Shivaji Maharaj vs. Afzal Khan ft. Aneesh Gokhale | The Awaara Musaafir Show | S02 | 33

The Awaara Musaafir Show

Afzal Khan was a general loyal to Adil Shah. During an assault by the Adil Shahi dynasty on the Maratha kingdom, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had moved his forces back from Pune to Pratapgad fort. Afzal Khan's forces outnumbered Shivaji Maharaj, but Pratapgad is located in the middle of ghats and jungle. The lands around the fort thwarted any attempts to charge with cavalry, or use cannons effectively - so Afzal Khan laid siege to Pratapgad. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj held out for a while, but the fort's stores of food would run low quite soon with the bulk of the Maratha army garrisoned there. Shivaji's advisers suggested that he take Afzal's offer of peaceful negotiations. Shivaji Maharaj set out to the foothills near Pratapgad to parley with Afzal Khan. However, he also knew of Afzal Khan's tendency of treating the "peaceful" part of peaceful negotiation as more of a guideline than a rule. Afzal Khan had earlier murdered a negotiator in the same way. So Shivaji went to the meeting armed. When Afzal Khan and Shivaji Maharaj met, Afzal went in for a hug - a traditional greeting amongst equals (perceived or otherwise). And as he was breaking the hug, he tried to stab Shivaji with a dagger he had palmed earlier. The dagger glanced off the armor Shivaji had worn under his clothes. Then, and this is the gory part, Shivaji revealed his intent - an Indian weapon called a wagh nakh (tiger claw). Imagine a set of brass knuckles, with claws on the outside. Using this, he disemboweled Afzal Khan where he stood. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/awaara-musaafir/message