After the 1659 battle in which the Marathas beat Aurangzeb’s uncle Shaista Khan and slay the mighty Adilshahi general Afzal Khan at the Pratapgarh fort, the Bijapur kingdom, though weakened, is burning for revenge. Shivaji is now striding towards the zenith of his power. He orders his trusted commander Netaji Palkar to mount a blitzkrieg against the invincible Adilshahi fortress, plundering or annexing territories stretching up to the valley of the Godavari, and also leaving the Mughal army camped in Aurangabad in a disarray. Leading many a bloody expedition, Shivaji captures close to sixty forts.
In court, Shivaji establishes an efficient administrative structure, instituting a council of eight ministers known as the Ashtapradhan. But it’s when he puts together a formidable navy that Aurangzeb lays a trap, luring him into the fort of Panhala.What follows is a 133-day-long siege of the impregnable fortress, breaking which Shivaji trudges back to the safety of his fort in Vishalgarh. There are other battles to be fought, other victories he will wrest. With his greatest warriors—Siddhi Wah Wah, Baji Prabhu and Shambhuji Jadhav—staunchly by his side, he sets off again.