Rajaram was the second son of
Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom. During Shivaji’s reign, the Maratha Kingdom included the whole of costal
Maharashtra,
Karnataka, and parts of
Gujarat and
Tamil Nadu. After Shivaji’s death in 1680, he was succeeded by his son Sambhaji. The Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb was Shivaji’s sworn enemy. After Shivaji's death, Aurangzeb marched to Central India to end the Maratha Empire. After a struggle of 9 years Sambhaji was captured and killed by Aurangzeb.
Sambhaji was succeeded by his younger brother Rajaram. Sambhaji's brutal death angered Rajaram. He continued the fight against Aurangzeb. He fought for nearly 10 years, until his death. The fight against the
Mughals was continued by Tarabai, Rajaram’s widow.
