The reign of Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb (ruled 1658 to 1707) was marked by a campaign of rapid military expansion. This coincided with the establishment of the Maratha Kingdom by Shivaji, who came into conflict with the Mughals as early as 1657. Conflict between the two states continued sporadically.
Sambhaji was Shivaji's eldest son. Sambhaji's misbehaviour, including his irresponsibility and addiction to "sensual pleasures", was always a matter of great concern for Shivaji. In 1678,
Sambhaji was confined to
Panhala Fort by Shivaji after violating a Brahmin woman. Both Jadunath Sarkar and Pandit Shankar Joshi believe that Sambhaji's defection was ultimately motivated by a sense of dissent against his father, particularly against Shivaji's proposal to partition the kingdom between his sons. According to which, Sambhaji was to receive the newly acquired regions of Karnatak and coastal Gingee, while Raja Ram would inherit the heartlands of Maharashtra. Sarkar states that Sambhaji, aggrieved by this decision, decided to join Diler Khan, the Mughal governor of Deccan after receiving letters from him promising Mughal support to reclaim his rights. After his defection, Sambhaji stayed in Akluj. After some time, he marched to the Maratha fort of Bhupalgarh with Diler Khan. The fort was under the command of Firangoji Narsala. Before the battle began, Sambhaji reportedly sent a letter to Narsala, ordering him to surrender the fort to the Mughals. This demand went unanswered. ==Battle==