Sambhaji's Defection to the Mughals and Imprisonment in 1678

Timeline

1. 1678Aurangabad · MaharashtraSambhaji had long been at odds with his father over power distribution, marriage, and court appointments. In 1678 he secretly left the Maratha camp and went to Aurangabad to join Mughal prince Mu'azzam (later Bahadur Shah I). The Mughals received him, and Aurangzeb intended to use Sambhaji to check Shivaji and divide the Maratha leadership.
2. 1678Panhala Fort · MaharashtraShivaji sent troops to intercept Sambhaji's party en route, brought him back, and imprisoned him at Panhala Fort. During his confinement Sambhaji's contact with the outside was restricted, and the Maratha court appeared temporarily calm on the succession question. The Mughals failed to secure Sambhaji as an inside ally, but the 1678 southern campaign created a public impression of discord between father and son among the Marathas.
3. 1679Raigad · MaharashtraIn early 1679, Shivaji released Sambhaji under court mediation and restored his princely status, but the issues of succession order and power distribution were not fundamentally resolved. This imprisonment became one of the antecedents of Sambhaji's later dealings with the Mughals and the fierce succession struggle after Shivaji's death in 1680.