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Mulana Ahmad, was given a safe passage by Shivaji, but the loser was disgraced by the defeat and was at Bijapur court with tears in eyes, clamoring for revenge. Kalyan was lost and so were the revenues of Konkan but still the Bijapur Darbar (court) hesitated as despotic government seldom trusts its most successful officer and so was the case of Bijapur government and Shahji. Shahji’s extraordinary success in Karnataka was by no means popular with them. The air at Bijapur was full of the rumor that Shivaji was incited to revolt by Shahji so as to divert the attention of Bijapur government while he can erect his independent monarchy in South.
Shahji was asked to tame the rebelling Shivaji. The impossible task was assigned to the father who for long had no regular contacts with his son. Shahji in vain tried to convince that it was useless for him to stop Shivaji.
The Bijapur government wanted to bring Shivaji under control through his father. They never wanted to take any direct challenge against Shivaji. Bijapur government thought it to be possible to pressurize Shahji and tame Shivaji and handle the issue of Mulana Ahmad diplomatically. The Bijapur authorities bribed the Maratha Chief Baji Ghorpade of Mudhol, to seize Shahji by treachery. For this act Shahji never forgave Baji.
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The treachery always pinched Shahji’s heart. He wrote to Shivaji privately, If you be a true son of mine, punish Baji Ghorpade ! For four years Shahji languished in the dungeons of Bijapur, in a tiny cell, which Sultan threatened to build it altogether if Shivaji did not surrender.
Shivaji was in the desperate state and for a time even thought of laying his arms down for his father. But his wife Saibai stopped Shivaji. It was then that he thought of the entire episode with a different angle.
Since the peace of 1637, the Mughals had been little heard of in Deccan. Shah Jehan, the emperor, like Adilshah was a poet and more of an art lover than a warrior. He built many architectural masterpieces like Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid and the gemlike mosque in Agra. These monuments and the Peacock Throne occupied the greater portion of the Emperor’s time and money. |
Mughal territories were extended up to Ahmednagar and of late they had done very little in the Deccan. Shivaji made an excellent counterstroke in the relation. He entered into correspondence with the Emperor and offered to support him if the Bijapur authorities did not harass his father any more. Shivaji was ready to part with all his major conquest for Shahji. As per the deal with Shah Jehan, Shivaji was to handover major part of Deccan and a goodly share of the Konkan. What was more, it would bring the Mughals within striking distance of Bijapur itself.
The luring opportunity deceived Shah Jehan. The alliance between Shah Jehan, the Mughal Emperor and Shivaji, a chivalrous warrior belittled the courage of Bijapur. Bijapur found itself in a trap for giving refuge to Mulana Ahmad. Added to the alarming situation was the state of Karnataka. The subjects of Karnataka territory had revolted in absence of their old and trusty ruler, Shahji. Shivaji had also promised Shah Jehan to join the Mughals if his mission succeeded. All the factors – Karnataka rebels, Mughal and Maratha alliance and few trustworthy friends of Shahji in Bijapur court compelled the Bijapur State to release Shahji in 1663. |
