Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was a legendary Maratha king, who established the Maratha kingdom in western India. Brought up under the able guidance of his mother and his father’s administrator, Dadoji Konddeo, he became a brave and powerful warrior, with military training in various fighting techniques. He plunged into conquests of forts and territories at the young age of 16, carrying out a number of successful expeditions. However, his combat with Bijapur Sultan’s general, Afzal Khan, at the Battle of Pratapgarh was his major blowout, following which he defeated the bigger forces of Bijapur at the Battle of Kolhapur, thereby establishing the Maratha dominance in the western region. His conflicts with the Mughal Empire resulted in the seizure of Pune, though he was later suppressed by the Mughal army, forcing him to sign the Treaty of Purandar and surrender a large number of his fortresses, followed by his arrest upon being invited at Agra. However, he escaped and avenged his defeat by recapturing the capitulated forts. Besides the Deccan, he also brought a number of provinces in South India under his reign. He crowned himself as the king of the Maratha kingdom and took upon the title Kshatriya Kulavantas Simhasanadheeshwar Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj