Mughal commander Shaista Khan occupies Pune and sets base at Lal Mahal

In early 1660, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb determined that the growing power of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj posed a direct threat to Mughal hegemony in the Deccan region. To eliminate this threat, Aurangzeb dispatched his maternal uncle, Shaista Khan, appointing him Viceroy of the Deccan with a formidable army numbering over 100,000 veteran troops, heavy artillery, and vast logistical backing. Shaista Khan was instructed to dismantle the Maratha kingdom, capture its fortresses, and establish absolute Imperial control over Western Maharashtra.

Advancing from Aurangabad, Shaista Khan launched a methodical campaign across the Desh region. Despite fierce Maratha resistance at minor outposts—such as the heroic fifty-five-day defense of Chakan fort by Maratha commander Firangoji Narsala—the overwhelming numerical and technological superiority of the Mughal army forced Maratha forces to yield open territory. On August 15, 1660, Shaista Khan entered Pune, the cultural and administrative heartland of Shivaji's realm, and established his headquarters inside Lal Mahal.

Lal Mahal held deep personal significance for Shivaji, as it was the residential palace built for him by his guardian Dadaji Konddeo and his mother Jijabai, where Shivaji had spent much of his childhood and formulated his early vision of Hindavi Swarajya. Shaista Khan’s occupation of this symbolic home was a calculated psychological blow intended to humiliate the Maratha leadership and demonstrate Mughal dominance. From Lal Mahal, Shaista Khan directed extensive counter-insurgency operations, placing heavy garrisons across the surrounding valleys and levying heavy requisitions on local villagers.

For nearly three years, Pune remained under oppressive Mughal occupation. Shivaji was forced to operate from mountain fortresses like Rajgad and Sinhagad, adapting his strategy to minimize open battles against the vastly superior imperial army. However, Shaista Khan's prolonged stay in Lal Mahal generated a false sense of security among the Mughal high command, who believed Shivaji was effectively subdued and isolated in the Western Ghats.

The occupation of Pune marked a major crisis for the Maratha state, severely testing its financial and military endurance. Yet, it also set the stage for one of the most famous surgical strikes in Indian military history, as Shivaji carefully monitored Shaista Khan's routines within his own former residence, preparing a daring night raid that would eventually turn the tide of the war.