BORN TO SHIVAJI AND HIS FIRST WIFE, SAIBAI, SAMBHAJI WAS DESTINED TO CARRY FORWARD THE MARATHA EMPIRE. HE WAS BORN AT PURANDAR FORT AND RAISED BY HIS PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, JIJABAI. AS PART OF THE TREATY OF PURANDAR, SHIVAJI SENT SAMBHAJI TO LIVE WITH RAJA JAI SINGH OF AMBER AS A POLITICAL HOSTAGE, WHERE HE WAS RAISED AS A MUGHAL SARDAR AND SERVED IN AURANGZEB'S COURT. AFTER SHIVAJI'S DEATH, SAMBHAJI FACED OPPOSITION FROM HIS STEPMOTHER, SOYARABAI MOHITE, WHO ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL HER SON, RAJARAM, AS THE RIGHTFUL HEIR. ESCAPING IMPRISONMENT, SAMBHAJI ASCENDED THE THRONE ON 20 JULY 1680. A BRILLIANT STRATEGIST AND A FEARLESS LEADER, HE PROVED HIMSELF WORTHY OF RULING THE MARATHAS, THOUGH HIS REIGN WAS SHORT-LIVED. THIS BOOK DELVES INTO HIS REMARKABLE LIFE, SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE RULER HE TRULY WAS.
