On March 11, 1689, on the eve of the auspicious Gudi Padwa, Sambhaji Maharaj, the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Kingdom and eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was brutally murdered under the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
As we celebrate the Hindu New Year at our homes, places of worship, and with friends and colleagues of other faiths, we should solemnly remember those whose sacrifices have served as a lasting bulwark against forced conversion for the last millennia. Due to their sacrifices, we still retain our culture, way of worship, and freedom to practice or not practice them as we choose.
After being captured through treachery, Aurangzeb presented Sambhaji with an ultimatum: convert to Islam or endure excruciating torture. Over forty agonizing days, Sambhaji endured unimaginable torment. Despite relentless pressure, he steadfastly clung to his Hindu faith. His tormentors peeled his skin, doused him in salt, sprinkled chili powder, inflicted lashes, pulled out nails, severed his tongue, blinded his eyes, crushed his hands and feet, and, in a final act of desperation, Aurangzeb ordered his beheading.
Such barbarity was characteristic of Aurangzeb’s fanaticism. Earlier, in Delhi’s renowned Chandni Chowk, he executed the 9th Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur, on November 11, 1675, for refusing to renounce Sikhism. Before Tegh Bahadur’s decapitation, he was forced to watch his disciples suffer gruesome fates, including being sawn into pieces and being boiled alive. Countless Hindus and Sikhs met similar fates during Aurangzeb’s reign, enduring forced conversions or torture to death.
Tragically, this culture of cruelty persists in modern times. During the 1971 Bangladesh independence war, the International Crimes Tribunal convicted several leaders of the Islamic Razakar militia, as well as the Bangladesh Muslim Awami League, of forced conversion of Bengali Hindus. The genocide of Kashmiri Pandits has stopped only recently, thanks to the iron-willed government in New Delhi.
Every day, in Pakistan and Bangladesh, Hindus, Christians, and members of minority Islamic sects face harassment, rape, and forced conversion.
It behooves those of us who are fortunate enough to be safe today to not only honor the memory of martyr heroes but also to alleviate the suffering of those still oppressed. In Bharat, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) offers a glimmer of hope to refugees fleeing persecution in neighboring Islamic nations. In the USA, advocacy efforts should be intensified so that aid to these countries from the USA should be stringently tied to human rights records.
Many in India uphold traditions to honor Sambhaji Maharaj’s sacrifice. Some forgo meals or cherished possessions for forty days, while others fast or practice various acts of penance. Despite often being overshadowed by his father’s legendary legacy, Sambhaji’s valor should occupy a prominent place in the minds of not only individuals of Indian descent but everyone in the world who is concerned about the evils of forced proselytization. If the forces of freedom work together, they will be victorious, just like the Marathas, who after Sambhaji’s death, kept on fighting such that even after trying for 27 years Aurangzeb could not capture Deccan and died there, a broken man.”