Sambhaji Raje Bhonsle(Marathi:धम॑वीर संभ‌‌‌ाजी राजे)(Born-May 14th 1657;Died-March 11, 1689) was the eldest son of the Maratha king Shivaji, and succeeded him as the Chhatrapati i.e a Maratha king, after Shivaji's death in 1680.

Sambhaji was born in a crucial phase of Indian history. His father, Shivaji, was in the process of expanding his new 'Hindavi Swarajya'. He lost his mother, Saibai, when he was just a few months old. After her death, a woman named 'Dharau' from a village called 'Kapurhol' in Pune district fed him with her milk while his paternal grandmother Jijabai looked after him. Initially his stepmother, Soyarabai, also doted on him a lot.

Sambhaji was a cub of tiger in true sense. He was by several accounts extremely handsome and possessing of immense bravery. He was a scholar of Sanskrit and eight other languages. He gained proficiency in the matters of politics at a young age and by the time of Shivaji's coronation in 1674, dignitaries visiting Shivaji's capital Raigad were highly impressed with Sambhaji's acumen, grasp of strategical moves, his personality, and also his modesty.

Unfortunately within two weeks after Shivaji's coronation, Jijabai passed away and Sambhaji was left with nobody to look after him. Shivaji was too busy with the affairs of the state. Soyarabai increasingly became jealous of Sambhaji after a son, Rajaram, was born to her in 1670. She thought that if Sambhaji succeeded Shivaji to the maratha throne, then her son Rajaram would have no place in the power structure.

Sambhaji, being young and enthusiastic, often fell out with senior courtiers in Shivaji's court like Annaji Datto. Some historians point out that the reason of their clash was Sambhaji's opposition to certain corrupt practices by Annaji Datto, as well as the death of Annaji's daughter, who committed suicide out of unrequited love for Sambhaji.

The familial politics fuelled by Soyarabai's ambition and aided and abetted by senior courtiers like Annaji Datto led to Sambhaji's estrangement. For almost one year, Sambhaji left the Maratha kingdom and joined Aurangzeb's commander, Diler Khan. This came as a rude and extremely sad shock for Shivaji. This process

Soyarabai and Annaji Datto plotted to arrest Sambhaji at fort of Panhala, where he was staying at the time of Shivaji's death. They wanted to coronate Rajaram to succeed Shivaji. However Sarnobat (the then Supreme Commander of Maratha forces) and Soyarabai's brother, Hambirrao Mohite supported Sambhaji since he was the rightful heir to the throne. At the time of Shivaji's death, there was news of impending attack of Aurangzeb's army on Maharashtra and at such a crucial juncture, a strong leader like Sambhaji was need of the hour. Therefore Hambirrao did not support his own sister and sided with Sambhaji. Annaji Datto and other courtiers were arrested. It was chiefly because of Hambirrao's support that Sambhaji was able to ascend to his rightful place on the maratha throne in 1681.

However, any joy thereof was to be very shortlived. Within a year or so of Sambhaji's coronation, Aurangzeb invaded the Deccan vowing to destroy the maratha state that had been founded by Shivaji. He at the head of the full strength of the Mughal army, which at the time was the largest and most powerful land army in the world. Sambhaji led the Maratha fight against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It was to be the final war in both men's lives, and would last all of 25 years.

It was a disproportionate battle in all senses. Aurangzeb's army was at least 8 to 9 times larger than Sambhaji's. His whole empire was around 15 times bigger than Sambhaji's. However Sambhaji led the fight valiantly and did not let Aurangzeb win even a single major victory. The tenacity and sheer will of the maratha resistance to the mughal invasion is best illustrated by the story of the Ramshej fort near Nashik. Aurangzeb's commanders claimed that they would win the fort within hours but they had to fight for over six years to win it! Sambhaji also made strategically adroit moves by comprehensively defeating the enemies of Marathas like Siddi of Janjira,Chikkadev Rai of Mysore and Portuguese of Goa and Thane-Vasai before they could

The Marathas lead by Sambhaji fought almost singlehandedly against all the enemies, both in the Deccan and the mughal power. To make matters worse, there was a devastating famine in Maharashtra in 1686-87. Moreover some selfish Maratha commanders did not understand the worthy goals of independence and were too eager to stab Sambhaji in the back for some money and 'vatan' (Proprietorship) of a few villages. Sambhaji's brothers in laws, Ganoji Shirke (brother of Sambhaji's wife, Yesubai) and Mahadaji Nimbalkar (husband of Sambhaji's sister) turned against him and joined the Mughals for the same reason.

In early 1689, Sambhaji called his commanders for a strategic meeting at Sangameshwar in Konkan. In a meticulously planned operation, Ganoji Shirke and Aurangzeb's commander, Mukarrab Khan attacked Sangameshwar when Sambhaji was about to leave the town. A small ambush followed and Sambhaji was captured by Mughal troops. He and his advisor, Kavi Kalash were taken to Bahadurgad. Aurangzeb humiliated them by parading them on donkeys wearing clown's clothes. It was extremely painful ordeal. Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were tied upside down to camels with Mughal soldiers throwing stones, mud, and cow dung at them. However they stoically bore all the pain and humiliation.

When they were brought face to face with Aurangzeb, the latter offered to let Sambhaji live if he surrendered all the maratha forts, and converted to Islam. However Sambhaji had no such intentions. He refused to convert to Islam, and instead sang praises of Mahadeo. A furious Aurangzeb ordered him and Kavi Kalash to be tortured to death. Sambhaji and Kavi Kalash were brutally tortured for over 40 days. The torture was unparalled in the history of India and it involved plucking of eyes,pulling out nails, scraping out large pieces of skin and dismemberment. Sambhaji succumbed to the cruel torture and final beheading on March 11, 1689 at Tulapur near Pune. Inspite of being subjected to brutal torture for a long period, Sambhaji did not convert to Islam nor he surrendered a single fort of his kingdom. In so doing he earned the title of Dharmaveer by which he is known to this day.

It was a very difficult time in Maratha history. Their leader and king, Sambhaji made the supreme sacrifice for the sake of the survival of Hindu religion and independence. The Commander in chief of Maratha army, Mhaloji Ghorpade, who succeeded Hambirrao Mohite died in the ambush at Sangameshwar. A few days after Sambhaji's death, capital Raigad fell to enemy and Sambhaji's wife and son were arrested.

He was succeeded as leader of the Marathas by his younger brother Rajaram. However, Sambhaji's single heroic death unleashed an unprecedented unity and heroic spirit among the Marathas. Aurangzeb continued his grim war against the Marathas for another 18 years but could not destroy the Maratha state. Finally Aurangzeb died in 1707, right in the land of Maharashtra, something Maharashtrians still take pride in.

Marathas eventually managed to create one of the most powerful empires, the Maratha Empire, in India after their epic struggle with Aurganzeb ended. Aurangzeb spent the last 25 years of his life in the deccan, in constant warfare to subjugate the marathas. The torture to death of Sambhaji became a rallying call for maratha resistance and the regalvanization and spread of the maratha empire after Aurangzeb. In 1737, within 50 years of the torture and death of Sambhaji, maratha armies entered Delhi and had re-established hindu rule over all of western, central and much of northern India. It was the first time after 1192, when Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Mohammed Ghori, that a Hindu army was in control of Delhi. The maratha empire would remain the foremost military power in India till they lost power to the British after 3 anglo-maratha wars, the last of which ended in 1818.

There is some dispute among historians about Sambhaji's ability as a ruler. Some historians have portrayed him as ineffective and/or alcoholic. Other historians, notably S.G. Shevde, portray Sambhaji as a capable ruler. But whatever may have been his inadequacies as a ruler, his redemption and symbolism came in his death, and it is for this that he is mostly remembered by the marathi people to this day.

There are a few marathi historical novels based on the life of Sambhaji. They include "Chhava" (meaning tiger cub) by Shivaji Sawant, "Sambhaji" by Vishwas Patil, and "Shree Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj" by W.S.Bendre.