Escape From Agra

One of the most exciting episodes in the life of Shivaji was his Escape from Agra where Aurangzeb had kept him prisoner. This episode gives an account of that Dramatic Escape. SHIVAJI, the leader of the Marathas, was at war with the Mughals. Enraged by many defeats, which Shivaji had inflicted on his forces, the Emperor Aurangzeb decided to crush once for all his growing power in the Deccan. He sent against him a large army under two his ablest commanders, Jai Singh, the Raja of Jaipur and Diler Khan, a Mughal nobleman. The emperor’s soldiers met with immediate successes in this campaign. They captured fort after fort and laid siege to Purandar, where the Maratha put up a long and gallant resistance. At last, Shivaji thought it was wise to agree to the terms of peace. He was forced to surrender most of his forts and was allowed to retain only a few for himself on condition of service and loyalty to the empire. It was also proposed that he should visit the imperial court at Agra. Shivaji hesitated in the beginning, but finally yielded to the persuasion of jai Singh, who gave him solemn promises about his personal safety in the court of Aurangzeb. He proceeded to Agra with his son Sambhaji and a band of some followers, however he was tricked and prisoned. If you like this episode please Like, Comment and share on FB and Twitter. (This was originally published on Anchor in Jun'21)