Battle of Umberkhind

After Aurangzeb's accession to the throne in 1659, he sent Shaista Khan as a viceroy of the Deccan with a large Mughal Army to enforce the treaty the Mughals had signed with the Adilshahi of Bijapur. However, this territory was also fiercely contested by Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who had acquired a reputation after his killing of a Adilshahi general, Afzal Khan, in 1659. In January 1660, Shaista Khan arrived at Aurangabad and quickly advanced, seizing Pune, the centre of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj realm. He also captured the fort of Chakan and Kalyan and north Konkan after heavy fighting with the Marathas. The Marathas were banned from entering the city of Pune. Kartalab Khan and Rai Bagan were told to assist Shaista Khan in his campaign. Shaista Khan sent both Kartalab Khan and Rai Bagan to capture Rajgad Fort. So they went on their way with 20,000 soldiers for each of them. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj wanted Kartalab and the famous Rai Bagan (Royal Tigress), the wife of Deshmukh of Mahur Sarkar of Berar Subah Raje Udaram, to enter Umberkhind, so that they become easy prey to his guerilla technique. When the Mughals entered Umberkhind, a 15 miles passage, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's men started blowing horns. The whole Mughal army got stunned. Then the Marathas started attacking the Mughal Army with a barrage of arrows. Kartalab Khan and Rai Bagan and the other Mughal soldiers tried to retaliate, but the forest was so dense and the Maratha Army was so quick that the Mughals could not even see the enemy. The situation was such that Mughal soldiers were being killed by arrows and swords without even seeing where the enemy was and without knowing where to shoot. A large number of the Mughal soldiers died in this way.

Rai Bagan then advised Kartalab Khan, that he should surrender himself to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and ask for mercy. She said, "You have made a mistake by putting the whole army in the lion's jaw. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the lion. You should not have chosen this path to attack Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Now, to save these dying soldiers, you should surrender yourself to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Unlike Mughals, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajshows amnesty for those who surrender."[2] The battle lasted for an hour or two. And then Kartalab Khan on advise of Rai Bagan, sent the soldiers with a white flag for truce. They shouted “truce, truce!” and within a minute got encircled by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's men. Then on the condition of paying huge ransom and surrendering all the arms, Kartalab Khan was allowed to go back. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj then stationed Netaji Palkar in Umberkhind to keep a check on the Mughals, if they come back.