trembled at Santaji's name. Soldiers were either killed or captured. His very name sent Mughal troops into chaos."

Panic spread in Aurangzeb's camp. Mughal soldiers screamed, "Huzoor, the Marathas are here!" While Mughals scrambled to protect Aurangzeb, the Marathas were cutting them down. Aurangzeb fled to save his life, but his empire's prestige was shattered forever. The Marathas seized two golden finials from Aurangzeb's royal tent and returned to Sinhagad in victory. The next morning, Aurangzeb saw thousands of dead Mughal soldiers and muttered, "O Allah! These Marathas never tire, never surrender. What if we perish trying to destroy them?"

Two days later, Santaji attacked Raigad Fort. Mughal commander Zulfikar Khan, who had imprisoned Yesubai, was encircled. The Marathas stormed the fort, massacred the Mughal troops, and seized their treasures, horses, and elephants, taking them to Panhala.

Wherever the Marathas saw Mughals, they slashed through them like grass. Now it was Muqarram Khan's turn—the man who had betrayed and captured Sambhaji Maharaj. Aurangzeb had rewarded him with 50,000 rupees, making him the governor of Kolhapur and Konkan. The Marathas swore Muqarram Khan would not live. In December 1689, Santaji Ghorpade surrounded Muqarram Khan's massive army and began a brutal slaughter. Santaji personally chased him down, hacked him apart, and left him dying in the jungle.

With Muqarram Khan's death, the Marathas avenged the brutal execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. In 1691, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj declared Santaji as the Commander of the Maratha Empire. Santaji wasted no time. With 15,000–20,000 Maratha warriors, he stormed Mughal territories, raising the saffron flag over Karnataka and beyond. Aurangzeb, now a coward hiding in the Sahyadris, ran for 27 years like a dog.

For 27 years, the Marathas kept him on the run. Broken by humiliation and continuous defeat, the coward Aurangzeb finally died a miserable death in Maharashtra—the land he failed to conquer. This is the fate of tyrants.

And today, some people glorify this defeated coward? 

Remember, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj did not die in vain. The Marathas shattered the Mughals, and Hindavi Swarajya stood unshaken. This is our history. Never forget it.