He was publicly exhibited, bound upon a camel and forced to convert to Islam. Upon his refusal, the worst of tortures were inflicted on him for over thirty-nine days. A red-hot iron rod was thrust into his eyes and his tongue was cut off. On 11 March 1689, his head was then chopped off and paraded from the emperor’s camp towards Bijapur, while his body was mercilessly hacked to pieces.8 This was the darkest hour in the barbarity of the Mughal hegemony, which shook the Marathas to the core and also instilled in them an undying spirit of vengeance for what was meted to their ruler.
