A group of tourists from Maharashtra at Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh humiliated a local guide named Sageer Baig by forcing him to rub his nose on the ground before a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, founder of the Maratha Empire who ruled in the 17th century AD.
The incident reportedly occurred after an altercation arose when Baig shared historical information, mentioning that Shivaji was once held captive at the fort, a well-documented historical event. Baig’s revelation triggered anger among tourists who retaliated aggressively, forcing him to accept his “mistake”.
A video of the assault that surfaced on social media platforms on Wednesday, February 26, shows the Maharashtrian tourists screaming at Baig, pushing him down aggressively and forcing him to rub his nose in front of a statue of Shivaji.
Baig, visibly seen in distressed condition, was released only after he apologised and followed the demands of the tourists.
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In recent times, public debates about the Maratha Empire and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s narrative have reached a peak, particularly after the release of Chhaava, a historical action movie depicting the life of Shivaji’s elder son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj who ruled from 1681 to 1689 as the second king of the Maratha Empire.
Why was Shivaji held captive at Agra Fort?The Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Sambhaji were held captive by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb at the Diwan-e-Aam of the Agra Fort in 1666.
Shivaji and Sambhaji were invited to the Mughal court under the pretext of negotiating peace and collaboration, the “Treaty of Purandar” (1665), to end the battle between the Maratha army and the Mughal Empire. Under this treaty, Shivaji gave 23 forts to the Mughals, including Purandar Fort.
However, upon reaching the Mughal court, they were humiliated and were treated with a cold reception. Shivaji stormed out of the court and was arrested and put under house arrest.
In a daring move, Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji managed to escape from the Fort by hiding in a fruit basket. Aurangzeb was alarmed and ordered a frantic search. They disguised themselves as a monk and reached Maharashtra.
Their captive marked a critical turning point in the conflict between the Marathas and the Mughals in Indian history. Shivaji then campaigned against Mughal territories in the Deccan and recaptured many territories.
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