Sambhaji’s death was a big blow to the Marathas. He was the rightful heir and a daredevil; someone who could have challenged Aurangzeb had he not been given up by his own family members. The Marathas were not to give up so easily. The few years after Sambhaji’s death were ruinous and confusing. Sambhaji’s younger brother Rajaram, who was nineteen, and his mother Tarabai stayed at the Raigad fort. Yesaji Kank, a veteran since Shivaji’s time, did not waste time to declare Rajaram as the king within a week of Sambaji’s capture. This was a clear message to the Mughals that the Maratha monarchy was alive and kicking and that the Marathas were too. Aurangzeb was not going to sit quietly. He sent Itikad Khan (later called Zulfikar Khan) to Raigad to capture Rajaram and his mother.

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Hljóðbók: 5 januari 2023