Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire in India
He succeeded his father as the second Chhatrapati (ruler) of the Maratha Empire in 1681 and ruled until he died in 1689
Born in 1657 at Purandar Fort near Pune, a highly educated prince, fluent in Sanskrit, Marathi, Persian, and Hindi, he was known for his intellectual prowess and authored several works, including a Sanskrit book called Budhbhushan
After Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj died in 1680, a brief power struggle followed, and Sambhaji ultimately took control and was crowned Chhatrapati in 1681 at Raigad Fort
His reign was marked by continuous warfare, especially against the Mughal Empire under Emperor Aurangzeb, and he fiercely resisted Mughal attempts to conquer the Maratha Empire
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