Netaji Palkar

Netaji Palkar
Sarsenapati (Commander in Chief) of the Maratha Empire
Born est. 1620
Khalapur
(Raigad District, Maharashtra)
Died est. 1681
Religion Hindu (Muslim for a decade)

Netaji Palkar (~1620–1681) (Mr:नेताजी पालकर) was the second Sardar Senapati or Sarnaubat (Commander-in-Chief, Duke) under Shivaji, founder of the Maratha empire.

Family history

Netaji Palkar was born in a small village, called Chouk in Khalapur, Maharashtra, India. Netaji's father was in the services of Shivaji's father Shahaji. Shivaji's third queen Putalabai was also from Palkar's family.[1]

Military career

Palkar was made Sarnaubat in the year 1657 after the death of Mankoji Dahatonde. During the period of the rise of Shivaji from 1645 to 1665, Netaji was given charge of many expeditions which he successfully completed. His greatest success was the campaign against the Adilshah of Bijapur Sultanate that followed the killing of Afzal Khan. His standing among the local population was such that he was known as Prati Shivaji (image of Shivaji).He disturbed lot of area of Mughals till year 1665. As he did not inform about the actions of Jai Singh and Dilerkhan, Shivaji was upset on him. After the 1665 Treaty of Purandar between Jai Singh and Shivaji, Shivaji was made to give 23 forts to the Mughals and also fight against the Adilshah of Bijapur. During this period, Netaji Palkar defected to the Bijapur forces. It was the strategy of Shivaji so as to reduce his own military power as Aurangzeb wanted Shivaji to fight for him. Thus Shivaji strategised to defect Netaji Palkar to Adilshah of Bijapur. Therefore as expected by Shivaji, Mughals were unable to conquer Adilshah.

After Shivaji's meeting with Aurangzeb at Agra, Netaji Palkar joined the service of Jaisingh. When Shivaji escaped from Agra, Mirza Raja fell out of favor of Aurangzeb. [2]

Capture by the Moghuls, conversion to Islam and re-conversion to Hinduism

After Shivaji's escape from Agra, Aurangzeb, as a revenge, ordered Jai Singh to arrest Netaji Palkar. He was under arrest at Dharur fort for a few days, which is situated in Beed district now. Also it is told that on the same fort Jija mata sent some money to Jaisingh when demanded by Shivaji to distribute sweets in Agra. Netaji Palkar was then converted to Islam. His wives were thereafter brought to Delhi and also converted for him to remarry them in the Islamic way. Taking up the name of Muhammed Kuli Khan, Netaji Palkar was appointed as garrison commander of the Kandahar fort in Afghanistan. He tried to escape but was traced and trapped at Lahore. Thereafter on the battlefields of Kandhar and Kabul, he fought for the Mughals against rebel Pathans. Thus he gained the good faith of Aurangzeb and was sent to the Deccan along with Commander Diler Khan to conquer Shivaji's territory.

However, after entering Maharashtra, Netaji joined Shivaji's troops and went to Raigad. Thus, after a decade in Mughal captivity, Netaji turned up at the court of Shivaji, asking to be taken back into the Hindu fold. He was not only converted back to Hinduism but into his own community of CKP as well.[3][4] He died in 1681.

Military campaigns

Netaji led battles against the Adilshah at Panhala, Shahapur, Tikona and Vijapur (Bijapur) in 1660 and at Khatav, Mangalvedha, Phaltan, Taathvada and Bijapur in 1665.

References

  1. ↑ Netaji Palkar
  2. ↑ Netaji Palkar
  3. ↑ "Hindu Vishva, Volume 16, No.9". May 1981. p. 19. Netaji Palkar, who, on account of his superb valour was known as a second Shivaji at his time, was lured by Mirza Jaisingh into Auranzeb's services, and in 1667 was forcibly converted to Islam. ...Only in 1676 could he get an opportunity to escape to Deccan and straightway seek a meeting with Shivaji Maharaj. He was not only brought back to Hinduism but was taken back into his own community of Kayastha Prabhus without the least objection from anyone. Thus, the doors of Hinduism were opened to all those who wanted to return to it.
  4. ↑ "Organiser, Volume 27". Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Ltd. 1974: 205. Aurangzeb converted Shivaji's general Netaji Palkar a Kayastha Prabhoo to Islam and named him Kuli Khan. He sent him to the north west frontier province. Netaji suspected that he would be murdered in the north west by some secret agent of the Emperor.
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