Shivaji turned out to be an able administrator under the tutelage of Dadaji, training for several hours a day he was becoming a fierce warrior. With a few courtiers and guardsmen in his army, Shivaji raided a small portion of the Bijapur Army, which was moving across the hilly region carrying gold in trunks to pay their due taxes to the imperial government at Delhi. The hills were effectively used by both, the Marathas and Rajputs to fight guerilla warfare. Such subsequent successes instilled worry in the minds of the Bijapur Government as well as the imperial government who cautioned and wanted the provincial government of Bijapur to tackle the rebel effectively. The first few successes of Shivaji caused an uproar in the city of Pune and districts in the vicinity, men from all age groups started joining Shivaji's army which was now 10 thousand in number, surprisingly much of the soldiers were from the Brahmin community. The Sultan of Bijapur at once ordered a messenger to ask Shivaji to present himself at the court, while he was awaiting Shivaji's reply he remembered that Shahaji was himself present in the Bijapur army, he caused him to be arrested and brought in the darbar , Shahji protested his innocence of any knowledge of Shivaji's action, he told Sultan that he had sent Shivaji away from Bijapur because he was so unruly a child and had not seen him since then and pleaded the Sultan to send a strong force to capture Shivaji which was to be an obvious action for the him. Suspicious of his words the Sultan thought how was it possible that the father was unaware of his son's deeds? On the account of his suspicion and persistence of other courtiers of Afghan and Turk descent who were unhappy with the high position held by a Hindu man, Shahaji was put behind the bars. No one really thought that Shivaji was yet an enemy to the state but rather a young fool who had taken up banditry so in view of the king he took no military action against Shivaji but forced Shahaji to prove his innocence by writing a letter to his son to present himself in the court and assure the ruler of the same. He was chained to the back of the niche, and masons began to brick up the entrance while they broke off from work and waited for Shivaji, there was no sign of him so masons returned to add a new layer of bricks. At last, there was only room for one more brick, and that last brick would shut out light and air forever from the prisoner. Had it been Shivaji had surrendered to the authority he would have been executed but yet the thought of his father forced him to take a decision wherein he chose to not submit but rather sent a letter through his messenger that he was willing to offer few of his forts to him but the offer remained only on paper. Impressed by Shivaji's behavior the Sultan released Shahaji.
During the year of 1649, while the distrustful pause continued between Shivaji and his Muslim neighbors he met two men who were going to play a pivotal role in his life in the near future. Sant Tukaram and Ramdas. Shivaji requested Tukaram to make his home in the riches of his fort but Tukaram refused to do so, Shivaji tore his clothes and donned the clothes of ascetic and sat humbly at the feet of Tukaram and wanted to lead the life of an ascetic from thereafter but Tukaram ordered Shivaji to rule for he had a greater purpose for there could be many ascetics but only one man with the destiny of Shivaji. In 1650 Prince Aurangzeb, destined to be the last of the Mughals, to crush the southern principalities of Golconda and Bijapur, and to drag down his Empire in the ruins in his efforts to quell the Maratha, he succeeded his brother Murad as the Viceroy of Central India. Meanwhile, Shivaji, though safe became impatient with his present inactivity and decided to raid a few Mughal districts. So with a few hundred men Shivaji rode over the Mogul border and pounced upon Ahmednagar, the capital of the frontier. The news fell in Aurangzeb's ear. Aurangzeb like a harsh schoolmaster rebuked his subordinates, censuring their negligence, Shivaji's land was at once occupied by Mughal Army. The future of Bijapur kingdom was met with the death of the Sultan of Bijapur and the Queen mother became the dominant character in the Court wherein she asked the army to take steps to crush Shivaji completely. Afzul Khan the queen mother's brother-in-law who boasted in the court that he would crush Shivaji like an ant but in private conversation he was less confident for who was as brave and fierce as the Maratha lion? for when Afzul Khan went to seek blessings for his enterprise he was told of a horrific vision that the officiating priest had foreseen where he saw him with no head, which was an indication of death. Afzul Khand decided to kill Shivaji with deceit and lured a brahmin to keep it as a secret, Shivaji was alarmed about this and approached the brahmin and told him that if he was true Hindu, in the service of the motherland he should speak the truth , the brahmin gave in and told him of Afzul Khan's plan, so Shivaji asked for another favor wherein he would tell Afzul Khan that Shivaji had gone mad and that he was instilled with fear and tell him that someone as brave as Afzul would not meet Shivaji in his fort ? Afzul when told, agreed to it and told him as suggested by Shivaji to meet him in a hill fort at Pratapgarh. It was surrounded by thick forests of which only Shivaji's hill men knew the way. Both of them agreed that they were to be accompanied by three soldiers and Afzul knew he with his three swordsmen would be more than a match for anything Shivaji could produce. As they entered the tent which was erected for meeting Afzul Khan tried to instigate conversations which would initiate a quarrel but Shivaji tackled all of them in a diplomatic manner, towards the end of the meeting Afzul came forward and opened his arms to embrace , Shivaji came forward to accept the embrace, Khan moved his arm up Shivaji;s back and clutched him around the neck. It was a wrestler's grip he tried to escape but the grip only tightened. He would have been swung clear off his feet had he not with a sudden snake-like movement twisted round, got his right arm free and dig the steel tiger- claws concealed in the palm of his left hand deep into Afzul Khan's side. The Afghan staggered back, shouting with rage and pain. The two armies had a small dual resulting in Shivaji's victory. The death of Afzul Khan left the entire Bijapur in shock and the imperial government was now in grief for it was now a matter of great importance to Aurangzeb for the Mughal Government was to face a challenge after years of comfort. The death of Afzul Khan resulted in AN UPRISING of which no one knew the consequences. It was the founding stone of a liberated Hindu State.
During the year of 1649, while the distrustful pause continued between Shivaji and his Muslim neighbors he met two men who were going to play a pivotal role in his life in the near future. Sant Tukaram and Ramdas. Shivaji requested Tukaram to make his home in the riches of his fort but Tukaram refused to do so, Shivaji tore his clothes and donned the clothes of ascetic and sat humbly at the feet of Tukaram and wanted to lead the life of an ascetic from thereafter but Tukaram ordered Shivaji to rule for he had a greater purpose for there could be many ascetics but only one man with the destiny of Shivaji. In 1650 Prince Aurangzeb, destined to be the last of the Mughals, to crush the southern principalities of Golconda and Bijapur, and to drag down his Empire in the ruins in his efforts to quell the Maratha, he succeeded his brother Murad as the Viceroy of Central India. Meanwhile, Shivaji, though safe became impatient with his present inactivity and decided to raid a few Mughal districts. So with a few hundred men Shivaji rode over the Mogul border and pounced upon Ahmednagar, the capital of the frontier. The news fell in Aurangzeb's ear. Aurangzeb like a harsh schoolmaster rebuked his subordinates, censuring their negligence, Shivaji's land was at once occupied by Mughal Army. The future of Bijapur kingdom was met with the death of the Sultan of Bijapur and the Queen mother became the dominant character in the Court wherein she asked the army to take steps to crush Shivaji completely. Afzul Khan the queen mother's brother-in-law who boasted in the court that he would crush Shivaji like an ant but in private conversation he was less confident for who was as brave and fierce as the Maratha lion? for when Afzul Khan went to seek blessings for his enterprise he was told of a horrific vision that the officiating priest had foreseen where he saw him with no head, which was an indication of death. Afzul Khand decided to kill Shivaji with deceit and lured a brahmin to keep it as a secret, Shivaji was alarmed about this and approached the brahmin and told him that if he was true Hindu, in the service of the motherland he should speak the truth , the brahmin gave in and told him of Afzul Khan's plan, so Shivaji asked for another favor wherein he would tell Afzul Khan that Shivaji had gone mad and that he was instilled with fear and tell him that someone as brave as Afzul would not meet Shivaji in his fort ? Afzul when told, agreed to it and told him as suggested by Shivaji to meet him in a hill fort at Pratapgarh. It was surrounded by thick forests of which only Shivaji's hill men knew the way. Both of them agreed that they were to be accompanied by three soldiers and Afzul knew he with his three swordsmen would be more than a match for anything Shivaji could produce. As they entered the tent which was erected for meeting Afzul Khan tried to instigate conversations which would initiate a quarrel but Shivaji tackled all of them in a diplomatic manner, towards the end of the meeting Afzul came forward and opened his arms to embrace , Shivaji came forward to accept the embrace, Khan moved his arm up Shivaji;s back and clutched him around the neck. It was a wrestler's grip he tried to escape but the grip only tightened. He would have been swung clear off his feet had he not with a sudden snake-like movement twisted round, got his right arm free and dig the steel tiger- claws concealed in the palm of his left hand deep into Afzul Khan's side. The Afghan staggered back, shouting with rage and pain. The two armies had a small dual resulting in Shivaji's victory. The death of Afzul Khan left the entire Bijapur in shock and the imperial government was now in grief for it was now a matter of great importance to Aurangzeb for the Mughal Government was to face a challenge after years of comfort. The death of Afzul Khan resulted in AN UPRISING of which no one knew the consequences. It was the founding stone of a liberated Hindu State.
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