Before the British ever set foot in Bharat, another European empire had already carved out its presence along Bharat’s coasts—not just through trade, but through conquest, forced conversions, and a brutal religious inquisition. The Portuguese, firmly entrenched in Goa, had destroyed temples, outlawed Hindu festivals, and introduced the infamous Goan Inquisition, one of the harshest in history. But unlike anything they had faced before, a Maratha king rose from the Western Ghats to challenge them not only on land but at sea. His name was Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
How did the Portuguese arrive in Bharat?
In the 15th century, Papal Bulls issued by Pope Nicholas V granted Portugal the divine right to conquer and convert non-Christian lands. Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon to bypass Muslim-controlled regions in pursuit of the spice trade in Bharat. He arrived in Calicut in 1498, and just over a decade later, Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa in 1510 with the support of local Hindus frustrated by the Muslim rule of the Bijapur Sultanate. Initially, the Portuguese offered religious freedom, but by the 1540s, that illusion was shattered. Jesuit missionaries introduced the policy of “Rigor de Misericordia.” Temples were razed, Brahmins were expelled, festivals were banned, and Christianity was made the sole legal religion. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary canonized as a saint, lobbied for the Holy Inquisition in Goa. Within years of his death, in 1560, a religious tribunal was established, unleashing a reign of torture: public burnings, water torture, the rack, and parading dissenters naked through the streets. Sacred Hindu texts were reduced to ash.
Maratha-Portuguese Relations:
By 1667, the regions of Goa and Salcete had been forcibly converted and declared 100% Catholic. But resistance was brewing. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Swarajya, had raided Portuguese holdings. By 1680, his army was on the verge of marching into Goa when news of the Chhatrapati’s death reached his men. The Portuguese Viceroy reportedly rejoiced, declaring:
“The state is now free from anxiety. He was far more dangerous in peace than in war.”
But that celebration was premature. His son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji, would carry the mantle—and push even further.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj initially sought peace with the Portuguese, as he was dealing with a succession battle for the throne. Peace negotiations were being carried on by both sides & its relationship was looking cordial on both sides.
Aurangzeb’s Son, Prince Akbar, Took Refuge with Chhatrapati Sambhaji
Events happening in Rajputana would change the fate of the Deccan. The turning point came when Mughal Prince Akbar, rebelling against his father Aurangzeb, sought asylum with Chatrapati Sambhaji. This made the Marathas Aurangzeb’s prime target. In 1681, Aurangzeb and the Portuguese allied to crush Swarajya. Mughal forces under Bahadur Khan laid siege to Kalyan, a vital coastal hub, with Portuguese assistance.
The Portuguese began supplying the Mughal Empire—Sambhaji Maharaj’s sworn enemy—with ships, provisions, and intelligence. In exchange, the Portuguese viceroy demanded the annexation of the entire Konkan region for their assistance. The betrayal cut deep. This was no longer politics—it was personal.
But Chhatrapati Sambhaji, using swift and strategic guerrilla warfare, devastated the Mughal supply lines and forced their retreat by 1683. In retaliation for Portuguese treachery, he declared war.
Maratha Offense Against Colonial Power
On a stormy night in July 1683, the Marathas launched their offensive. Sambhaji’s forces struck the forts of Cheul and Korlai while simultaneously attacking Janjira, the naval base of the Mughal-aligned Siddis. They raided Vasai and destroyed Portuguese grain stockpiles. Parsik Fort fell soon after. Reinforcements led by Peshwa Nilkanth Moreshwar bombarded Cheul, while Portuguese appeals to their Viceroy at Goa went largely unanswered, fearing a greater Maratha assault on Goa. He focused his naval resources on defending Goa.
Even the English, witnessing this fierce campaign, began secret negotiations to sell Bombay to Sambhaji for 40,000 pagodas. The conflict escalated when the Portuguese launched a counteroffensive by opening a new front in the south Konkan by laying siege to Ponda Fort to ease pressure on their northern territory.
Defended by the veteran commander Yesaji Kank, the Marathas held out despite being outnumbered. Chhatrapati Sambhaji personally arrived with 8,000 cavalry and 1,500 infantry. On November 9, 1683, just as the final breach was underway, he charged into the fort with 600 reinforcements in perfect cavalry formation. His arrival electrified the defenders. The Marathas counterattacked fiercely, forcing the Portuguese to retreat and abandon the siege entirely.
The momentum was now fully with Chhatrapati Sambhaji. Later that month, 40 Maratha soldiers infiltrated Santo Estevão in disguise, assassinated the Portuguese captain, and signaled the main army to strike. The Portuguese Viceroy Francisco de Távora, panicked, rushed with troops to a church hilltop, only to fall into a Maratha ambush. European merchants and common citizens watched the entire battle unfold from the surrounding hills, all in broad daylight. The humiliation of Mighty European Naval power was complete. Portuguese soldiers drowned in retreat, their bodies floating past the city (Goa) they once ruled. The church on the hilltop was also burnt to ashes by the invading forces of Swarajya.
By December 1683, Sambhaji led his largest campaign yet. With 6,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, the Marathas stormed the heavily fortified regions of Bardez and Salsette. Fort after fort surrendered. Tivim, weakened by a water shortage, fell within days. Portuguese soldiers were stripped of weapons and clothes and sent back in shame. Churches were converted into military bases & Jesuits were leading the Portuguese army with European soldiers and Native converts for the defence of their territories. Meanwhile, in the northern territories of the Portuguese, Karanja and Elephanta Islands fell, and the surrounding areas were razed by the forces of Swarajya.
Then came the final insult. In retaliation for how Hindus were publicly humiliated during the Inquisition, Chhatrapati Sambhaji ordered 140 missionaries to be paraded out, stripped, just as Hindus had once been. It was retribution, but also a message.
The Portuguese Viceroy, fearing total collapse, retreated to the Church of Bom Jesus and prayed at the tomb of St. Xavier. He knew Sambhaji was preparing for a final siege on Goa itself. But fate would intervene. Just as the Maratha king readied his final assault, a massive Mughal force of 100,000 under Shah Alam descended upon Konkan. Sambhaji had to choose: destroy Goa and risk being crushed between two superpowers, or withdraw and preserve Swarajya. He chose wisely.
The assault on Goa was halted—but its outcome was historic. Though Sambhaji never captured the city, he shattered the illusion of Portuguese invincibility. Their forts lay in ruin, their pride humiliated, their role as silent allies of the Mughals fully exposed. The empire that once unleashed inquisitions on Indian soil had now tasted a defeat unlike any in its colonial memory.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji didn’t just fight the Portuguese—he dismantled their arrogance, stone by stone, fort by fort.
Sources:
- The Goa Inquisition by Anant Priolkar
- Portuguese Mahratta Relations by Bahu Virupaksha
