However, the situation at Raigad itself was becoming more and more worrisome. Fearing that if Sambhajiraje was not taken care of, it will be a huge calamity for her, Soyarabai began putting pressure on the ministers to somehow subdue him. Realising that there was no other option but to fight with Sambhajiraje, the ministers began gathering forces. They wrote a letter to Hambirrao asking him to support them and ensure Rajaram succeeded to the throne. Hambirrao asked the messenger whether there was any other message, and finally sent a shrewd answer,
“Wherever you go, I will be behind you.”
Hearing this message from Hambirrao, the ministers thought he was on their side, and embarked towards Panhala. At this stage, the names of the primary conspirators are revealed to be only four: Annaji Datto, Moropant Pingle, Prahlad Niraji and Raoji (Rahuji) Somnath. Prahladpant out of these, cancelled his original plan to accompany them to Panhala. He seems to have been forced by Annaji to become a part of the plan and was on Sambhajiraje’s side from the beginning. He tried to dissuade them from going ahead with their plan. So, they played another trick to send Prahladpant to Sambhajiraje to try and discuss the terms of a ‘treaty’ by dividing the kingdom into two, where Sambhajiraje was to head the southern kingdom without any immediate threat, and Rajaram, Soyarabai and the ministers were to head the existing kingdom which had the Mughal invasion’s threat hanging over its head. Prahladpant did not accept this, because after going to Panhala, he seems to have thought that he was finally free of this trap of the ministers, and openly began serving Sambhajiraje. The ministers relied upon Prahladpant and kept marching on towards Panhala. Leaving Pratapgad, these people reached Karhad. At this time, a messenger arrived from Hambirrao’s camp who was out on the lookout. He told them that Hambirrao wanted to meet them in person, but in solitude. Both agreed and Hambirrao met them. He quickly realised, that the idea to divide the kingdom did not originate from Shivaji Maharaj and got very angry about this devious action. In that moment, the ministers felt threatened by Hambirrao’s power, and had to prostrate in front of him in all humility. Hambirrao, being true to his Kshatriya attitude, did not further insult them, disarmed them and their forces, and dispatched all of them under tight security of one of his detachments to Panhala. Hambirrao himself happily embarked towards Panhala, to convey the good news that without a single swipe of the blade of his sword, he had been able to extract surrender from the treacherous ministers and they had been imprisoned. When he met Sambhajiraje at Panhala along with his other commanders like Anandrao, Nimbalkar etc. everybody was happy that this Shambhuraja was indeed capable of protecting the kingdom after Shivaji Maharaj. Annaji was kept in fetters at Panhala. Moropant was imprisoned too.
The moment Moropant and Annaji had left Raigad for Panhala, the Sarnaubat, Naikwadi officials there, took the fort under their own control on 16 May, imprisoned the people who were part of the conspiracy, and installed their own security guards everywhere. They sent a messenger to Sambhajiraje requesting him to provide his approval for their action. He dispatched it instantly. Security guards were installed at the houses of the treacherous ministers as well. Thereafter, Sambhajiraje’s father-in-law Pilaji Shirke arrived at Raigad with his due permission and with a sizeable force (of 5000 soldiers) for Raigad’s security. After everything was in order, Sambhajiraje left Panhalgad to come to Raigad.
Sambhajiraje thus arrived at Raigad on 18 June 1680. He consoled Soyarabai and his other three stepmothers for Shivaji Maharaj’s death. He continued to treat Rajaram with utmost brotherly love. Like Annaji had ensnared Prahladpant, Moropant etc. in his conspiracy, he had entrapped Soyarabai as well. He did not even allow her to confer with her own brother Hambirrao. He had to take help from Adilshahi sardars Sawants, who had nursed only hatred towards Shivaji Maharaj from the beginning. All of Shivaji Maharaj’s relatives, the common Marathas, and all other subordinate officials, accepted Sambhajiraje as their king. Without a single drop of blood being spilled, these treasonous ministers had to fall at Hambirrao’s feet asking for pardon. All this proves that it was not politics or stepmotherly treatment at the root of the conspiracy, but it was pure treason committed through selfish interest by one person.
To be continued…
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