topics: |  history | india | maratha | 17th-c |

This was an early history of Shivaji and the rise of Maratha power.  Duff
was familiar with Marathi and Persian and as the Resident at Satara, had
access to much of the copious documentation in various Maratha families.

As is to be expected, his history is laced with considerable colonial
prejudice - "Afzool Khan had all the vanity of a Mahomedan noble", "No
Bramin could resist such [a bribe]", etc.

Excerpts

		Below I excerpt Duff's treatment of the famous episode where
		Afzal Khan is killed by Shivaji at a personal meeting.  It is
		clear that Shivaji had made preparations for killing him and
		carried two hidden weapons and was wearing mail.  However,
		Jadunath Sarkar has shown based on a wide variety of
		contemporary documents, that Afzal Khan also had been
		planning to kill Shivaji at the meeting, and that Shivaji had
		made his preparations knowing this.



	most modern interpretations, including the populist Amar Chitra Katha
	follow the well-substantiated Sarkar version.  The next frames show
	Shivaji disembowelling the giant Afzal with his waghnakh.

Afzal Khan is sent against Shivaji, 1659

The Beejapoor government had at last become sensible of the necessity of
making an active effort to subdue [Shivaji], and for this purpose an army was
assembled, consisting of five thousand horse, and seven thousand choice
infantry, a good train of artillery, or what was considered as such, besides
a large supply of rockets, a number of swivels mounted on camels, and
abundance of stores. Afzool Khan, an officer of high rank, volunteered to
command the expedition...

Sivajee, on its approach, took up his residence in Pertabgurh, and sent the
most humble messages to Afzool Khan.  He pretended to have no thought of
opposing so great a personage, and seemed only anxious to make his peace with
the Beejapoor government, through the Khan’s mediation; he affected the
utmost sorrow for his conduct, which he could hardly persuade himself would
be forgiven by the King, even if the Khan should receive him under the shadow
of his protection ; but he would surrender the whole of his country to the
Khan, were it possible to assure himself of his favour.

Afzool Khan had all the vanity of a Mahomedan noble ; he had also a thorough
contempt for his enemy ; but having formerly been in charge of the Waee
district, as Soobedar of the province, he was aware of the exceeding
difficulty he should experience on his advance through the wild country which
he must penetrate.

With such considerations, and mollified by Sivajee’s submission, Afzool Khan,
in answer to repeated applications, despatched a Bramin in his own service,
named Puntojee Gopinat, to Pertabgurh.

Secret discussions with the emissary Gopinath

In the middle of the night Sivajee secretly introduced himself to Puntojee
Gopinat. He addressed him as a Bramin, his superior, he represented that “all
he had done was for the sake of Hindoos and the Hindoo faith ; that he was
called on by Bhowanee herself, to protect Bramins and kine...  that it became
him as a Bramin to assist in what was already declared by the deity ; and
that here, amongst his cast | and countrymen, he should hereafter live in
comfort and affluence."  Sivajee seconded his arguments with presents, and a
solemn promise of bestowing the village of Hewra, in Enam, on him and his
posterity for ever.

No Bramin could resist such an appeal, seconded by such temptation ; the
envoy swore fidelity to Sivajee, declared he was his for ever, and called on
the goddess to punish him if he swerved from any task he might impose. They
accordingly consulted on the fittest means for averting the present
danger. The Bramin, fully acquainted with Afzool Khan’s character, suggested
the practicability of seducing him to a conference, and Sivajee at once
determined on this scheme.

He sent for a confidential Bramin, Kistnajee Bliaskur, informed him of what
had just passed, and of the resolution which he had in consequence
adopted. After fully consulting on the subject, they, separated as secretly
as they had met.

...Kistnajee Bliaskur, as Sivajee’s wakeel, was despatched with Puntojee
Gopinat to the camp of Afzool Khan. The latter represented Sivajee as in
great alarm; but if his fears could be overcome by the personal assurances of
the Khan, he was convinced that he might easily be prevailed upon to give
himself up. With blind confidence Afzool Khan trusted himself to Puntojee’s
guidance. An interview was agreed upon, and the Beejapoor troops, with great
labour, moved to Jowlee.

Treacherous plans by Shivaji

Sivajee prepared a place for the meeting, below the fort of Pertabgurh ; he
cut down the jungle, and cleared a road for the Khan's approach - but every
other avenue to the place was carefully closed.  He ordered up Moro Punt and
Netajee Palkur from the Cancan, with many thousands of the Mawulee
infantry. He communicated his whole plan to these two, and to Tannajee
Maloosray.

Netajee was stationed in the thickets a little to the east of the fort, where
it was expected that a part of the Khan’s retinue would advance, and Moro
Trimmul, with the old and tried men, was sent to conceal himself in the
neighbourhood of the main body of the Beejapoor troops, which remained, as
had been agreed upon, in the neighbourhood of Jowlee. The preconcerted signal
for Netajee was the blast of a collerie horn, and the distant attack by Moro
Trimmul was to commence on hearing the fire of five guns from Pertabgurh,
which were also to announce Sivajee’s safety.

Fifteen Hundred of Afzool Khan’s troops accompanied him to within a few
hundred yards of Pertabgurh, where, for fear of alarming Sivajee they were,
at Puntojee Gopinat’s suggestion, desired to halt.  Afzool Khan, dressed in a
thin garment, armed only with his sword, and attended, as had been agreed, by
a single armed follower, advanced in his palanquin to an open bungalow
prepared for the occasion. 125

    Sivajee had made preparations for his purpose, not as if conscious that
he meditated a criminal and treacherous deed, hut as if resolved on some
meritorious though desperate action.  Having performed his ablutions with
much earnestness, he laid his head at his mother’s feet and besought her
blessing.

    He then arose, put on a steel chain cap and chain armour under his
turban and cotton gown, concealed a crooked dagger, or beechwa,*
in his right sleeve, and on the fingers of his left hand he fixed a
wagnuck,* a treacherous weapon well known among Mahrattas.  Thus
accoutred, he slowly descended from the fort. The Khan had arrived at the
place of meeting before him, and was expressing his impatience at the
delay, when Sivajee was seen advancing, apparently unarmed, and like the
Khan, attended by only one armed follower, his tried friend Tannajee
Maloosray.


* The Beechwa, or scorpion, is aptly named in its resemblance to that reptile.

* The Wagnuck, or tiger’s claws, is a small steel instrument, made to fit on
  the fore and little finger. It has three crooked blades, which are easily
  concealed in a half closed hand.

Sivajee, in view of Afzool Khan, frequently stopped, which was represented as
the effects of alarm, a supposition more likely to be admitted from his
diminutive size. Under pretence of assuring Sivajee, the armed attendant, by
the contrivance of the Bramin, stood at a few paces distance.

Afzool Khan made no objection to Sivajee’s follower, although he carried
two swords in his waist band, a circumstance which might pass unnoticed,
being common amongst Mahrattas; he advanced two or three paces to meet
Sivajee; they were introduced, and in the midst of the customary embrace,
the treacherous Mahratta struck the wagnuck into the bowels of Afzool Khan,
who quickly disengaged himself, clapped his hand on his sword, exclaiming
treachery and murder, but Sivajee instantly followed up the blow with his
dagger.

	
	tiger claw, from the personal collection of Grant Duff, a Company soldier
	and administrator in Satara and Poona, 	who wrote an early history of the Marathas
	claiming that Shivaji had betrayed Afzal who was the honoured guest.
	image source: Victoria & Albert Museum

The Khan had drawn his sword and made a cut at Sivajee, but the concealed
armour was proof against the blow ; the whole was the work of a moment, and
Sivajee was wresting the weapon from the hand of his victim before their
attendants could run towards them.

Syud Bundoo, the follower of the Khan, whose name deserves to be recorded,
refused his life on condition of surrender, and against two such swordsmen as
Sivajee and his companion, maintained an unequal combat for some time before
he fell.

Did Shivaji kill Afzal treacherously?

All parties agree to the following aspects of the incident:
	a.  Shivaji was wearing concealed mail-armour and head protection
	b.  He was carrying the bagh-nakh and a small dagger (beechhwa)

The main disagreement stems from one aspect:
	c.  Did Afzal have prior plans to also doublecross Shivaji and kill
	    him at this private rendezvous?

In Jadunath Sarkar's meticulous work, reported in his 1920s volume,
Shivaji and his Times, which was widely known in Maharasthra and other
parts of India, he established, based on Persian and Marathi sources, that
Afzal had actually planned to kill Shivaji at the meeting.  Nonetheless,
Duff's portrayal resulted in this impression of base treachery persisting
for a long time among Indians.

In John F. Richards' 1993 work, The Mughal Empire
(v. I.5 of the The new Cambridge history of India), he follows Sarkar
closely, referring to him every few pages, and gives the following
description of the event:

	Within the tent an initial embrace of greeting between the two
	principals abruptly became a mortal struggle in which Afzal Khan
	tried to strangle [the much shorter] Shivaji.  The latter used his
	concealed iron "tiger claws" to disembowel his larger enemy. At their
	commander's signal hidden Maratha troops surrounding the site
	attacked and slaughtered the confused Bijapur soldiery. p.208




Sarkar's student K. R. Qanungo writes in Hari Ram Gupta's 
Life and Letters of Sir Jadunath Sarkar, 1957: 

	Maharashtra got a mixed shock with the publication of Jadunath's
	Shivaji and his Times.  Public indignation against Grant Duff,
	verily the greatest pioneer in Maratha history, was no doubt allayed
	to some extent, and the Marathas rejoiced at Jadunath's irrefutable
	logic clenched with facts in clearing Shivaji of the charge of "the
	murder of an invited guest."  But they were unhappy over a more
	heinous crime of Shivaji, namely, the acquisition of Cali "by a
	deliberate murder and organisms treachery on the part of Shivaji"
	(fifth edition. p. 43).

Populist histories today

In modern times, popular histories like the Amar Chitra Katha have adopted
the well-documented Sarkar version, with Afzal having planned a treacherous
murder, as shown in the image above.