Shivaji

Timeline

1. 1630–1659Shivneri · MaharashtraRaised under his father Shahaji Bhonsle, from the 1640s he seized forts and expanded his territory, confronting the Sultanate of Bijapur with a system of hill forts and flexible tactics, gradually rallying Maratha clan forces.
2. 1660–1666Pune · MaharashtraIn 1663 and 1664 he twice raided the Mughal port of Surat, establishing a threat to Mughal maritime trade. After signing the Treaty of Purandar in 1665 he went to Agra to have an audience with Aurangzeb, feigned illness and escaped in 1666, shaking the Mughal court.
3. 1667–1680Raigad Fort · MaharashtraIn 1667 he signed the Treaty of Surat with the British East India Company. In 1670 he raided Surat for a third time, recovering lost territory and expanding into Karnataka and Konkan. He established administrative and naval systems, laying the foundation of the Maratha Empire; after his death in 1680 his descendants continued the long war against the Mughals.