"Why do angels want to see Shivaji, the leader of the Marathas? He is a treason of our country, a cunning and cruel guy." After Li Shouzhi formed an alliance with the three countries of Travanth, Bijapur and Golconda,
Wanting to further contact the Marathas in central India, the Sultan of Bijapur meowed like a cat whose tail was stepped on, loudly speaking ill of Shivaji, the leader of the Marathas.
There is a reason why he hates the Marathas.
The Marathas are actually a confederation of Maratha-speaking tribes in the central and southern parts of the country. Once upon a time, they were just a separatist force in Bijapur, and openly submitted themselves to the king of Bijapur.
All this changed after Shivaji, a Maratha nobleman from the Ponsir family, came to power. At that time, there was the Mughal Kingdom in the north of India, and the Bijapur and Golconda Kingdoms in the south. These three countries all believed in Islam.
.The Maratha people who believe in Hinduism are oppressed, and Shivaji is determined to fight for their freedom.
The War of Independence started in 1655. Shivaji led his army to seize some outposts of the Bijapur army. His extraordinary courage and military ability, as well as his severe punishment of the Hindu oppressors, won him widespread respect. In 1659,
He killed the general of the Bijapur army, Afzhai Khan, and formed de facto independence.
Then, a new enemy appeared. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb sent troops to attack the Marathas and successively captured Pune, Chakan Fort, Kalyan and other places. Shivaji did not give in and defeated the Mughal army many times.
, killed and wounded Shaista Khan, the Mughal deputy king and Aurangzeb’s uncle.
Finally outnumbered, the Marathas had to surrender to the Mughal Empire and cede 23 castles and land with an annual output value of 1.6 million rupees. The cruel Aurangzeb deceived Shivaji to come to Agra
He was placed under house arrest. He pretended to be sick and repented, distributed flower baskets containing a lot of candies to the poor, and hid himself in the flower baskets before escaping. Followers warmly welcomed the return of the leader, and a large army quickly gathered around him to not only regain the lost land, but also
Expanded his territory and established a navy.
In 1674, Shivaji held a spectacular coronation ceremony in Ragazir, used the title "Chhatrapati" (meaning independent monarch or king), appointed eight ministers to form a cabinet, and respected various religious beliefs.
Even many Islamists served him and formed an alliance with the Sultan of Golconda to jointly resist the Mughal Empire.
In short, this is a very difficult hero to deal with.
"Oh, isn't Shivaji unfriendly to the Ming Dynasty?" Li Shouzhi asked.
"That is an arrogant and rebellious guy. He will never surrender to the Ming Dynasty like us." Bijapur Sultan said angrily. He always believed that it was because of these Maratha people's independence that caused the Bijapur
The decline of the country.
Different positions speak different words. Golconda is an ally of the Maratha. Its Sultan said with a smile: "Although Shivaji is arrogant and unruly, his army is well-trained and capable of fighting. I think now is the time to employ people."
In this situation, we should work together to deal with the Mughals.
Li Shouzhi nodded, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. No matter how rude Nakivaji is, I will treat him for a while."
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After climbing over countless mountains and crossing countless rivers, Li Shouzhi arrived at the Maratha Kingdom under the leadership of his guide.
Along the way, you can see key places, including military fortresses, Purandar Hill Fort, Shivner Fort, Jinji Fort, etc. Most of these fortresses are built on the mountains, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.
From time to time, light cavalry would patrol down the mountain. The Marathas had developed unique military tactics during their years of training and campaigning. Their light cavalry relied on their powerful and flexible mobility to move around and harass the huge and bloated Mughal army.
The "killer weapon" in the military.
Li Shouzhi was observing the Maratha fortress and sentry cavalry when he suddenly saw more than a hundred cavalry approaching. The leader was a young general, fifteen or sixteen years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, not angry but powerful.
"Stop, who are you?"
The young general fired a feather arrow in a demonstration, and it turned out to be an eagle feather.
"I am the guide sent by the King of Golconda, and this person behind is the envoy of the Ming Dynasty." The white-bearded guide spoke in a trembling voice.
The Golconda country is an ally of the Maratha people. After hearing this, the young general looked much kinder and asked with a smile: "But it means that the country is a celestial dynasty. I wonder why the envoys of the celestial dynasty came to our corner of the mountain?"
"Cough~"
Li Shouzhi coughed, straightened his clothes, and said eloquently: "I, Li Shouzhi, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites, under the order of Emperor Guangwu of the Ming Dynasty, formed an alliance with the Maratha King Sivaji to jointly deal with the abominable Mo.
"Woer people".
"You are here to see my grandfather. He is in the Jinji Fort in front. Please follow me." The young man showed a bright smile and added: "My name is Sanghu."
Maratha King Shivaji started his career in the military, so he did not like to stay in the capital of Rajazir, but liked to inspect military camps everywhere. On this day, he happened to be inspecting the Jinji Fort in front.
Sanghu's riding skills were very good, but he switched to walking after half of the ride. Otherwise, this Jinji Fort was really steep. It was built on the mountain. The city base and the mountain were connected as one. It was extremely strong and could only be walked up the mountain.
Li Shouzhi followed Sanghu, panting from the climb, when he suddenly saw a middle-aged man who looked very similar to Sanghu. He stopped Sanghu and chattered a lot.
"Angel, that is Sanghu's father, Sambaji, the son of Sivaji," the Golconda guide secretly said to Li Shouzhi.
Perhaps after listening to his son's words, the middle-aged man showed a warm smile and said in Chinese: "Distinguished guests, please come with me."
Shivaji stood on the wall of Jinji Fort, like a tiger on the mountain, looking down the mountain, silent, but with a majestic aura.
"Father, our ally Golconda has invited envoys from the Ming Dynasty and wants to invite you to send troops to attack the Mughals," Sangbajie reported respectfully.
"Ming Dynasty?"
Shivaji raised the corners of his mouth, his white beard floated up, and said slowly: "Please!"
As soon as he met the leader of the Maratha people, Li Shouzhi had the illusion that he was the grandfather next door. The old man had a gentle appearance and a kind face.
But as soon as the negotiation started, he felt the kingly aura of the other party.
First of all, unlike the three countries of Travant, Bijapur, and Golconda, Shivaji refused to surrender to the Ming Dynasty, but insisted that the two sides have equal state-to-state relations.
Secondly, although he agreed to jointly send troops to defeat the Mughals, he put forward conditions and demanded that Bikaner, Gwalior, Allahabad and other places be obtained after the war.
Li Shouzhi looked at the map and saw that there was nothing else to do. Allahabad was on the main trade route and he did not dare to agree. Finally, the two sides reached an agreement: the Marathas would send 13,000 troops and get Bikaner after the war.
and Gwalior as spoils of war.
After the negotiation was successful, Shivaji burst into laughter and said, "Dear guests, I have prepared wine and food, please taste the Maratha style!"
