Shivaji's Duel at Pratapgad: The Assassination of Afzal Khan

In November 1659, a young Maratha king and a veteran Adil Shahi general met in a tent at the foot of Pratapgad fort. The encounter — whether an assassination or a desperate act of self-defense — changed the course of Deccan history. Lucas and Luna explore the conflicting accounts in Persian chronicles and Maratha bakhars, the role of Bahirji Naik's intelligence, the hidden tiger claws (bagh nakh), and the ambush that followed. They also examine how Shivaji's daring gambit at Pratapgad launched his reputation as a guerrilla leader, triggered a wave of fort captures, and set the stage for the Mughal-Maratha conflict. This episode digs into the weapons, the strategy, and the contested legacy of one of the most famous — and most controversial — episodes in Indian military history. #ShivajiMaharaj #AfzalKhan #Pratapgad #BaghNakh #GanimiKava #Mavala #AdilShahi #BattleOfPratapgad #MarathaHistory #IndianHistory #Deccan #Sahyadri #BahirjiNaik #Bakhar #GuerrillaWarfare #SouthAsia #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo