Thread by @TMahrattas

One of the most recurring gripes by enemies fighting Marathas, was how it was similar to punching water.

Marathas would just scatter before any field victory of their enemy, then regroup and maintain Total War.

The first one to face this was Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself!

Asaf Jah Nizam of Hyderabad admitted in 1728 how the genocidal Mughal campaign in Deccan from 1680-1707 which led to death of millions was funded only by Bengal Subah (whose people did absolutely nothing to stop this) while Marathas always remained undefeated, beggaring Mughals.

Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja himself faced this during his 1656 Campaign against the Jayavalli Maratha Chandrarao More dynasty.

Even before this campaign, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja intervened in Jayavalli's succession disputed & planted Yesajirao as the Chandrarao Maharaja.

However on attaining maturity, Chandrarao More broke off all pretenses of alliance.

Digressing that Shri Mahabaleshwar Shiva was their only Overlord (Chandrarao Mores presented their rule as Shiva's Earthly custodians just like Mewar Sisodiyas did), they insolently provoked war.

The Verulkar Bhonsale forces were actually cleanly defeated by Chandrarao Mores in their first invasion. This battle is of course forgotten.

Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja then doubled down on his preparations and marched furiously into their Chandrapuri capital city.

In the second invasion, the More army was seemingly defeated.

In order to prevent guerilla attacks in the occupied city, the granary was looted and stashed by Bhonsale army and the forests surrounding Chandrapuri were cut down to clear visibility for about a kilometer.

It has to be emphasized again and again that up to this point (1656), we don't have any real record of Bhonsales engaging in Kutayuddha as a policy. It is all straightforward.

Chandrarao More army forced the hand of Bhonsales, when they regrouped and attacked them in the night.

Due to their awareness of terrain, Chandrarao Mores had built shacks all along the hills of Jayavalli, and they would attack at random. Almost impossible to defeat in a single blow.

It is then recorded, that Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja deployed his spies all over that region.

अकपटकटकोपिशाहसूनुः
सकपटवैरिचमूविनाशनाय ।
स्वयमपि कुटिलां मतिं विदधे
भवति हि मायिनि माधवोऽपि मायी ॥

"Son of Shahaji was straightforward & preferred face-to-face battle, but He too took recourse to Kutayuddha taken by His enemies.
Towards a cunning enemy, Krishna is also cunning."

The locations of Chandrarao More army garrisons were identified, and Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja's general rode out (Senapati Netojirao Palkar Gujar?) and found those enemies totally unaware.
Eating, sleeping, like undisciplined oafs.
This was war, an invasion, not a clown show.

Imagine if a Sultanate army caught upon a Hindu force like this. What a tragedy that would be.

But the era of tragedies was over. Era of undisciplined armies was over.

In an extended action, Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja's Senadhinatha wiped out the entire Chandrarao force.

Thus a clean conquest over the Jayavalli country was attained. By using the method of Ashwatthama.

अश्वत्थामेव कोपाविकलितमनाः खङ्गमादाय तीक्ष्णं
दीनां लीनां निकुञ्जष्वपि तरुविचरते तां चकर्ताप्यशेषाम् ।

Pratapavarman More fled to Bijapur for aid as his country was taken over.

The entire Jayavalli area was annexed & became core of the new Maratha Empire. Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja's elder brother was already dead, and now he had entirely conquered a proper kingdom.

So by satisfying all criteria, he carried out his first official Coronation in 1656.

3 years later Pratapvarman More would return with Afzal Khan Abdullah Muhammadshahi and the Imperial Adilshahi army to try and retake Jayavalli.

By then Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaja had mastered the lay of the land and was ready, to be garlanded with the entrails of Afzal.