Horses of Shivaji Maharaj

                                Afzal Khan

Afzal Khan was a general who served the Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur sultanate in India. He played an important role in the southern expansion of the Bijapur Sultanate by subjugating the Nayaka chief who had taken control of the former Vijayanagara territory.

The Battle of Pratapgad was a battle fought on 10 November 1659, at the fort of Pratapgad, near the town of Satara, Maharashtra,India, between the forces of the Maratha under Shivaji Maharaj and the Adilshahi  troops under the  Adilshahi general Afzal khan. The Marathas defeated the Adilshahi forces. It was their first significant military victory against a major regional power.

In 1659, the Bijapur government sent Afzal Khan to subjugate Shivaji, a former vassal who had started acting independently. He was killed at a truce negotiation meeting with Shivaji, and his army was defeated at the  Battel of Pratapgad.Afzal Khan, like the ruler of Bijapur, was a Muslim, while Shivaji was a Hindu.

Afzal Khan first came to Tuljapur, where he destroyed the idol of Shivaji's family goddess Bhavani, and slaughtered a cow (considered holy by the Hindus) in front of  her temple. Afzal Khan Vadh states that Afzal Khan challenged the goddess to show her some miracle. He went on the desecrate the Hindu temples at Pandharpur and Shikhar Shingnapur (Shambhu Mahadev).

Negotiations

At Wai, Afzal Khan wrote to local chiefs, seeking their support against Shivaji. Vithoji Haibat Rao, the deshmukh of Gunjan-Maval, was asked to bring a contingent to Javli in Afzal Khan's support. Khandoji Khopde agreed to support Afzal Khan on the condition that he would be made the deshmukh of Rohidkhore, which was held by Shivaji's loyalist Kanhoji Jedhe.

According to Sabhasad, Afzal Khan then sent his envoy Krishna Bhaskar Kulkarni to Shivaji, declaring that he was a great friend of Shivaji's father Shahaji. He promised that he would use his influence in the Bijapur court to get the king to officially recognize Shivaji's control over Konkan and various forts. He also promised to secure further distinction and military equipment for Shivaji from Bijapur. Finally, he declared that Shivaji was welcome to attend the Bijapur court, or be granted an exemption from personal attendance, if he so desired.

Battle between Shivaji Maharaj and Afzal khan -

Meanwhile, Afzal Khan's unchallenged march to Wai had greatly frightened Shivaji's followers. His well-equipped army had freely plundered the territory of Shivaji, who had confined himself to a fort instead of challenging Afzal Khan in an open battlefield. Both Sabhasad and Chitnis Bakhar state that Shivaji's counsellors urged him to avoid losses by negotiating peace with Afzal Khan.

Shivaji sent an emissary to Afzal Khan, stating that he did not want to fight and was ready for peace. A meeting was arranged between Shivaji and Afzal Khan at a shamiyana (highly decorated tent) at the foothills of Pratapgad. It was agreed that they would each bring only ten personal bodyguards with them. All the ten bodyguards would remain 'one arrow-shot' away from the pair. Shivaji chose Sambhaji Kondhalkar, Jiva Mahala, Siddi Ibrahim, Kataji Ingle, Kondaji Kank, Yesaji Kank, Krishnaji Gaikwad, Surji Katake, Visaji Murambak & Sambhaji Karvar for the meet. Afzal Khan hid a katyar (a small dagger) in his coat, and Shivaji wore armour underneath his clothes and carried a concealed Wagh Nakha in one hand.

As the two men entered the tent, the 6'7" tall Afzal Khan embraced Shivaji. He then tried to strangle Shivaji in his vice-like grip and pierced his dagger in Shivaji. But the armour under Shivaji's clothes saved him. Shivaji retaliated by using his "wagh nakh" to slash Khan's stomach and disemboweled Khan.

 There upon, Afzal Khan's bodyguard Bada Sayyed attacked Shivaji with a sword but Shivaji's personal bodyguard, Jiva Mahala, fatally struck him down. Also the lawyer of Afzal Khan, Krishna Bhaskar Kulkarni attacked Shivaji. Shivaji killed Krishna Kulkarni with his sword. Afzal Khan managed to hold his gushing entrails and hurtled, fainting and bleeding, outside the tent and threw himself into his Palanquin. The bearers hastily lifted their charge and began moving rapidly away down the slope. Sambhaji Kavji Kondhalkar, Shivaji's lieutenant and one of the accompanying guards, gave chase and beheaded Afzal Khan. The severed head was later sent to Rajgad to be shown to Shivaji's mother, Jijabai. She had long wanted vengeance for the deliberate maltreatment of Shahaji (Shivaji's father) while a captive of Afzal Khan, and for his role in the death of her elder son, Sambhaji Shahaji Raje Bhosle. Shivaji sped up the slope towards the fortress and his lieutenants ordered cannons to be fired. It was a signal to his infantry, hidden in the densely forested valley, to raid the Adilshahi forces.

Afzal's army was completely obliterated. In a final act of poetic justice, Afzal's head was buried under a tower near the temple of Bhavani built by Shivaji in Pratapgarh fort.